Programs: AA Gold, DL Silver, BMI Gold, PC Gold, HHonors, SPG
Posts: 1,780
Quote:
Originally Posted by iahphx
The Best Rate Guarantee blog says the following about booking with Hotelclub:
"Note that you will need to print a voucher and bring this to the hotel on the date of stay. This is completely normal. The hotel does not have a record of your name, only its record of selling the room to HotelClub.com, which then sells its inventory privately to you. The voucher is essential - you will not be able to check in without it."
Is this true? I kind of doubt it. I would think you would have a reservation just like with Orbitz.
Read the FAQ on HotelClub, this is what is indicated there. There's a blurb about not to be worried if the hotel has no record of your name. That being said, I have no experience with HotelClub - I just warned my readers to not worry if they call the hotel and the hotel has no record of them.
You sent my Confirmation Voucher to me, but when I called the Hotel directly to check on my booking, the Hotel informed me they were not holding a room for me. What do I do now?
Some of the Hotels with which we book accommodation for our clients, have allotted a number of rooms to our company each day. We then allocate your Name list to these available rooms. We keep all your details on file, until we submit the full Name lists and details of each booking, a set number of days before the check in date. So please do not be alarmed if the Hotel does not have your booking details, as they are on file, and will be submitted closer to your check in date. If you have any queries regarding your booking, please contact our Customer Service Centre using the Customer E-mail Support Form.
and another regarding the importance of the voucher:
Quote:
What is the CONFIRMATION / ACCOMMODATION VOUCHER?
This is confirmation of your payment to us. Once your request is confirmed we will send you an email with a link to your Voucher. Please print out a copy and keep this document safe. You will have to present it at the hotel during check-in procedures. Should you lose or damage the voucher, please re-visit the link and print another copy of the Voucher. If you have any further problems you must contact us immediately and we will assist you.
__________________ The Best Rate Guarantee Blog is back and better than ever. Recently named one of the top Travel Blogs by Priceline.com.
Read the FAQ on HotelClub, this is what is indicated there. There's a blurb about not to be worried if the hotel has no record of your name. That being said, I have no experience with HotelClub - I just warned my readers to not worry if they call the hotel and the hotel has no record of them.
and another regarding the importance of the voucher:
I do have extensive experience with HotelClub.com for United States reservations.
My friends nor I have never been asked for a voucher. I have brought them each time. Only one friend had a problem at a hotel in Miami Beach (not the one I was staying at). When he checked in, the front desk clerk had no record of his reservation. The clerk also didn't care and was not about to straighten it out even after being handed the voucher. My friend had to call the number on the voucher, which was Orbitz, not HotelClub, and they straightened it out by calling the hotel immediately.
Now, it may work different in other countries (I have no idea) but the reservations in the United States work like any other pre-paid reservation from any other online travel service.
Location: SF CA USA. FT addict. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA 1K, Starwood Gold, HH Gold, PC Gold
Posts: 11,098
OK, I don't really want to step into the Great Debate that's happening on this thread (), but I do want to mention this: One thing that confuses everybody is that sometimes (in fact, fairly often), hotels DO give points/night credit/stay credit (one or more of the preceding) by mistake. They probably break the rules of their own frequent stay program because 1) the hotel employee posting the points doesn't quite know what the rules are, and/or 2) they just want to be nice and give the customer a break (and there are probably other reasons as well, but these two are the most obvious).
I think we frequent travelers who are members of frequent stay programs and sometimes use third-party booking methods (including even the "opaque" channels such as Priceline's Name Your Own Price and Hotwire) have all experienced this from time to time. It doesn't PROVE that the rules require these benefits.
Also, I, too, read the T&Cs of hotel and FF programs, and though often they are reasonably clear, there are always SOME areas where the rules are ambiguous. So that makes it hard to PROVE certain things based solely on the T&Cs.
Anyhow, at this moment, I'm not taking one side or another in the Great Debate, just wanted to point out that there truly are some gray areas.
I tried booking a hotel tonight(for 1 night) with the amount of USD48 and this is what happened..
My credit card(Diners) was charged 0.00 for transaction but I have to pay hotel USD 42.16 upon check in....what? I thought if I use the USD50 voucher, my hotel stay would be free already.
Can someone shed light on this matter? As I am a little bit confused here..i thought in the long run my stay would be free then..can anyone shed light on this?
this is what i checked on the website
Reference Date Description Member Dollars
BNS 16-Nov-2008 Bonus - Free Member Offer USD 50.00
31867283 16-Nov-2008 Dollars Spent USD -8.76
Current Account Balance: USD 41.24
then payable to hotel USD42.16...weird
if you compute 42.16-41.24 i would have owed hotelclub only less than a dollar to be charged to my credit card..but now it says that I have to pay hotel 42.16 upon check in........
I tried booking a hotel tonight(for 1 night) with the amount of USD48 and this is what happened..
My credit card(Diners) was charged 0.00 for transaction but I have to pay hotel USD 42.16 upon check in....what? I thought if I use the USD50 voucher, my hotel stay would be free already.
Can someone shed light on this matter? As I am a little bit confused here..i thought in the long run my stay would be free then..can anyone shed light on this?
this is what i checked on the website
Reference Date Description Member Dollars
BNS 16-Nov-2008 Bonus - Free Member Offer USD 50.00
31867283 16-Nov-2008 Dollars Spent USD -8.76
Current Account Balance: USD 41.24
then payable to hotel USD42.16...weird
if you compute 42.16-41.24 i would have owed hotelclub only less than a dollar to be charged to my credit card..but now it says that I have to pay hotel 42.16 upon check in........
when you made booking did you choose to pay with member dollars.If you choose that option then it would have shown that you pay to hotel $0.62.
I tried booking a hotel tonight(for 1 night) with the amount of USD48 and this is what happened..
My credit card(Diners) was charged 0.00 for transaction but I have to pay hotel USD 42.16 upon check in....what? I thought if I use the USD50 voucher, my hotel stay would be free already.
Can someone shed light on this matter? As I am a little bit confused here..i thought in the long run my stay would be free then..can anyone shed light on this?
this is what i checked on the website
Reference Date Description Member Dollars
BNS 16-Nov-2008 Bonus - Free Member Offer USD 50.00
31867283 16-Nov-2008 Dollars Spent USD -8.76
Current Account Balance: USD 41.24
then payable to hotel USD42.16...weird
if you compute 42.16-41.24 i would have owed hotelclub only less than a dollar to be charged to my credit card..but now it says that I have to pay hotel 42.16 upon check in........
I just had a similar thing happen to me. Went to make a booking, checked off the box to use my $50 in funds , 0$ charged to credit car and then a message saying that $47 will be charged to credit card once booking is confirmed by hotel.
Immediately, I cancelled transaction and hoping nothing is charged to credit card.
Programs: KL/AF FB Plat, Hilton Silver, La Quinta Gold
Posts: 1,156
Quote:
Originally Posted by riu girl
I just had a similar thing happen to me. Went to make a booking, checked off the box to use my $50 in funds , 0$ charged to credit car and then a message saying that $47 will be charged to credit card once booking is confirmed by hotel.
Immediately, I cancelled transaction and hoping nothing is charged to credit card.
ANY INSIGHT/THOUGHTS anyone on this ???
Thanks
Maybe you didn't make a prepaid booking but just a reservation with a fee. When prepaid the website charges all in advance, when just making a reservation you pay at the hotel. Usually the (small) advance payment you make to the website is just their commission.
Maybe you didn't make a prepaid booking but just a reservation with a fee. When prepaid the website charges all in advance, when just making a reservation you pay at the hotel. Usually the (small) advance payment you make to the website is just their commission.
As I have posted in this thread a number of times already, ALL HotelClub.com reservations are PRE-PAID except those with BLUE COLORED RATES. You can not apply nor will you be offered the opportunity to apply the credit to BLUE COLORED RATES.
I just had a similar thing happen to me. Went to make a booking, checked off the box to use my $50 in funds , 0$ charged to credit car and then a message saying that $47 will be charged to credit card once booking is confirmed by hotel.
Immediately, I cancelled transaction and hoping nothing is charged to credit card.
ANY INSIGHT/THOUGHTS anyone on this ???
Thanks
HotelClub.com is a quirky site, to say the least. I have not had that problem so I can't give you any insight. I suggest using a gift card in the future that has a very low balance to protect yourself. All pre-paid HotelClub.com cancellations do incur a $15 minimum fee, btw. I don't know how that will work when you've used just member dollars to pay.
If I cancel before deadline, are they going to charge me $15?
because on the booking site, it says" cancel after voucher issued, $15"
Yes. The "voucher" is issued upon booking. There is no deadline. There is an additional date listed and it says you will lose either one day's rate or the full amount if you do not cancel by that date. All booked reservations are subject to the $15 cancellation, though (only waived if you are a no show or you cancel beyond a specific date and time in which you incur the higher penalty).
Ive been a hotelclub.com gold member for years now. You may use your $50 membership dollars for booking at hotelclub.com, ratestogo.com or asia-hotels.com ... although the website states that they are owned by Orbitz, I don't know if you can use the same bonus dollars at Orbitz.com
Your earned Member Dollars will expire if your account is inactive for 24 months. Your account is considered inactive if no booking was made for 24 months duration. As this is a special promotion, the $50 Member Dollars will expire on 30 November 2008 ... so basically you have 2 weeks to book utilizing this bonus offer but there is no deadline for booking periods.
When I booked in the past (as recently as Sept. 2008 - 4 nights/ 2-bedroom apt at Omni Tower, Bangkok) their rate beat expedia.com by $25 a night plus we got 4 breakfasts per night included in the rate which was not offered in the expedia rate.
Also, I was never charged international credit card fees for using this website. If you are concerned about international credit card fees, you might want to use Capital One credit cards as they do not have such fees.
), but I do want to mention this: One thing that confuses everybody is that sometimes (in fact, fairly often), hotels DO give points/night credit/stay credit (one or more of the preceding) by mistake. They probably break the rules of their own frequent stay program because 1) the hotel employee posting the points doesn't quite know what the rules are, and/or 2) they just want to be nice and give the customer a break (and there are probably other reasons as well, but these two are the most obvious).
