Remember how to divide up the word "assume". Always, always call the front desk, get the name of the person with whom you spoke, and ASK if there is a cost.

I remember somebody here posted a report, they told the check-in they are on a honeymoon, and when they found a bottle of wine with a "congratulation" card in their room, they thought it's complimentary. It was not.

So, we all should assume, we'll be charged for everything! How much is that shampoo bottle?

Went out to dinner in a restaurant in Munich. After ordering our dinner, the waiter brought us a basket of soft, warm pretzles to the table.

Of course we thought this was the German equivalent of a basket of bread and we gobbled down every last one...even asked for another basket!

Shocked to find out later that they were on the bill too!

On my honeymoon, DH and I were traveling through Europe (on a budget) and made plans to visit an Aunt & Uncle in Switzerland.

DH and I made reservations to stay in a modest rustic inn in their town and paid upfront.

After checking into our rustic inn we went to Aunt & Uncles house only to be SURPRISED to find out that they had "made arrangements" for us to spend 2 nights in the town's 5-star super-luxury hotel! WOW!

We moved our bags from rustic inn (and got no money back of course) to amazing hotel.

We enjoyed every moment until checkout when we were horrified to be billed $325 per night!

I thought that there was a gross misunderstanding when they showed me the original note from my uncle asking for reservations for 2 nights in my name and that he would pay for one dinner for us.

NJriverchick - that is awful. did you confront them on why they thought this was a good idea?

Always assume anything of the food/drink nature you fid in your room is FOR SALE - unless there is a note on it from the Management.

(If they're giving you someething compl;imentary they alway want the credit for it.)

That said, I have gotten all sorts of extras for free - sometimes bottles of champagne and caviar (when I was running a meeting that gave them over 300 room nights) to beautiful fruit baskets and bottle of wine (apparently given to everybody at an upscale manor house) to plain bottles of water. But - always with a note from the management.

Of all the places I've been, one has to be most careful in China. In general:

- Chinese tea bags are free but instant coffee and other drinks aren't.

- Bottled water is free only if it's in the bathroom, not if it's in the main room. [Most hotels have a small water machine in the room that also boils water. That's free.]

- The cheap shampoo and conditioner are free, but the fancy lotion next to them are not.

But surprisingly, the slippers (usually very thin one-use type, but occasionally you get something a little bit better) are always free. So, are the cheap toothbrush/paste sets.

NJ - you assumed your relatives will pay for your room. They assumed it's not a biggie for you to pay that much. Switzerland is not the only country in the world where people think American travellers are loaded with money!

Whose aunt or uncle are those? NJ or the new husband?

If it's hers relatives, maybe because the DH looks SO RICH to them that think <b>he can</b> afford it? :p

The aunt &amp; uncle were mine, not the new husband.

And we were young newlyweds travelling through Europe by 2nd class train...with backpacks on our backs!! No chance of appearing rich. I think.

By the way, we were way too shocked to confront them. we tried to think back on how this mistake could have happened. WE DID already have rooms booked and I had written in advance to tell them so.

at least we can laugh about it now...and its a great story to tell.