Originally posted by Commie:
As I wrote in a earlier message a while back, I stayed at the Sheraton Bal Harbour in Miami March 9th for my free friday awards. While when I got home, I found a $360 bill on my credit card. Calling starwoods reveal that this was for the minibar charges. It appears that most of the drinks in the minibar was gone.
Now that is very strange, I have stayed in Starwoods properties on average about 70 nights per year for the last 3 years, and in total spent over 100 nights in hotels in general per year, not once have I ever used their mini-bars.
On this particular stay I didn't even open the mini-bar at all, checked into the hotel around 3:00 pm, went to the beach around 4:00 pm till 7:00 pm , and showered/changed, and went to south miami beach until well into 3:00am, and checked out of the hotel around 6:00 am...What time did I have to consume $360US worth of alcohol?
I know I should decline the mini-bar keys to avoid possibility of this, but this time I was just too tired to bother asking.
I did noticed that when I check in, I had 1 mini-bar key as part of the key packages, when I returned later that night, I had 2 mini-bar key, the original was in the package, and there was another on the desk. At the time I thought I forgot the second key. But after this it seems very suspious.
Either, the hotel did not check the mini-bar after the last guest(not likely), or the service person came into my room during the turn-down service and emptied the mini-bar, leaving the 2nd key behind.
At any rate, what are the chances of disputing this charge with the hotel? So far it doesn't look like they are willing to do anything about it.. Looks like I learned a big/expensive lesson here.
For anyone going to the Sheraton Bal Harbour, I would say becareful of your
Lessons learnt
I would absolutely dispute it w/ the cc issuer, with Starwood Corporate and write the hotel for the record saying what you have said here. I might also (for that large a charge) write to Conde Nast TRAVELER Magazine Ombudsman - they tend to answer letters for situaitons many people might find themselves in and this certainly seems like one of them..
good luck..