Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On November 11, 2023 my husband and I made reservations through Choice Hotels for November 11-12, 2023 at the Mainstay Suites located at 246 Rushing Road West, Denham Springs, LA. November 11, 2023 was $155.90 plus taxes, fees and $40.00 Pet Fee and November 12, 2023 was $93.00 plus taxes, fees and $40.00 Pet Fee.After learning of an emergency at work requiring our early departure, we had two choices, 1) check out of Mainstay Suites, attend our meeting in Baton Rouge and begin our drive to Florida, staying overnight half-way, or 2) stay at the Mainstay Suites overnight, depart at 4:00 am on the 13th and drive straight through. Because my husband had recently undergone a full hip replacement, we decided it would be easier to break up our commute (Option 1.) Our Reservation email stated we could make changes or cancel to our stay directly with the hotel. With that we visited the front desk at approximately 9:30 am (November 12, 2023) to inquire about changing our stay to only one night, which we had already completed and leaving early. In no uncertain terms the front desk representative understood our situation and stated she would leave a notation to refund my credit card for the Sunday November 12, 2023 stay and we would receive an updated email. Thereafter we vacated our room, loaded our vehicle, returned our key cards and departed the hotel. When I did not receive an updated email, I contacted Mainstay Suites at 7:09 am on November 15, 2023 where I was informed Mainstay does not deal with credit card refunds as the reservation was made online with Choice Hotels. I was instructed to contact Choice Hotels at 1-877-424-6423. Upon contacting Choice Hotels at 7:22 am, I was informed all billing matters are handled by Mainstay Suites and they would contact the Mainstay Suites Manager advising the same. I made another call at 2:13 pm on November 17, 2023 to Choice Hotels asking for the case to be escalated as no credit had been received. The gentleman I spoke with stated he would personally call Mainstay Suites to facilitate the credit. He asked that I wait three (3) to five (5) business days and if I did not see the credit then Choice Hotel would handle the credit. He provided a case number, #11774202. When I did not receive a credit by November 25, 2023 and was unable to reach the individual I spoke with on November 17, 2023, I initiated a dispute with my credit card company for the two charges of $109.11 and $40.00. On January 10, 2024, I received communication from my credit card company advising a reply from Mainstay was received stating no cancellation was received per policy and the dispute was closed. I contacted Choice Hotels and Mainstay again and was advised that there was no notation left by the front desk representative modifying our stay from two (2) nights to only one (1) night. Despite providing a description of the representative they implied it was our responsibility to obtain the name of the representative we spoke with when we checked out and that there was no notation left. They further suggested we were attempting to obtain a refund for a night that we actually stayed in the hotel. I asked that they review their hotel security footage for proof we checked out and was told they only keep footage for one week. When I reminded them I initially called on November 15, asking if they reviewed it at that point, they reiterated there was no notation left and were obligated to pay for the second night’s stay. I advised that I had proof we were 300 miles in a different hotel that night on our return to Florida, only to receive the same response.I have included a copy of the Mainstay Suites reservation received on my email which states “your reservation may be changed or canceled, without a charge, via one of the following methods”, one of which was to speak the hotel directly, which we did. Further, I am including a hotel receipt showing we were hundreds of miles away from Mainstay Suites on the night in question.

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  Guest relations has contacted the guest through email, apologized and explained that the hotel is not affiliated with IHG. Provided with direct hotel contact information at Mainstay Suites, Denham Springs, LA for further assistance.

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  Refund Applied 

  Customer response

  03/12/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 21168582, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  I would also add the business response states "refund applied", suggesting the refund has already been issued, however, I have not received a refund as of the date of this communication.
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩