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Originally Posted by catbox9
(Post 31468693)
I recently had a stay at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. My room had a balcony which had ash trays. Several people were noted to be smoking on the balcony. Security came to our room as people were complaining about our smoking and asked us to stop or we would be evicted from the room. While I did not think we were being particularly loud, we agreed to stop and this seemed to be a non-issue. Today I received a copy of my bill and I was charged $566.90 for a "housekeeping deep clean smoking fee per security". To me this fee seems outrageous, even if we were smoking in the room which we were not. Is there any recourse I might have?
Follow up with the hotel management directly. If they persist, ask for proof the room was actually deep cleaned and if necessary arbitrate the matter with your card issuer. |
Originally Posted by Nuhusky
(Post 31469795)
Smoking should just be banned period at all hotels regardless of balcony or not as a non smoker nothing pisses me off more than walking into a room smelling smoke. I’m sorry but I have zero sympathy for op smoke off property if you must That said, in this case if there were ashtrays provided on the balcony I can't fault the OP for assuming that smoking was allowed on the balcony and think that there's no excuse for them to be charged for it. |
Originally Posted by DataPlumber
(Post 31469898)
Smoking is permitted on the Balconies at Cosmo. What were you smoking tobacco or pot to draw the complaint? If the later, yes its legal but can be many times more pungent than cigarettes. Depending on who is called security (and where they are from)- they many not fully realize Nevada is a recreational state.
Follow up with the hotel management directly. If they persist, ask for proof the room was actually deep cleaned and if necessary arbitrate the matter with your card issuer. OP and party were smoking on their balcony, which is permitted. Someone took exception to this and thought their own personal preference should take precedence, so called security and threw a tantrum. Security, in an attempt to keep the peace and placate the complainers, had a quiet word with the OP and his party. As an aside, I have personally experienced such exchanges in the past, when enjoying legal products in areas where it is permitted to do so. Security had to - somehow, somewhere - log the call out in some incident book as a smoking related call out. Someone somewhere has seen the word "smoking" and the OP's room number, put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5, and the OP's card has been hammered to the max. Pure speculation of course, but a scenario I can well imagine. |
Originally Posted by Zeeb
(Post 31470017)
And as a follow on - I hate if it's allowed on balconies or outside areas because that basically means nonsmokers can't enjoy their own balcony or communal areas of the hotel. It's the same reason that I hate restaurants that allow smoking on their patios. Because that's basically telling non-smokers that if they want to sit in the patio they have to do it in a cloud of cigarette smoke.
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Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31469864)
Many hotels, particularly in the USA, do actually ban smoking on balconies. The fact that ashtrays were provided by the hotel strongly suggests that this is not one of those properties.
if the balcony door was closed (and I think so, since when the security man came didn’t comply about smell in the room, but just asked to stop smoking) I would refuse the debit on my CC. On my last stay at Marriott Stanton Miami, no ashtray provided on balcony and a note in the room “smoking on balcony forbidden” |
Originally Posted by HWGeeks
(Post 31469879)
Also, what were they smoking? Could it have been a rather strong-smelling herb that got the attention of other guest and security?
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Meh. Doesn't matter. If what OP smoked on the balcony wafted indoors and housekeeping smelled the odor and thus deep-cleaned the entire room, OP can try a chargeback or not and will fail. You can bet your last joint that the property documented the reason and will supply that to the card issuer.
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Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31470024)
Here is my analysis of what probably happened:
OP and party were smoking on their balcony, which is permitted. Someone took exception to this and thought their own personal preference should take precedence, so called security and threw a tantrum. Security, in an attempt to keep the peace and placate the complainers, had a quiet word with the OP and his party. As an aside, I have personally experienced such exchanges in the past, when enjoying legal products in areas where it is permitted to do so. Security had to - somehow, somewhere - log the call out in some incident book as a smoking related call out. Someone somewhere has seen the word "smoking" and the OP's room number, put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5, and the OP's card has been hammered to the max. Pure speculation of course, but a scenario I can well imagine. OP and friends were smoking on the balcony. Other people nearby were trying to enjoy their balcony or fresh air and the smoke from MULTIPLE smokers was rightfully annoying, so they complained. Security asks them to stop. Smokers smell, so multiple smokers in a room transfers smell to a room that already has a flag for smoking complaint. Housekeeping smells smoke in room from smelly smokers and OP gets charged the cleaning fee. |
Originally Posted by catbox9
(Post 31470073)
So I didn't specifically mention that in my first post, but yes - cigarettes were not the item being smoked. Regardless the quantity that was smoked was practically nonexistent and the balcony door was shut. We were also rather quiet so I'm assuming someone complained about what we were smoking rather than the fact we were smoking. I still find it odd anyone noticed because we were on the 53rd floor and you can't see the other balconies from the balcony so I'm kind of impressed they tracked us down specifically.
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Originally Posted by MePlatPremier
(Post 31469307)
But the transaction was authorized. I am quite sure the smoking cleaning is a clearly disclosed fee in that property and that, either at check in or during express checkout, the guest authorized the property to charge his/her cc for any fees and expenses s/he incurred during the stay. So, this is not an unauthorized cc transaction. The issue is whether the guest gave cause to the need to clean the room. Not unlike when hotel charges post-stay for minibar expenses or for damages to the room. There’s definitely an authorization for that, whether the underlying facts did take place it’s another discussion. My guess, if we areto believe OP’s version, people had recently smoked inside that room and with OP being caught smoking in the balcony, hotel did a verification and found “probable cause” OP is to blame for that and they do have a credible witness and reports of complaints from other guests. OTOH, OP’s party might have smoked in the balcony with the doors open and the smoke simply went inside the room. For a hardcore smoker it’s easy not to notice the stench they cause. The hotel should've done a better job at recognizing the smoke damage from the previous tenant. |
Originally Posted by DutchessPDX
(Post 31470103)
Far more likely scenario is:
OP and friends were smoking on the balcony. Other people nearby were trying to enjoy their balcony or fresh air and the smoke from MULTIPLE smokers was rightfully annoying, so they complained. Security asks them to stop. Smokers smell, so multiple smokers in a room transfers smell to a room that already has a flag for smoking complaint. Housekeeping smells smoke in room from smelly smokers and OP gets charged the cleaning fee. |
Originally Posted by Nuhusky
(Post 31469839)
yes. And let’s be honest. This is he said she said Security was called on op because they were smoking. hotel allows smokers on the balcony but yet op was told to stop. That must mean op was doing something they should not have otherwise why call security and why threaten to kick op out??? now op is crying sour grapes. Sorry no sympathy from me How is your radar for bs not going off. Clearly something isn’t adding up. |
Originally Posted by Voodoo Daddy
(Post 31470304)
It is far from uncommon for nonsmokers to complain about smokers, even when they are doing so in designated smoking areas. I obviously don't know what actually happened, I'm just taking exception to your position that it's okay for a person who is not breaking the property's smoking rules to be charged $500+ for a "deep cleaning fee."
Not all non-smokers of course. Most are willing to give and take. However, some members of the "I don't like it, therefore it should be banned" brigade will not be satisfied until they have their own way absolutely everywhere, 100% of the time and will scream and shout and stamp their feet until they get it. I find the OP's account eminently believable - that they were smoking on their balcony, with the door closed, in full compliance with the property's policy. If this is the case, there is absolutely no justification whatsoever for this charge and the OP should fight it with tooth and nail. |
https://www.jondon.com/chemicals/smo...-cleaners.html Chemicals are expensive, I have had smoke damage in rentals, not that hard to clean the air, Ask for a detailed receipt plus record of rental income lost, Worth a credit card dispute, even more than one round.,is needed you have a good chance this will not be won by the hotel. |
Originally Posted by Voodoo Daddy
(Post 31470304)
It is far from uncommon for nonsmokers to complain about smokers, even when they are doing so in designated smoking areas. I obviously don't know what actually happened, I'm just taking exception to your position that it's okay for a person who is not breaking the property's smoking rules to be charged $500+ for a "deep cleaning fee."
Credit card, and even civil court disputes, are not decided on a “beyond any reasonable doubt” rationale. Mere preponderance of evidence is enough.So, if after OP checked out housekeeping detected smoke odor in the room and a report was made, a deodorization did take place (regardless of its actualcost) and was duly recorded and the hotel has a clearly displayed fee for deep cleaning non-smoking rooms (as most hotels do), then I don’t think OP has any viable option either through a cc dispute or through any other means. |
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