[EXPIRED] Crowne Plaza Venice East Quarto D Altino 1€
Aug 15, 2009, 4:08 am
#181
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The 1-cent rate was up only Sunday night, but that was long enough for travelers to book dates running from October through 2010, Danesin said. The hotel stands to lose euro90,000 ($129,000), he said.
Monica Smith, media relations manager for the hotel group in the U.S., said Friday that some 228 guests made reservations for the equivalent of 1,400 room nights while the error was on the Web site and that the reservations would be honored.
"Although a pricing error, IHG is committed to honoring the 1-cent rate for guests who have a valid confirmation," Smith said. She added that rooms booked at the low rate "are nontransferable."
Monica Smith, media relations manager for the hotel group in the U.S., said Friday that some 228 guests made reservations for the equivalent of 1,400 room nights while the error was on the Web site and that the reservations would be honored.
"Although a pricing error, IHG is committed to honoring the 1-cent rate for guests who have a valid confirmation," Smith said. She added that rooms booked at the low rate "are nontransferable."
Aug 15, 2009, 4:13 am
#182
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I wouldn't always believe the first comments, even from IHG. One of the first stories was from Wired, which quoted the $55 Euro plus some PC points.
ICHG spokeswoman Monica Smith confirmed their suspicions and says the rate change was the result of “human error.”
“We’re in the process of contacting all the guests who booked on this rate to offer them a heavily discounted rate of 55 EUR as well as some Priority Club Rewards points as a gesture of goodwill,” she said in a statement.
ICHG spokeswoman Monica Smith confirmed their suspicions and says the rate change was the result of “human error.”
“We’re in the process of contacting all the guests who booked on this rate to offer them a heavily discounted rate of 55 EUR as well as some Priority Club Rewards points as a gesture of goodwill,” she said in a statement.
Aug 15, 2009, 4:26 am
#183
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Aug 15, 2009, 5:46 am
#184
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The story is getting even more coverage in the newspapers across the globe:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...romotion-error
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...romotion-error
Aug 15, 2009, 6:01 am
#185
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Since I was able to reserve 4 nights, I am really happy that IHG has decided to honor the books. It is certainly to their advantage with the press they are now receiving, plus I plan on booking additional nights around my 4 nights at normal prices. Venice was not a destination I planned to go to until this hotel error, however now I am. In past hotel error deals I was able to get in on, I made sure to eat at the hotel restaurants, and use the hotel spas, to show help offset the low room rate.
Aug 15, 2009, 6:41 am
#186
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I hope IHG does absolutely nothing for those who choose not to go. That's what causes mistakes to get out of hand...people booking just hoping for the compensation. (The one exception would be those who had short-term bookings who were contacted by the property and cancelled.)
Aug 15, 2009, 6:42 am
#187
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The story is getting even more coverage in the newspapers across the globe:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...romotion-error
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...romotion-error
Aug 15, 2009, 6:46 am
#188
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after all this media coverage that IHG will honor them ... they have no other choice IMO ... nobody contacted me so far.
I remember the Sheraton error in PWM ... the hotel contacted me as well and I told them 'fat chance that I will pay more' ... got the original rate, which I think was $29.
I remember the Sheraton error in PWM ... the hotel contacted me as well and I told them 'fat chance that I will pay more' ... got the original rate, which I think was $29.
Aug 15, 2009, 8:29 am
#189
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Yes, but an IHG spokesperson saying they will honor it is pretty good.
I hope IHG does absolutely nothing for those who choose not to go. That's what causes mistakes to get out of hand...people booking just hoping for the compensation. (The one exception would be those who had short-term bookings who were contacted by the property and cancelled.)
I hope IHG does absolutely nothing for those who choose not to go. That's what causes mistakes to get out of hand...people booking just hoping for the compensation. (The one exception would be those who had short-term bookings who were contacted by the property and cancelled.)
As I noted earlier, I have no interest in in PC points. It's not that I have any problems with their properties, but with status at Hilton and Starwood, there is little incremental business that I could offer them.
Regardless, if I go I'll try to spend a respectable amount of money at the hotel, even while booked in an Executive room, and be generous with gratuities. My hope is other FT'ers will also follow this mantra.
Aug 15, 2009, 8:46 am
#190
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Regardless, if I go I'll try to spend a respectable amount of money at the hotel, even while booked in an Executive room, and be generous with gratuities. My hope is other FT'ers will also follow this mantra.
Wouldn't it be Atlanta HQ / the booking engine department that would miss-out?
< I'm not expert so I'm posing that as a question. >
Aug 15, 2009, 8:56 am
#191
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Surely if the error was made by Atlanta HQ, then the hotel will still be receiving their normal rebate/commission? I would have thought that the hotel won't miss out much at all - in fact perhaps they'll earn more revenue because of the increase in room occupancies, regardless of other hotel spend.
Wouldn't it be Atlanta HQ / the booking engine department that would miss-out?
< I'm not expert so I'm posing that as a question. >
Wouldn't it be Atlanta HQ / the booking engine department that would miss-out?
< I'm not expert so I'm posing that as a question. >
Aug 15, 2009, 9:00 am
#192
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Interesting plan, though I'm not sure how effective it will be.
It's very clear the hotel did not make the mistake, IHG did, so seeing as the hotel is likley independently owned, IHG may have to reimburse the hotel the intended amount of money per room night. All in all, the figures being tossed around are some like EUR 90,000 (about US $129,000).
So it's not clear that deliberately spending money at the property will make up for anything. In fact, if the hotel is getting reimbursed from IHG, the hotel could be making even more out of this because they sold far more rooms than they intended in this down economy. After all, how many of us were planning to go to Venice anyway and stay at the Crowne Plaza?
As for gratuities, tipping is not really customary in Italy. They add a couple Euro to your bill at restaurants for service, and that's what they get.
But if you want to tip someone to feel better about yourself, you should tip the folks at IHG in Atlanta. Seems they're the ones taking the hit, not the hotel.
Aug 15, 2009, 9:23 am
#193
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Surely if the error was made by Atlanta HQ, then the hotel will still be receiving their normal rebate/commission? I would have thought that the hotel won't miss out much at all - in fact perhaps they'll earn more revenue because of the increase in room occupancies, regardless of other hotel spend.
Wouldn't it be Atlanta HQ / the booking engine department that would miss-out?
< I'm not expert so I'm posing that as a question. >
Wouldn't it be Atlanta HQ / the booking engine department that would miss-out?
< I'm not expert so I'm posing that as a question. >
Aug 15, 2009, 9:27 am
#194
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Taking into account the potential for lost revenue because of this, and also the fact that on many days the hotel would not have been full anyway (so those days cost nothing), plus the fact that at this price there will be a high no-show rate, it will probably be somewhere between the award night rate and the lowest market rate.
Aug 15, 2009, 10:34 am
#195
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Wirelessly posted (goingaway's phone: BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.231 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)
It is a misnomer to say an empty vs full room costs the hotel nothing - they need to service the room which increases their costs, as well as provide general hotel staffing at potentially increased levels due to occupancy with little return from the 1 euro rate
It is a misnomer to say an empty vs full room costs the hotel nothing - they need to service the room which increases their costs, as well as provide general hotel staffing at potentially increased levels due to occupancy with little return from the 1 euro rate