Should I be worrying about addt'l hotel charges?

[Ficserv]

Hi there. I just got accepted for a bid of 52.00 for the Downtown Miami area......got the Hyatt Regency. Now I'm concerned after reading some reviews my friend sent me saying someone who recently stayed there had to give a credit card when checking in and sign for any incidently charges during there stay such as phone use. They told them did not plan on any incidental charges, but they required it anyway. She recently got her statement and was charged the priceline amount from priceline and a nightly rate from the hotel. They did not have any other "incidental" charges and are now having to fight this transaction. Do you know if this will be required when we check in or how can we get around it? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[thereuare]

Please post your winning bid in the FLORIDA>>PRICELINE forum (where somebody looking for this information would expect to find it) and we will then address your question. Please also include the dates of your stay and whether this was your first bid in the zone or if you were rejected at lower levels previously.

[Ficserv]

OK. I did it. I had planned to do it today. Any info you can now give me concerning my question would be greatly appreciated.

[thereuare]

Thanks...

It's the exception more than the rule, but it does happen, usually by a staff member that is new or a hotel new to the priceline system. Although not an ideal situation, the matter is almost always quickly resolved with a phone call.

Here is a thread on the subject: Hotwire / Priceline Double Charged

[Ficserv]

Thanks for the info! :)

[nick5]

There are some places in Miami that add a resort fee per person. Sometimes 10-12 dollars a day. I'm sure a quick call placed to Hyatt Regency and they would be happy to explain any extra charges that you might occur. (oh and your friends might have been referring to parking, some places charge for that too, 18.00 a day comes to mind from sites I have read)

Enjoy your trip,

Cheryl

[bluehawk59]

I dont mind paying for the extra services and goods I recieve. I do mind paying up front for things I will never use though. The company I work for books my rooms, and pays for them. I have encountered many problems with paying the "incidental" fees. I can be traveling for months at a time and found that I can have hundreds in incidental fees tied up with a hold put on my funds at a time. I stopped giving Hotels my credit card because of this. It has taken months to get the hold taken off my accounts, with no compensation from the ones who put it there.

I have gave them cash instead, then another problem, they didnt have enough cash to give back to me. Here we go again! One time it took me 6 months to get back $200.00........after many phone calls....all my time.....not to mention the minutes I burned up on my cell.....6 months!

What can a person do?

I dont have that kind of money to let someone hold for months, I stay in Hotel everyday of the month most times. Can you imagine!

I tell them I dont have a credit card, that they can take out my phone or simply turn it off, take out anything that they think I might steal. My stay has already been paid for, please give me my key and most times they will.

Sometimes they ask for a cash deposit, between $25.00 and $100.00, I offer twenty, and tell them I need a written statement that I will be given cash back at the time I check out.

I stay in nice hotels and not everyone of them ask for a deposit..!

It should be an option if you want to pay it. With the way it is now days, the computer systems can allow or deny charges, depending on if you paid the Incidental fee, and they can turn your phone off to outside calls. If you charge anything to your room, they most always call the front desk to verify that you are a guest, so why not ask if you paid the Incidental fee! Looks like they need to be more customer friendly!