DCF

Firstly, I'm sorry, but every major hotel in French Polynesia does this. You'll be paying for it whether you eat it or not..... They won't cancel your booking, but it is a condition of your booking, and if you don't accept it you should cancel.

Secondly, while I think that Bora Bora is the greatest, most spectacular destination in the world, what on earth possessed you to go in the middle of the rainy season? Is it too late for you to change to a time of year when the weather is better (Easter to October), or else switch destinations to somewhere which has decent weather at Christmas?

thehaloboy

Firstly, where was it a condition of booking. I did not see this in anything I was sent when I booked the hotel, it does not mention it in my booking conditions that I can find.

As for the rainy season, my wife only gets holidays then, and it is our 2 year anniversary...

thehaloboy

Here are the terms that I had to confirm I had read for this stay. I cannot see anything about forced meals etc.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

Advance Purchase Breakfast

RATE:
65287.0 (XPF) PER ROOM, PER NIGHT
Rate Change: 104672.0 (XPF)
TAX: 12% PER NIGHT AND 150 XPF NOT INCLUDED IN RATE EFFECTIVE 28 DECEMBER, 2007 THRU 3 JANUARY, 2008
COMPULSARY BOAT TRANSFER COST 2500XPF
PER PERSON PER WAY PLUS TAX
EXCLUDES GRATUITY

RATE DESCRIPTION:
Breakfast for up to 2 adults included. 30-day advance booking required. Special Savings! Reservations are final and require full prepayment for the entire stay. Credit card is charged between time of booking and day of arrival. No refunds if cancelled or changed.

PLEASE NOTE:
Thank you for making your reservation on our web site.



RULES:
- ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIRED
- MUST PURCHASE AT LEAST 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE.
- CHECK-IN TIME: 02:00 PM
- CHECK-OUT TIME: 11:00 AM

DEPOSIT RULES:
A deposit for the entire stay is due at time of booking.


CANCELLATION POLICY:
Canceling your reservation or failing to show will result in a charge for the entire stay per room to your credit card. Taxes may apply.


Rate Type: Advance Purchase Breakfast

Rate: 65287.0 (XPF) per room, per night CONVERT CURRENCY
View Estimated Total Price †
Rate Change: 104672. XPF

Rate Description: Breakfast for up to 2 adults included. 30-day advance booking required. Special Savings! Reservations are final and require full prepayment for the entire stay. Credit card is charged between time of booking and day of arrival. No refunds if cancelled or changed.
Deposit Required: A deposit for the entire stay is due at time of booking.

Tax: 12% per night and 150 XPF not included in rate effective 28 December, 2007 thru 3 January, 2008
COMPULSARY BOAT TRANSFER COST 2500XPF
PER PERSON PER WAY PLUS TAX

Room Type: 1 KING OVERWATER SAPPHIRE - 4 PERSON(S) MAX PER ROOM
Number of Rooms: 1
Number of Persons: 2 ADULT(S), 0 CHILD(REN)
Rate Rules: ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIRED
MUST PURCHASE AT LEAST 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE.

Check-in Time: 02:00 PM
Check-out Time: 11:00 AM
Modify or Cancel Policy: Canceling your reservation or failing to show will result in a charge for the entire stay per room to your credit card. Taxes may apply.



* I understand that by selecting this checkbox, I have read and accept the reservation terms & conditions stated on this page. I certify that I am at least 18 years of age and at least as old as the minimum check-in age of the hotel at which I am making this reservation.

* I understand that by selecting the confirm reservation button, I am authorizing a charge to the credit card number provided for any specified deposit requirement and/or cancellation fee that may apply. Cancellation fees are non-refundable.

camsean

All star rated hotels in Bali have this sort of thing on NYE as well. It is usually noted on the website somewhere. EG for Starwood hotels it is the "Announcements" section of the hotel site.

However in Bali they don't cost USD300.

I would rather sleep on the beach for the night than be forced to pay USD300 for some buffet dinner. I' d be canceling.

thehaloboy

I have searched their web site, terms and conditions, and I will simply not pay. I cant not find a thing written about it, anywhere... I dont want to be anal about it, but $600USD for us for a meal, that we were not told about. Our room is about the same amount for heavens sake!!! haha

vsevolod4

The worst thing about all the "special" NYE dinners is that they are substandard, with less choice, and poorer quality. Whether "forced" in hotels, or whether the double-priced, no-choice NY menus in restaurants, usually rip-offs. But those seem to be the rules. Don't like it, go elsewhere, or don't celebrate NYE.

gregorygrady

If you are dead set on going, I would just ignore the e-mail, pretend you never got it, and then dispute it with your credit card after the fact. You have all the T&Cs that you "read and agreed" to, I highly doubt they can hold you to anything more than that if they didn't disclose it at the time of booking. Things like this are the cause of thousands and thousands of class action lawsuits.

It's sort of like why you never got charged a resort fee if you booked a (award?) stay on spg.com. They have no way to tell the customer at the time of booking, therefore they can't charge it. They got sued in a class-action lawsuit and lost, after that they stopped charging it and sent a $14 coupon out to everybody who had an award stay at the offending properties during the timeframe in question. I still have a couple of those coupons left. ^ Your CC company will back you up 100% if you provide them with the info you provided us (leave out the e-mail part though................you never received it ).

DCF

While I sympathise with you, are you seriously saying that you are prepared to go to the expense and inconvenience of attending court in Tahiti to challenge this?

15 years ago Europcar in Moorea blatantly ripped me off, but when I got a French Polynesian lawyer involved it was clear that while I might win back my $300 deposit I would incur 100 times more legal costs, and have to stay in French Polynesia to attend court.

The hotel has now formally informed you that a New Years Eve dinner is compulsory (which they can do at any time until you arrive). Your awareness of this condition is posted all over Flyer Talk. You will be giving them your credit card inprint at check-in. How on earth do you think you will get away with not paying?

I first visited Bora Bora as a kid in 1981, when the Hotel Bora Bora was the only place to get a meal. I vividly remember an American couple making a scene in the restaurant when they realised that the only food on offer was a pretty poor set meal (an asparagus, followed by steak, followed by creme caramel) at $100 per head in 1981 money.

French Polynesia is the best destination in the world, but it is expensive. At least there are no tips to pay. But my clear advice to you is to either accept the absurd $300 dinner or rebook somewhere else. (And it would be $200 each if the US economy had been managed differently for the last few years.....!)

demiurg

I would agree in principle, but thehaloboy has booked an advance purchase rate, so he cannot cancel. But perhaps they agree to cancel it without charge based on the NYE buffet information not available at the time of booking. Or perhaps they agree to not require booking the buffet.

In any case, I would deal with this issue before going there. French Polynesia is just too beautiful to spoil your short time there by dealing with such matters!

In any case, 300 USD p.p. is just ridiculous. I hate those buffets and avoid them. Bora Bora has a number of perfectly acceptable to very good restaurants and I would much prefer to spend the evening there than in one of the hotel restaurants.

demiurg

Sorry to go somewhat offtopic, but I just looked at availability from Dec 28 - Jan 3 (just because the idea to go back to FP is so nice and brings up the memories from our trip there last year ).

I was surprised to see that the Thalasso has no availability while the Moana still has even reward nights available for the six consecutive nights. We stayed at the Moana but went to the Thalasso twice for lunch with the nice view of the island. While the Thalasso is newer and more contemporary, we actually preferred the Moana and its atmosphere. But from the reservations it looks as if we are a minority.

thehaloboy

As mentioned, I have paid an advance fee for this hotel, with the terms that I cannot cancel, and cannot change my booking.

As I was informed AFTER paying for this hotel and lokcing myself into a binding contract, I have NO intention of paying $600USD for a single meal.

I honestly would have no issue with IC if it was written, or told to me anytime BEFORE locking me into this contract. At that point, it is my decision to do it, or not. But now, I have NO choice, either I lose $4000 in hotel accomodation, or pay $600 for a meal, or dispute it.

Its like I just bought a $4000 TV, paid for it, but was told before they could load it in my car, I had to pay another 20% for cable TV, otherwise I lost the $4000 I paid for the TV... Its just crazy

htb

I don't think you'll get anywhere when trying to fight this out with the hotel. I assume you booked via the ICH general website? Then you should challenge the the callcenter in the States and involve customer protection groups. A contract cannot simply be amended like this. Let it be the ICH's problem and not yours.

These outrageous Christmas Eve and New Year Eve Dinners are a reason I don't want to stay at hotels during that time. I ran into the same story in Turkey. We paid an all-inclusive package and the hotel just said upon arrival "you have to pay for the Gala Dinner".

HTB.

MXM135

I would suggest that you contact IHG Customer Relations in St. Leonard's, NSW. Their email address is:

[email protected]


I would suggest that you attach a copy of your original confirmed reservation with the conditions and terms. That is binding on the hotel according to IHG. Explain that you were never informed at the time of reservation of any additional conditions and let them handle it.

mxm135

thehaloboy

Have contacted them, will let you know how I go.

holtju2

If you were not advised about this at the time of booking they cannot change it after the fact.

I do agree with the posted that you should just go there and pretend that you had never received the email.

At the time of check out I would write to the charge slip the amount of a dispute and take it with the IHG or CC afterwards.

IMHO I would not loose my sleep about this and I would NOT pay $300 for a substandard dinner if that was not part of the deal when you made the reservation.