Motel Knowingly Provided Incorrect Room

Labatement on 31/12/2016 - 12:14
Last edited 31/12/2016 - 12:17

Looking for some advice on what to do when accommodation provided doesn't match what was booked. This isn't the first time it's happened to me, probably won't be the last, and I'm sure other ozbargainers would find the information useful too.

In this specific case:
- booked motel three weeks in advance through booking.com for the 30th December (got a pretty decent deal)
- booked "Double or Twin" room, just wanted a double bed as I was travelling with my partner, and would not have booked without one
- credit card charged in full on the 26th
- called at 3pm on the day to make late arrival arrangements. No problem was mentioned.
- on arrival at 8pm, found that we had been given a "Triple" room with 3 single beds
- at first I thought it was my mistake and asked for another room, but was told it wasn't possible
- on check out I asked for a significant discount (40%) but the manager looked doubtful and said they would have to ask the owner

Mitigating factors: (i.e. The other side)
- price was about 20% discount already
- manager apologised and said the policy is a minimum of three nights over peak periods and I shouldn't have been allowed to book online, but they did their best to find us a room (… though still took the money without saying anything)
- we made use of the service (although at the time we found out, we had no choice)
- we were otherwise happy with our stay

What steps can I take from here if they refuse to negotiate a discount or offer a low amount? In my shoes, what would you ask for?

Things I've considered
- complaining to booking.com
- complaining to the ombudsman
- asking my credit card provider (commbank) to dispute the charge
- not bothering, the amount in question isn't all that much

Travel

Comments

  • oscargamer on 31/12/2016 - 12:20
    +13

    If you originally asked for "double or twin" then you got what you asked for.

    A triple is a twin with an extra bed.

    Or did I misunderstand you?

    • abatement on 31/12/2016 - 13:00

      I originally thought it may have been like that and therefore my mistake, however I rechecked the specific room offers and it clearly says it will be a large double and a single, whereas triple is a separate option.

    • trustnoone on 01/01/2017 - 01:41
      +1

      Pretty much this I guess. Did you go for a Double or did you go for "double or twin". Basically wondering if there is something particular about the room you missed out on with the one you got?

      Because it kind of sounds like, if they wheeled the third bed out of the room, the problem would've been gone?

      I have trouble seeing if you will get anything back, unless you had a problem with something in particular (like the triple room had no spa, or bathroom or you wasn't able to sleep next to SO or something?)

  • pennae on 31/12/2016 - 12:22
    +8

    Room configurations are often "subject to availability" in the terms and conditions. It's disappointing not to get the room you'd hoped for but for such a short stay it's not that bad (unless it was your honeymoon!). A triple room would likely be bigger than a double/twin so lucky there. Better than, say, booking a twin room and then ending up with a double bed and a sofa bed (sigh).

    If you're likely to return to the motel (sounds good otherwise!) get them to put a note on your file to (try to) ensure a double bed next time.

  • ms_caz on 31/12/2016 - 12:31
    +3

    If you booked with the hotel directly and you didn't get what you were after, then I feel you would have ground for a complaint.

    However, you booked through a bed bank, ie booking.com, who sell discounted left over inventory.

    You got a discount on your night's accommodation. Plus, the supplier has paid a commission to booking.com to get your booking as well. I don't think you are likely to be able to get any compensation. However, you could attempt to complain to booking.com - if nothing else than to bring their attention to the matter.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2016 - 12:45
    +2

    No leg to really stand on OP with charging back the hotel which I think is a little harsh

    You went through a third party site, booking.com has cocked up many of my hotel stays

    the hotel was accomodating to you for the stay even though the error really was with booking.com and not the hotel directly

    You can complain and possibly get a freebie next time, being polite to staff and management is probably the best bet though as they didn't mess up.

    I would take your complaint to booking.com and give them a hard time, after all they put you into the mess and most likely stuffed up the hotel booking as well

  • p1 ama on 31/12/2016 - 12:46
    +9

    Well, according to your own admission,

    • booked "Double or Twin" room, just wanted a double bed as I was travelling with my partner, and would not have booked without one

    You booked a "double or twin" and by the sounds of it, you got a triple, which is a twin + single bed. That seems pretty reasonable to me.

    • manager apologised and said the policy is a minimum of three nights over peak periods and I shouldn't have been allowed to book online, but they did their best to find us a room (… though still took the money without saying anything)

    Seems like they were reasonable about it and provided you with reasonably good service. If they're nice people, treat them nicely - mistakes happen and I doubt this was their fault, given you said you were happy with a twin room, but even if it was, people make mistakes. For me, their attitude and how they deal with me is far more important than whether they made a mistake.

    What steps can I take from here if they refuse to negotiate a discount or offer a low amount? In my shoes, what would you ask for?

    In what way did you face a loss because of what they did? You and your partner could have slept on separate beds or shared one single bed or pushed two single beds together to form a larger bed. If they offer you a discount, by all means take it, but for what is a small inconvenience, I don't think you should pursue this. It seems like they're nice people and tried to help you however they can.

    As for your suggestions,

    • complaining to booking.com

    This is reasonable, in my opinion. If you have an axe to grind, this is the best way of doing so. It also doesn't hurt the motel, who, by your accounts, seem to be a good business who provided you with good service.

    • complaining to the ombudsman

    Why? You're only wasting your own time and effort. Whatever effort you expend will far exceed whatever compensation you get (likely to be zero).

    • asking my credit card provider (commbank) to dispute the charge

    Ridiculous. Don't do this, it could actually lead to you getting in a lot of trouble.

    • not bothering, the amount in question isn't all that much

    Probably the best thing to do.

  • StewBalls on 31/12/2016 - 12:59
    +12

    LOL, just wait til you've been married a while…getting your own bed to sleep in for a night or two seems like a big win! ;)

  • stralya on 31/12/2016 - 13:02
    +5

    I think you are being a bit unreasonable.

    In the accommodation industry, a triple room is usually priced higher than a double, and is generally considered an upgrade.

    I know someone who runs a motel in regional NSW, and it is a very hard job trying to assign rooms, especially in peak season. Rooms sometimes have maintenance issues or they get late bookings or overflow bookings from a nearby property or even people who have underbooked (e.g. a 5 person family booking 1 room instead of booking 2 rooms), and they need to move people around quickly. Sometimes, the booking sites make errors too.

    Usually, the earlier in the afternoon you turn up at a motel, the more bargaining power you have.Turning up at 8pm means you've lost the flexibility to move rooms.

    I'd suggest giving the motel the benefit of the doubt that there was no malicious intent to defraud you. It was just timing and circumstances.

    The next time, when you call them up the previous day, insist that you want a double room. And check in at 2pm.

    • SirFlibbled on 31/12/2016 - 15:54
      -3

      While a triple may be more expensive, it's hardly an upgrade if two people are staying in the room.

      If a hotel accepts pre-paid bookings then it's not unreasonable for them to reserve the room that has already been paid for. Specifically, the hotel should have 'upgraded' someone who didn't pre-book (and were likely paying rack rates as well).

      • SirFlibbled on 31/12/2016 - 18:13

        Of course if you disagree with you, you're welcome to tell me why.

  • Cheap Charlie on 31/12/2016 - 13:07
    +1

    booked "Double or Twin" room, just wanted a double bed as I was travelling with my partner, and would not have booked without one.

    You do realise according to your notes, you have received what you reserved with the addition of a third single bed.

    and would not have booked without one

    Would you not reserve a room type which guarantees a double bed?

    Based on your notes it would appear you have received what you paid for?

  • try2bhelpful on 31/12/2016 - 13:13
    +3

    A "twin room" has two single beds; not a double bed. Not entirely sure why you think you should have compensation when they have given you an extra single bed; there is no guarantee with a twin room that you will be able to push them together. I think the hotel has done a good job here. I would stop trying to book "twin" rooms and ask for a double next time and be grateful the motel looked after you and you got the discount. I think people need to work on their resilience.

    • tomclancy on 31/12/2016 - 14:31
      +5

      I think people need to work on their resilience.

      ^ very much this!

  • abatement on 31/12/2016 - 15:09
    +1

    Thanks all for your comments and perspective! (and perhaps the lesson in humility)

    To clarify, the room description noted clearly "one single bed one large double". Could have been an error in the description however.

  • Almost Banned on 31/12/2016 - 15:16

    I would also be annoyed if I booked a room with a double so I could sleep with my partner and I got singles instead.
    After 20 years of marriage I don't sleep as well without her there (although I suspect she sleeps better without me there).
    You should complain to Booking.com and see what happens.
    While it is far from the end of the world, you had a contract with booking.com for a particular room and you did not get it. They should do something to compensate you.

    • SirFlibbled on 31/12/2016 - 18:22
      -1

      Not sure why you were negged by someone.

      However, the contract is between the hotel and the customer not with Booking.com. Under their TOS they are acting only as an agent on behalf of the hotel.

      So the breach of contract was with the hotel. Whether it's an actionable breach of contract would depend on whether the OP booked a double or a twin. Even then the OP still got a bed, just not together.

      That being said, IMO the OP was simply disappointed by the room. You can't get compensated for disappointment unless it's the good will of the hotel.

      The OP's best 'revenge' is likely to give them a truthful review on Booking.com.

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 31/12/2016 - 17:23
    +1

    So you're saying there's a free bed up for grabs?

  • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2016 - 18:25
    +9

    Seriously dude, GTF over it. This thread is pedantically pathetic.

  • t_c on 31/12/2016 - 18:26
    +2

    So why cant you push two single beds together to make a king or get staff to do it if your too feeble?

    • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2016 - 21:03

      Yeah weird most hotels use 2 single beds to make a king, allows for easy reconfiguration of rooms my wife and I have slept in them many a time.

      • kyle on 01/01/2017 - 09:12

        I call this a fake king bed which I hate.

  • Diji1 on 31/12/2016 - 18:42
    +2

    I shouldn't have been allowed to book online,

    Surely that's their problem not yours …

  • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2016 - 18:55

    Sounds like a win to me.
    You could fap without the Mrs knowing.

  • Olokun on 31/12/2016 - 21:30
    +1

    Non issue. Just wait until you are given a smoking room instead of a non smoking room and you will know what a real issue looks like.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/12/2016 - 23:24

      Yes cue Vietnam and many other countries that think hey a bit of a air freshener spray will instantly make a smoking room into a non smoking room.

  • spacemansam on 01/01/2017 - 07:16

    So you go an:
    - extra bed
    - bigger room

    Remind me what you want to complain about again?

  • HeWhoKnows on 01/01/2017 - 16:52
    -3

    Firstly booking.com is absolutely the worst site to make a booking.
    They take absolutely no responsibility. They just pass you onto the hotel when you complain. DONT USE BOOKING.COM in future.
    Secondly hotels can change room arrangements without notice. Theoretically in this case you got a ROOM UPGRADE at no extra cost so STOP COMPLAINING!
    Hotels sometimes overbook to cover for no-shows. Its common practice.
    Don't know why you just couldn't put the beds together. This is common practice too.
    Stop whinging and just be thankful you weren't left out on the street.
    When it comes to holiday season its first in best dressed.
    And as the first poster said - you got what you asked for and more! OMG
    Another professional whinger. Pls leave us alone.

    • StewBalls on 01/01/2017 - 21:43
      +1

      I don't know why so many people piss & moan about booking.com, I make dozens of bookings thru them annually and have had nothing but great deals & positive experiences…they've been absolutely straightforward with bookings, and on the rare occasion there has been an issue they've sorted it promptly & usually to my advantage. In comparison to the convoluted & obfuscated system AirBNB uses, these guys are champions…

      I don't abuse the generous cancellation policies they frequently offer above & beyond the hotel policy, but when I've had to invoke them in an emergency they've been an absolute godsend. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone.

      Honestly, you guys might just have some unrealistic expectations of the booking.com service yourselves…

      • HeWhoKnows on 02/01/2017 - 17:36
        -2

        Sorry. I cant share the same experience. Booked a 60m one bedroom apartment in Waikiki and arrived to find it was just a 30m studio. Complained to booking.com and all they did is forward my complaint to the owner. Got absolutely nowhere. Check out the review sites. Booking.com has the absolutely lowest rating and most complaints of all accommodation booking sites. I am not alone in this regard.
        Check out the reviews here:
        http://www.productreview.com.au/p/booking-com.html

        • StewBalls on 03/01/2017 - 08:23
          +1

          So you based your entire vitriolic personal attack on the OP & subsequent rant on a single mildly unfortunate personal experience and a website that by its very nature has a disproportionate number of complaints at any given time???

          Ultimately, to put this in perspective, you didn't get the Presidential Suite you wanted…someone made a mistake, so you only ended up getting a decent room for what I presume was a fair price anyway…we're kinda heading into First World Problem territory here!

          Some wise words some to mind here:

          Another professional whinger. Pls leave us alone.

  • iforgotmysocks on 01/01/2017 - 17:42
    +3

    They knowingly gave you an extra bed?? The bastards!

    Push two of the beds together and move on.

    • HeWhoKnows on 02/01/2017 - 17:36

      Sums up what I said

  • Amaris on 02/01/2017 - 01:23

    First world problems. Do you HAVE to sleep in the same bed EVERY night?

    • StewBalls on 02/01/2017 - 08:28
      -2

      I must sleep in the soil of my homeland every night, is that the same thing? ;)

  • Donaldhump on 02/01/2017 - 23:57

    Does it really bother you that much?

    Enjoy a night in bed alone where you can fart to your hearts content, scratch your balls at will, and actually get some decent sleep

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