foxtrot

Interested in thoughts on this experience. checked into a Courtyard hotel, for 4 nights, room package guaranteed by CC. Advised to call dining room for ordering meanls and hotel calls guest in room when ready to collect. Did so on first night of stay - ordered a quesadilla, and they called room when it was ready to collect. However, shortly after I started actually eating I was interrupted by the Front Desk who decided that they needed cash payment immediately for this ($10). So, I suggested coming down later or the following morning if that was the case. They called yet again within 5 minutes demanding I leave the meal and come down immediately to pay cash for the quesadilla. By this time, I had more or less lost my appetite and desire to continue with this meal so I indicated that if that was the case, they should come up and remove it which they did. needless to say I was left feeling disaatisfied with the commitment to guest satisfaction and general approach to this issue. Any similar experiences?

User Name

Could you not have just told them to go away (on the second call) and then unplugged the phone?

jerseyfinn

So you're dissatisfied because you take a bite out the quesadilla and tell them to keep it?

As to the phone inquiry by the front desk which causes instantaneous anorexia. Yes, it is intriguing that the hotel asks for cash payment. The issue that requires clarifying is why the problem with payment when the room is secured by a CC. Sounds like the computer is showing no CC account or that the card is not secured for additional charges which means it could be a Marriott computer gliche or the CC company sticks a security hold on the CC. We've had that happen when traveling and for one reason or another the CC company flags our card. Just a guess on my part as you don't address any explanation by the desk for the reason for their inquiry.

Shakespeare might say " much agida about nothing".

Barry

Counsellor

Welcome to FlyerTalk, foxtrot.

Your experience is strange indeed, and I'm not sure it can be explained as a blocked cc account. After all, since your room was guaranteed by that card, if they were worried about the card it wouldn't just be $10 for a quesadilla they'd be asking. They'd have demanded either a valid cc or that you vacate the room.

ohmark

Not sure that conveys the complaint exactly.

ohmark

1. What does this mean?
2. When they asked for immediate payment, did you ask why?

VickiSoCal

I'm very confused. Are you saying it was a hotel without room service, but you called down to their restaurant, they prepared a meal and you went down and picked it up to take up to your room? Why would you not have signed for it or paid for it at pick up?

SkiAdcock

To answer ohmark's questions, I interpreted it to mean that you call the dining room with your order, when it's ready the dining room calls the guest's room & says come & get it. But presumably you'd have to sign an in-house room charge slip or hand over cash to get the food.

Maybe a few minutes later when they're entering it into the system they find the guest doesn't have charge abilities other than the room charge, and so they call to ask for cash instead. Or there was some glitch in the system.

What the OP doesn't mention is the reason given by the hotel when they called to ask for payment. Presumably they would have said the reason when they called. If they didn't & it was me, it would be the first question I asked!

Not often but occasionally I'll have a hotel do a hold on the room only or pay it at check-in when I know I'm going to be out & about & won't be using amenities, as it keeps additional credit open on the credit card. If I change my mind & do end up ordering room service I just tell them I'm paying w/ cash & give it to the waiter when he delivers.

Right or wrong I think the urgency on the payment of the food in the OP's case was once it's consumed there is no recourse if the OP had refused to pay (note: I am not saying he would do so & he was staying there another 3 days).

PS - Welcome to Flyertalk foxtrot!

Cheers.

MDtR-Chicago

Don't know if Marriott works this way, but with Hilton a pre-paid room from hilton.com or a third party website does NOT transmit the credit card information to the hotel property.

So a guest could pay "by CC" but the hotel would have no way to settle any incidentals.

Combine that with a hyperactive front desk and you get this story, maybe?

justspg

only way there isn't a cc on file is if the guest paid via a 3rd party (i.e. hotwire, priceline, etc) otherwise there is a cc on file to guarantee the room, even if its a pre-paid rate from the hotel's website. Even so, there should be a cc on file since the guest checked in and if there was not enough authorization to cover the whole stay plus incidentals then the fda would see that during the check in process so this is an odd issue to see happen.

keeton

I've been staying at Marriotts for well over 25 years and I've never heard of this type of service - phone in and go pick it up yourself. Any Courtyard that has a restaurant will deliver meals as part of room service.

The above notwithstanding, at the time you picked up your meal, there should have been some kind of settlement (CC, cash or room charge). If the hotel forgot to do this, I can understand why they would have called. I don't understand why they demanded immediate cash payment and "repossessed" the food unless there are some _major_ details that the OP left out of his/her story (which I think there are).

jan_az

OP appears to have posted and left :sigh:

SkiAdcock

Well I'll give him the benefit of the doubt; perhaps he's traveling. Or realized when he saw responses that there were not similar experiences.

Cheers.

foxtrot

Thanks for all the replies.

To answer the questions - yes, this is property that does not provide room service per se but has a system (as I was told) where you order, pick it up and sign for the tab (as I did in this case).

I did ask immediately what was the issue with the CC - my furst response to the call.

The room was not guaranteed via Expedia etc - there was a standard form filled out at the Front Desk which was for the entire stay, so they did have it on file.

I was quite appalled. The hotel claimed they could not process the card later on, but this turned out to be incorrect as they were. However, I was dissatisfied with the experience, and more importantly the lack of recognition of the inappropriate level of service or an apology and cancelled the remaining 3 days. No I suppose if they thought this would be the case, they would have exercied greater care. You wouldnt expect this(I didnt) but local standards can differ, I presume. generally dissatisfied and felt that a full refund (at least) and apology was in order as no explanantion was provided by the hotel.

Hhonor Gguard

deleted, company policy