Originally Posted by
smokie
Update: I reached out directly to the GM, and received an immediate response with an appropriate offer of points to compensate for the inconvenience. So a lesson learned for me. Go straight to the GM in a situation like this.
As someone who worked in hotels, I do not think immediately involving the General Manager is the best course of action to fix a billing problem. That's overkill.
The best way to fix a billing problem is to talk to the person with the ability to fix the problem. By that I mean someone who can research the error and correct it in the computer system. With the exception of a small limited-service hotel, that person wouldn't be a General Manager.
Originally Posted by
smokie
I reached out to them by email, and it took several emails over the next week to finally receive a response.
I understand that email is convenient, but probably not the best choice here. Calls can't get ignored like emails can. Pick up the phone and call the hotel during normal business hours. The operator will connect you with the appropriate department. While on the call, confirm that the person with which you're speaking can fix the error.
Billing disputes will require research. On the call, set a deadline for a response. If desired, ask for the response in writing via email. If the call doesn't go well or the deadline is missed, that's when you escalate by calling the General Manager and/or issuing a chargeback with your credit card company.
Calling instead of emailing a general email for the hotel probably would have resolved the problems in a couple days, not weeks.