Concierge's fees at Il San Pietro
Jul 18, 2007, 12:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,007
Concierge's fees at Il San Pietro
"Please note that all major credit cards are accepted to pay the hotel
bill but only cash or travellers cheques are accepted to pay concierge bill charges such as concert tickets, excursions, watertaxis, boat hire ect."
This is the first time I'm encountering a "concierge bill". Since they've already made restaurant reservations for me for 3 different places, arranged for airport pick up and most likely will arrange for a car around Amalfi & boat rides on more than one day, what am I looking at, approximately?
bill but only cash or travellers cheques are accepted to pay concierge bill charges such as concert tickets, excursions, watertaxis, boat hire ect."
This is the first time I'm encountering a "concierge bill". Since they've already made restaurant reservations for me for 3 different places, arranged for airport pick up and most likely will arrange for a car around Amalfi & boat rides on more than one day, what am I looking at, approximately?
Jul 18, 2007, 1:30 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,007
If airport transfers + private driver + boat cannot be charged to the room, the wording is very ambiguous with "concierge bill" & "concierge services" in two separate emails. I guess I'll know for sure once I get there.
Jul 18, 2007, 2:37 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: SNA Rwy 20L
Programs: QF Silver
Posts: 703
It sounds as if the hotel will gladly accept a credit card from you as payment for their services as a cost of doing business, but if they are procuring third-party services on your behalf (e.g., advancing payment as a courtesy) they should be reimbursed in cash. The hotel shouldn't be expected to take a credit card from you for which they have to pay a 2-4% vigorish to the credit card company because you wish to go to the opera.
Jul 19, 2007, 7:34 am
#6
Moderator: GLBT Travelers & Hyatt Gold Passport
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: CVG
Posts: 15,300
Some hotels may allow you to charge concierge booked activities to your folio but add a service charge to cover the credit card cost. I experienced this in April at the Grand Hyatt Dubai (not quite a luxury hotel but just for reference).
Jul 20, 2007, 6:56 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: New York, NY USA
Posts: 631
We just returned from the Bauer Il Palazzo in Venice and we had a number of third party charges placed through the concierge, i.e. meet and greet service at the airport, water taxi transfer to our cruise ship and the purchase of toiletries from a local pharmacy. All of these charges were automatically placed on our hotel bill and there was no request for cash payment. The only cash payment to the concierge was for his well earned gratuity.
Jul 20, 2007, 10:09 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,007
Same here. Never encountered a "concierge bill" in Italy before. Transportation, dinner/ticket reservations were either charged directly to the room or I was told upfront that I'd have to pay the driver directly.