Getting blindsided by a hotel that levies extra charges

In July, 2022, Elisa and her friend, Molly, spent 4 days at the W Hotel in the desert. By all accounts, their stay was fabulous. At check-out, they reviewed the bill and everything looked fine.

Two weeks later, though, Molly found a $750 additional charge from the hotel. Elisa assumed it was a clerical error and called the W to have it removed. Only to be then told by the hotel manager that the charges were a “biohazard clean-up” fee. Elisa says she didn’t understand the manager’s explanation of the charge. She asked him what biohazard needed cleaning in their hotel room.

That’s when she discovered exactly what the hotel accused the friends of doing. According to Elisa, she had spilled a bottle of water in bed, but apparently the cleaners thought it to be urine. Elisa was stunned. She and Molly are two grown women in their 40’s and well past the bed-wetting stage. When the friends pressed the issue further, the manager promised to send photos and an incident report.

The hotel had documented the “damage” extensively provided not only an incident report but a variety of photos, which upon review of the evidence, by the friends showed that there was some light staining on the sheets, which they agreed However, they continued to insist that it was only a water stain. “That is not urine. It’s a water stain,” Molly wrote to the hotel manager, “It is unfortunate that you mistakenly disposed of perfectly good bedding, but it is not our responsibility to replace it”. Molly’s explanation did not sway the manager and made it clear that he considered the matter closed with the following written response.

“I investigated your claim that it was just a water spill. I spoke with the security officer who made the report. Then I talked to the houseman who removed the Biohazard. All the employees confirmed a strong smell of urine on the wet sheets, pillowcase, duvet, and bed topper. I included our Bio Hazard Replacement Charge Sheet. We cannot re-use any of these items and [the hotel] charged you the cost of replacements.”

That’s when Elisa decided to seek the help of Michelle Couch-Friedman, Chief Fiasco Fixer / Consumer reporter of an advocacy team. Michelle was impressed at the meticulous lengths the hotel had gone to document the problem. To her, one photo showed a light yellowish circular stain on a sheet. And then there were some other photos of piles of sheets and blankets that didn’t appear to show anything at all.

Michelle asked Elisa what she thought caused the yellow stain in the bed. Elisa recalled taking one of the water bottles, having a swig and laying it next to her. She assumed the cap was on, but it wasn’t and water spilled on the side of the bed. She believed that small yellow tinged smear must have come from the leg and body makeup she had sprayed on, whilst at the pool, and which tends to come off.  It was an explanation that seemed plausible to Michelle.

Subsequently, Michelle reached out to the hotel’s manager and wrote thus:-

“[Your guest] reports that after she checked out, she found an additional $750 charged to her credit card. Subsequently, she learned that staff members said that there was urine in her bed and the clean-up fee/ damage costs totaled $750. Your guest and her roommate reported that they spilled a bottle of water in the bed, but that there was no urine.

The reason that I am contacting you is that the clean-up fee seems entirely out of line with what other hotels are charging for such remediation. Of additional concern is that [your management] charged your guest’s credit card without consultation. We are requesting a review of what the hotel charged the guest for and a reconsideration of these charges. It would appear the hotel is charging for a variety of replacement costs, but the photos that I have here do not seem to show damage to the comforter or pillowcases.”

The next day came mostly good news for the two friends, when the Hotel agreed to lower the fine to a more reasonable $225. Both ladies agree that the $225 is an acceptable resolution. One thing is sure, the next time Elisa or Molly visit a hotel, they’ll check their water bottle caps.

Unfortunately, hotels seem to be more willing than ever to charge guests post-stay fines. Many of these surprise hotel charges are applied to the credit card days after the guest has left the property — typically with no warning.

Here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of a hotel blindsiding you with extra charges:-

• When you arrive, review your room for any damages:Your hotel room should get the same type of inspection you’re likely doing before you drive off a car rental lot. Look around the room for damages or missing items. Don’t forget to peek in the mini-bar and make sure it’s fully stocked. You don’t want to pay for the last guest’s pre-departure snack grab. Let the front desk immediately know if there are any oddities in your room.
• When you leave, take some photos or a quick video:Taking a quick video to show the condition of your room at departure can help protect you should you find yourself with surprise hotel charges later. Pay particular attention to high-value items like the television and any appliances in your room.
• Alert staff members if you need help cleaning up something in your room:No one likes to be surprised by a mess of unknown origin — especially hotel employees. It’s always better to be proactive if there is a self-created problem in your hotel room. So ask for help. The biohazard confusion here could have been avoided if the friends had alerted the front desk of the water bottle spilled in the bed.
• Don’t use a debit card to pay for your hotel stay: Whether by coincidence or something else, a high proportion of these types of cases involve consumers who’ve used a debit card to pay for their stay. Remember, when you hand over your debit card, you’re allowing access to your entire bank account. This can be devastating to a consumer should a hotel help itself to several hundred dollars to cover fines.

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