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Smoking Cleaning Fee
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?
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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?
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If you only smoked on the balcony, what exactly did they "deep clean"? The ashtrays?
Contact your credit card company and report the transaction as unauthorised. The onus is on the hotel to provide evidence that: A) You were in breach of a clearly stated policy. B) They incurred the additional expenses, over and above what it would normally cost to clean the room. |
Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31469191)
If you only smoked on the balcony, what exactly did they "deep clean"? The ashtrays?
Contact your credit card company and report the transaction as unauthorised. The onus is on the hotel to provide evidence that: A) You were in breach of a clearly stated policy. B) They incurred the additional expenses, over and above what it would normally cost to clean the room. 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. |
I fail to see how smoking on a balcony can create $560 worth of cleaning expenses. I would simply run a chargeback and challenge the property to produce evidence of that additional expenditure.
Of course, the long term remedy is for the OP's party to vote with their feet and move their business to properties where they are going to be made more welcome. See FT's Smoking Lounge for details. |
The smoke will have drifted back into the room, so it needed cleaning, whether or not people smoked inside.. The cost is probably in the terms and conditions agreed when renting the room. My guess is it is $500 plus tax. It is not meant to cover the actual cost of cleaning, it is intended to provide a disincentive to people smoking in the room. Therefor I doubt the hotel has to prove it incurred extra costs.
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As of a year ago at least looks like they did specifically allow smoking on the balcony (assuming that's the same as terrace) - https://www.yelp.com/questions/the-c...2Clpmw?start=0
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Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31469416)
I fail to see how smoking on a balcony can create $560 worth of cleaning expenses.
Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31469416)
challenge the property to produce evidence of that additional expenditure.
Originally Posted by The_Bouncer
(Post 31469416)
Of course, the long term remedy is for the OP's party to vote with their feet and move their business to properties where they are going to be made more welcome.
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Originally Posted by Truffles
(Post 31469478)
The smoke will have drifted back into the room, so it needed cleaning, whether or not people smoked inside.. The cost is probably in the terms and conditions agreed when renting the room. My guess is it is $500 plus tax. It is not meant to cover the actual cost of cleaning, it is intended to provide a disincentive to people smoking in the room. Therefor I doubt the hotel has to prove it incurred extra costs.
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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 |
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 |
Originally Posted by Voodoo Daddy
(Post 31469813)
So because you disagree with the hotel's policy of allowing smoking on the balcony, you are fine with the OP being charged a fee for abiding by the hotel's policy?
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 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 |
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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Originally Posted by Nuhusky
(Post 31469839)
Clearly something isn’t adding up. |
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