tcook052

I had made a reservation and received an email confirmation way back 16 July of this year for a stay at this highly rated Midtown hotel for 6 nights in January and as it'd been a few months wanted to check my requests today but when accessing the reservation online was shocked to find the estimated grand total with taxes had jumped by almost $300.00. One of the reasons I wanted to stay here despite the Midtown location was the good rate and excellent reviews I'd read online but seeing my rate suddenly jump by roughly $50/night made it far less of a value.

I called reservation and they insisted there had been no changes on the file since original reservation date and couldn't explain why my printed reservation in hand was no longer reflecting what was booked.

Needless to say I was a mite miffed and cancelled my reservation and will happily stay elsewhere such as the Andaz Wall Street. Has anyone else had this kind of issue with Choice or at this location? It might sound like sour grapes but I rarely if ever stay with a Choice brand and only made an exception for this Ascend Collection location but won't be in a huge hurry to give the chain another chance given how poorly this encounter went.

tcook052

The icing on this reservation snafu is after cancelling this reservation way back when I posted this thread I have been billed for the first night no show as apparently when I talked to reservations by phone and asked them to explain the rate jump and they couldn't or wouldn't they didn't follow through as I asked and didn't cancel the reservation.

Normally I'm a decent if not meticulous hardcopy hotel reservation record keeper but it had to be this one time I don't have an email record of the cancellation thanks to some computer issues between time of reservation & cancellation and today so is there much luck me pleading my case with Choice Privilges customer service?

I have no elite status to leverage and sadly no supporting documentation to fall back on but this has been one large frustration from beginning to end and wouldn like to think they could correct what has been a string of errors that has really only multiplied my initial frustration.

mikeef

I'm surprised that they didn't fix the rate for you when you called last year. Strange customer service.

In this case, I'd dispute the CC transaction, even without a cancellation receipt.

Mike

tcook052

I'm holding that as plan B as I've talked to Choice Cust. Svc. and they are listening to their recorded calls of the interaction I had with the rep. in late Oct. who, it seems, was mistaken that the rate changed then compounded their error by creating a new reservation at the applicable rate that day and despite my asking never followed through and cancelled the original reservation which was in reality still valid though not AFAIK.

I should've checked original reservation was cancelled and kick myself for not doing that but took the rep. at their word. I trust the Cust. Svc. supervisor that's looking into the snafu will set things right within the next few days. Ironically the Distrikt sent me a post-stay customer email asking me how my stay was.

tcook052

I like happy endings.

When I asked for a status update to the matter I was advised a reservations supervisor had checked the recording and it backed up that the reservations agent I spoke to erred and so they have agreed to refund the charge applied erroneously to my CC.

lougord99

I find it impressive that someone went to the trouble of listening to the recordings, when they could easily have just ignored the issue.

tcook052

As did I though the skeptic in me had withheld more praise until I received either the refund cheque itself or written confirmation of a forthcoming refund cheque and it was the latter that hit my mailbox today. Patience for another few weeks until the cheque arrives but yes, as I said I'm happy and have softened my stance on the brand.

FWIW it seems the hotel itself was more or less an innocent bystander as it wasn't their agents who derailed my reservation and am moving the Distrikt to near the top of my list of hotels to try on my next visit to NYC.

tcook052

Cheque received today and Choice has won me back as potential customer. ^

Jaimito Cartero

Your rate was still changed by $300. I would have never cancelled in the first place.

tcook052

Never cancelled and just paid the higher rate, you're saying? Sorry but am not following what you're meaning.

GUWonder

Never cancelled and then disputed the card charges as a result of being subjected to a rate to which you never agreed. A rate dispute as grounds to invalidate charges, particularly when they charge you an amount to which you never agreed initially. Better than being hit with a no-show expense at the initial, lower rate is no expense for no-showing? I think that is what is meant.

tcook052

Who knows exactly what would've happened as according to the hotel the lower rate on the original reservation was always valid and never changed and it was only the agent error at the Choice toll-free reservations level that lead me to believe otherwise when a second reservation at the higher rate was made.

It was an unsual set of circumstances and hindsight is always 20-20 but am happy Choice has stepped up and made right what had gone wrong.

Jaimito Cartero

It was Choice' error in the first place. You had a printed confirmation. Bait and switch is against the law in most places.

Unless it was a $30 rate at a normally $300 a night place, just bring your printed booking confirmation. If no success at checkin, then dispute the charge.