Originally Posted by GordonGordon

Make sure you get a receipt stating "CASH PAID" if you paid cash when checking out. Here was what happened:

I stayed 3 nights at an IC hotel in the United States couple months ago. When I checked out I paid cash, but few days later my credit card was charged for the 3 nights including tax. I called the hotel accounting department and told them I paid cash when I checked out. The accountant asked me if I had the receipt. I thought the papers I received when I checked out was a receipt (I didn't even take a clear look as it was 4:30 in the morning and had a plane to catch), but it was only a preview of the bill. Later the hotel management interviewed the 2 male staff that were on duty in that early morning but had no clue for what happened. Then I suggested the accountant to ask the hotel security department to watch the security tapes (from the surveillance cameras that shooting directly to the front desk) in order to find out what happened to the cash I paid. Later they found out the truth and credited back what they charged earlier to my credit card, but they were unwilling to tell me what happened. Here is the email from the hotel:

Dear Mr. XXXXX Thank you for being part of the Royal Ambassador family and for choosing InterContinental XXXXX for your hospitality needs. It is an honor for us to have you with us during your visits to XXXXX. Please know Mr. XXXXX that we have been very troubled regarding the issue that you had at your check out time. Our security department made a complete investigation, but please understand that without the receipt of the cash transaction the investigation had to take a little longer as many aspects had to be reviewed. We apologize for the time it took to make the final correction, but these are issue that can not be rushed. Please understand that confidentiality laws prohibit the hotel from disclosing information about our staff. We have however, addressed your issue and have taken appropriate action to insure that this type of situation never happens again. We understand that this has caused you stress and would like to offer to you a complementary weekend voucher for use in our hotel, valid for a year. Please let me know what address I can mail the voucher to you. Once again we deeply apologize for the bad experience and we truly hope thatwe have the opportunity to serve you again. Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me XXXXX Front Office Manager

I got frustrated as there was no explanation by the front manager for what happened, so I wrote to guest relations to show my concern. Here is the reply I got:

Dear Mr. xxxxx,

Thank you for contacting our office regarding your experience with the InterContinental xxxxx. As a Royal Ambassador you are our most important guest. I appreciate the time you have taken to bring this matter to our attention and allowing me this opportunity to address your concerns.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced as a result of the double billing you received. IHG prides itself on the highest degree of customer satisfaction. We have fallen short of your expectations on this occasion, which is of great concern to us. Please be assured a record of this report will be maintained in the corporate office as well for consideration upon standards evaluation for this specific property.

Mr. XXXXX, Front Office Manager with the hotel, contacted my office regarding this matter. He explained after a thorough investigation by the hotel management, a credit to your account was issued. Unfortunately, specific details of this investigation cannot be disclosed. I understand this is frustrating and you have been left feeling you have no real explanation as to what has happened and this I am sorry for.

Additionally, in an effort to regain your confidence and demonstrate my concern, I have issued XXXXX Priority Club points to your account, as a gesture of goodwill due to the aggravation you have encountered. These points will be converted to your current earning preference with Priority Club Rewards, and should appear in your account within the next seven to ten business days. I realize you would have preferred to have received quality service in lieu of compensation but hope this gesture helps restore your faith in the company as a whole.

Once again, please accept our extended apologies. We hope the action taken on your behalf will bring you a sense of resolution concerning this matter and confirm the value of your business to IHG. We look forward to serving you in the future and thank you for continuing to choose IHG hotels.

Sincerely,

xxxxx
Executive Office
InterContinental Guest Relations
IHG

Just curious to know if there are any ways I can find out the truth. If the staff did not steal my money, then the manager didn't even need to mention confidentiality laws prohibit the hotel from disclosing information about their staff.