DebitNM

I recently made an online reservation for a hotel that shall remain nameless. I noticed what was an obvious mistake in the daily rate...ridiculously low.

Do you think the hotel is bound to honor this rate?

I am NOT asking about the ethical implications...I know the answer there. I just want see if anyone else has had this experience and if they got the confirmed rate.

Thanks..
Debi

moldyhotelsaregross

I don't know but I want to see your responses!

DebitNM

I checked the website very carefully. Nowhere does it make mention of what happens if there are mistakes on the site and how they would be handled. No disclaimers.
Debi

TxTravelPro

I can tell you without a doubt that in the US, LEGALLY the hotel DOES NOT have to honor the rate. I am not positive about other countries.
There are usually disclaimers in the terms of usage that will cover this... If they have decided to not honor the rate, expect a call or email if you provided one.
Many hotels will honor the rate to avoid problems.
Some will unless it is ridiculous... like a 100.00 a night room loaded as 1.00 or a 1000.00 a night room loaded as 10.00.
I have seen both.
The biggest example I saw was with a major Starwood property. They did NOT honor the mistake.

Gretchen

I think it depends on what the poster has in writing.

MikeT

I would definitely take a copy of yoru reservation when you check in. And be prepared for them to say it was a mistake and they won't honor it.

TxTravelPro

An itinerary is not a legally binding document.
Now there are slightly different implications on a fully prepaid reservation.

TxTravelPro

If you scored a great deal, you should probably review the reservation with the hotel or res center. You could even argue that they have to honor it if they give you trouble... even though they do not, they might.
Regardless, it is better to settle it in advance rather than at check in.

DebitNM

I have a confirmation with reservation #.

I will contact them before we go, for sure. I want to know what they will actually charge me.

Again, just checking to see if anyone has had similar experience.
Debi

nina

This is a good question. I noticed that on a particular hotel booking site that when I go to book a room, it gives me the rate for 2 people, even though I know the hotel charges extra for kids, and the hotel booking site asks for the number of children and their ages.

For example, I plugged in a hotel that I know charges extra for kids, I specifically entered the number of guests in the room and their ages, yet they give me the same price for 4 as for 2. I called the hotel booking website and they insist that is the price for the room, and that I could just print out the confirmation with the price, date, number of guests and ages and the price was correct.

Now, just because I'm honest or dumb, I called the hotel directly and they claim that if I showed up with the confirmation that they would charge me extra for the kids, even though my confirmation shows the price including kids.

Not wanting the hassle, I didn't book the hotel, but I'm very curious as to what the outcome would be if I really didn't know they charged extra for the kids, and if I showed up thinking I had paid for my room only to have the hotel try to extract another $100 a night from me.

Personally, I think the hotel should honor the price and take it up with the booking site. It's either the website's error or the hotel's, not the guests.

TxTravelPro

Debi, can you indicate the chain?
If you can, I can provide you with more detailed information on how they are likely to respond.
I can't really tell you why I am so close to this issue, but I have quite a bit of experience with hotel rate automation errors.

DebitNM

TxTravelPro-- can you email me directly? I really don't want to put anything on here that might identify it.
Debi

TxTravelPro

Nina, I am actually working on this very issue with a hotel in Europe.
I get a reported problem every week!
There is an automation 'kink' in the reservation system that is a bit too complicated for this forum.
But in attempt to summarize:
The hotel loads the rates and extra person charges in the core reservation system.
This system connects to a dozen or so systems, which in turn connect to thousands of agencies and websites.
Each of these systems have field specifications that vary slightly.
Anyway... the hotel may have loaded the information correctly and the problem resides in one of the automation tools. For example, one of the leading automation tools requires this specific information to be manually entered. It is the only rate related information that must be manually loaded. And even if you load it manually you could have problems because it only allows one fixed extra person charge. For may all inclusive resorts the charge for adults and children in different.
Everyone in the industry is trying to standardize this messaging logic so this issue does not occur but because we are dealing with companies all over the world, I'd compare it to hearding cats.
So, almost everyone has terms buried somewhere that these sort of 'problems' are not their fault.
I know this does not help much but it is the most common cause of the extra person charge issue.
OMG... rereading this gives me a headache... but I am going to leave it as is.

nina

Travelpro,
I figured it was something like that, however, if the website asks for the number and ages of children, and if the customer enters those items correctly, it isn't unreasonable to assume that those people are being taken into account when the rate is displayed, right?

If they can't calculate the rate based on the number of people and their ages, why even bother to ask?

This isn't for an all-inclusive hotel, so I don't think the hotel would be out much (if anything) if they honored the rate, but I can't believe I'm the only one who has found this glitch, people must run into it all the time!

GoTravel

I didn't read everyone's response but can give you my first hand experience.

Even if you have a confirmed confirmation from the hotel for the low rate, the hotel does not have to honor the rate and you have no recourse.

Any time a hotel does honor the rate it is in good faith only.

There was a very long thread on Bidding For Travel about people pissed over a $26 rate for the Marriott in Manhattan and they would not honor.

Flyertalk.com has several threads on this very subject.

I would count on the hotel switching your rate to the rack rate.

DebitNM

ttt

starrsville

Geez, debit. It was only 1/2way down the page.

But, since you ttt'd -

I'd call and confirm the rate OR book another (cancellable) back-up reservation. Chances are they are NOT going to honor an "obvious mistake" and if you continue as is, you will probably charged Rack Rate (as GoT said). That rate can be astronomical for walk-ins.

Honesty really IS the best policy - in all cases, including your pocketbook.

starrsville

clarification - book another cancellable reservation elsewhere.

happytrailstoyou

Call the hotel and ask. Maybe you hit the jackpot.

Andrew

A hotel chain recently made a typo in posting a rate for a hotel in Manhattan. A lot of people obviously jumped on it. They did NOT honor the rate as I recall. This was within the last six months or so. I read about it on BiddingForTravel I think.

Andrew