Starwood Preferred Guest - Westin O'Hare: unauthorised charges to credit card?

Just checking my American Express bill after our trip to chicago and I see a fairly substantial unauthorised debit to my card from the Westin O'Hare!

I see the $39.98 incidentals charge to our room and the $292.03 incidentals charge to our colleague's room. I agreed and signed off both when we checked out. Both rooms were completely pre-paid through Expedia. On my credit card I also see a $554.46 charge that I didn't authorise and have NO idea what it is...

Am very annoyed. Sent of an urgent, short, to the point (why did you make this charge to my credit card) email to the hotel's email address - saying that I expect a very prompt reply. Will follow it up tomorrow, with a phone call, if no reply is received.

Very annoying! (have said that already... but it has never happened to me before).

Boo

Just pure speculation, but it could be that the hotel didn't set up billing to Expedia properly and instead, at the time of check-out, charged your CC for the net rate that they pay Expedia.

Disorganized, amateur mistake, but it happens from time to time.

If so, they'll refund your card immediately along with a few apologies along the way.

Just pure speculation, but it could be that the hotel didn't set up billing to Expedia properly and instead, at the time of check-out, charged your CC for the net rate that they pay Expedia.

Disorganized, amateur mistake, but it happens from time to time.

If so, they'll refund your card immediately along with a few apologies along the way.

Possibly... very annoying though - since I did go through the expedia confirmations with the check-in agent when I checked in AND, if there was any problem at all, I would expect it to be flagged at check-out (so I could agree it and sign it).

There was also a fire alarm whilst we were there (not just an alarm test, but a full hotel evacuation and fire brigade called) which was very badly handled. The alarm was barely audible in our room (we were just re-entering the room after breakfast, otherwise I wouldn't have known that there was an alarm at all - our colleague didn't hear it from his room). We then exited via the emergency staircase (our room was on the 11th floor), to find the emergency exit at the bottom locked! We had to go several flights back up and snake through the hotel to exit. Not an issue in this case (some sort of false alarm), BUT in a real fire... :eek: (I did notify a manager - as soon as I found one - about the locked exit, he said he would get someone to unlock it, but obviously I couldn't go back and check).

The hotel itself was ok (nothing special), but their fire safety + the unauthorised charges show some real problems... :(

Will have to write up a review for tripadvisor (once I know the outcome of these unauthorised charges...).

Boo

It would be a good idea to call the city's fire marshal and report the locked emergency exit. Every year people die because emergency exits are locked and victims are trapped inside. The fire department will get all over the hotel about this, and if they catch them doing it again there can be some major fines.

It would be a good idea to call the city's fire marshal and report the locked emergency exit. Every year people die because emergency exits are locked and victims are trapped inside. The fire department will get all over the hotel about this, and if they catch them doing it again there can be some major fines.

Please do file a complaint about this as you could save someones life by doing so.

Very sensible suggestions: I did report the problems to the hotel, but I (especially now) have my doubts about the hotel staff actually having the abilities to ensure that these problems are resolved...

I have followed your suggestions and emailed the Chicago Fire Department (on firemail@cityofchicago.org according to http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?entityName=Fire&entityNameEnumValue=17 ) with a full and factual report of what I found and have asked them to get back to me.

I should have done it earlier - thank you for your prompts.

Boo

Since the Westin O'Hare is in the Village of Rosemont, not Chicago, I think it would be best to contact the Rosemont Fire Prevention Bureau (http://rosemontpublicsafety.com/Fire-Prevention.html).

Contact Starwood about the overcharges.

Just an update...

Firstly a lady at the Westin O'Hare did look into the unauthorised charge on my credit card. She has got back to me confirming that the amount will be re-credited to my card within the next 3-5 working days (will keep an eye on that...). But no explanation why it was debited in the first place...

Secondly, my factual account of the fire alarm/evacuation at the Westin has been investigated by the local (Rosemont City) Fire Prevention Department (part of their Fire Department). I have just spoken to one of their Sargeants (who was following up my email). He said:
- during the first 5 minutes of a fire being detected, the alarm will only go off on the surrounding floors (i.e. it was an incident or false alarm on the 3rd floor, so the alarm goes off on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th floors and in the emergency stairways). Apparently that is acceptable to him and the local regulations.
- they are looking into the "locked" emergency evacuation door further. It seems as though it wasn't actually locked, BUT that the pressure inside the stairwell may be too great for the doors to be opened by your average person (i.e. young, fit 30-somethings like my husband and me). So they are looking into balancing the pressure to ensure that it can be opened.

I was a bit surpirsed about the "partial alarm" thing (i.e. the alarm only being sounded on certain floors), but then I don't frequent a lot of high-rises: so this is probably my ignorance. If the Fire Prevention specialist is happy, then I am happy :)

Boo

Just an update...

Firstly a lady at the Westin O'Hare did look into the unauthorised charge on my credit card. She has got back to me confirming that the amount will be re-credited to my card within the next 3-5 working days (will keep an eye on that...). But no explanation why it was debited in the first place...


Definitely sounds like they charged Expedia's net rate to your credit card to me...

They didn't give you an explanation because per the contract between Expedia and the hotel, net rates are confidential and not to be disclosed to guests. (To protect Expedia so that the guest doesn't know how much money they're making off them, and to protect the hotel's rate integrity). If they were to admit to the mistake, then in essence, they're disclosing the contracted rates.