Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/14/2024, I was charged by this hotel the amount of $462.62. This charge was 8 days before a stay that I cancelled back on 5/30/2024 by using the *** app that I have on my mobile phone. The date of stay was for 6/21 - 6/23. Again, I cancelled this stay in the *** app, which is the Hotel Chain that this hotel is under. I first contacted the hotel directly, and the manager of the hotel told me to contact *** to request for a refund of the charges. I contacted ***, and they put in a request for my charge to be refunded. I reached out after a week and was told that they will not refund the charges. I filed a report with my financial institution to recover my charge that was taken by the hotel, as well as filing this report with the BBB.I find this to be unfair practice, because if I had the ability to cancel the reservation in the app that *** has, something must be wrong with how it processes that request because that charge from the hotel should of never happened. I always use the *** app on my mobile device to either book a reservation, change a reservation, or cancel. All I want is my money back, and then after that, I am never using this hotel or *** again for my hotel of choice.

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  Regarding the matter at hand, I would like to clarify that when the guest made their reservation, they opted for a non-refundable rate code (Policy ID: IDMAP). This policy clearly states that reservations under this rate are non-refundable in the event of cancellation or no-show.

  Given that the reservation was not honored and resulted in a no-show, our hotel policy aligns with the terms agreed upon at the time of booking, thus we are unable to issue a refund in this case.

  If there are any further details needed or if you have additional questions regarding this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. I am here to assist and provide any necessary information.

  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked an overnight stay with this hotel. The morning of, (6 hours before check in), I called to inform them my special needs daughter suffered a head injury and we had to cancel our trip. The associate simply said she did not care and said it was policy and we cannot get a refund the day of without 24 hours notice. She was rude, not compassionate and did not care about my special needs child and her accident. Terrible customer service!! You are only a dollar sign to them.

  Business response

  09/18/2023

   

  Greetings BBB, 

  We hope this correspondence find you well. Please take a look at the attached documents in response of the dispute ID ********. 

  Attn. ****** *, Service Representative.
  We want to thank you for sharing and bringing this complaint to us. As mentioned in the letter there is two side in every dispute, and we want to take the time to express and share our side of the dispute. 
  At Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Meadowland’s area, we take very seriously our responsibility and our job, especially when complaints or dispute arrive. As we understand we have a strong work ethic and we always act based on the policy and agreement from the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) flag that our franchise hotel use to provide services as a hospitality business. Our hotel follows and acknowledge all the established rules, guides and protocols that IHG provide to every hotel using their flag. In the case of MRS. ********* ****, we want to clarify the reasons why the hotel was not able to provide a refund to her, based on policy and agreement that the customer signed at booking time for their reservation. 
  Mrs. **** called to our property same day of arrival to cancel her reservation. As she mentioned in her complained she spoke with one of our front desk agents, in This case front desk supervisor. Mrs. **** was aggravated and really angry, since she was explained she was calling less than 24 hours for cancellation, and q cancellation fee will apply. She asked to speak with a manager. She was informed a manager was not available, however she was talking to the front desk supervisor. She replied to the agent, “I don’t care who you are, because you are not a manager”. The agent replied back to her, her wording and she repeated again the same words. The agent based on the situation and the attitude of Mrs. **** referred to her to our corporate department in This case IHG Guest Relations Department for further assistance, since she refused to take our answer as a final response. Also, the guest was referred to the third-party company she used to book this reservation. The hotel received the case complaint, and the IHG department act in favor of the hotel, since the rate code used to book the reservation requires at least 24 hours to cancel RSV. Mrs. **** failed to follow instructions. The third-party company called different times asking us to refund or change reservation date. The received the answer base on the rate code policy on their side. That states the same 24 hours cancellation fee. The third-party company acknowledged the customer failed to cancel reservation during the time frame for. The manager from the hotel spoke with Mrs. **** and she acted verbally aggressive towards, and just argued back and front for something is not hotels faults. The hotel understands emergency happens and some of them are unpredictable. Mrs. **** has not showed proof of any medical emergency or visit to the hospital that hotel can take into consideration to charge a partial amount of the cancellation fee or avoid the cancellation fee. Based on all the information explained above. The hotel understands and stand by on the decision taken, since is right and it was based on the rate code policy established between the third-party company and the IHG corporation, that the guest/ customer (Mrs. ****) agreed electronically when the reservation booked. Attached proof of the rate code policy and copy of the case complaint filled by the guest with the IGH Guest Relations Department.
  We hope all this information can clarify and resolve the dispute. Please feel free to contact us for any questions or concerns.

  
  Sincerely,
  Nimita P****
  General Manager
  Holiday Inn Express & Suites Meadowlands Area.

  Customer response

  09/20/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I explained to the hotel representative my daughter is special needs and suffered a head Injury the morning of. The hotel rep responded saying “she didn’t care”. Shame on you Holiday Inn for not having more accommodations for the special needs population. Such a disgrace. Shame on management for being heartless in this occasion. I did not get verbally aggressive, I was annoyed after being told they did not care about my special needs daughter. Shame on this company.
  
  
  Regards,
  ********* *** 

  Business response

  09/28/2023

   

  Greetings BBB. 

  Attn. ****** Customer Service Representative. 

  Thank you for informing us about guest rejecting hotel decision. It is really sad, how the things are turning personal matter instead of keeping in a business' level.  We do understand Mrs. **** frustration, but the fact her daughters is a special need and got an injury, don't justified the fact that Mrs. **** missed the  deadline to cancel her reservation. At this moment Mr. **** has not show any proof of her daughter was at the hospital or a doctor notice explaining what have occurred. This is not about being heartless or not taking inconsideration a special condition. Mrs. **** does not want to agreed to the fact she missed the deadline for cancelation and this is a fact, this is not about management behavior. Also, we want to re-clarify our FD agent, replied the words used by Mrs. **** said referring she did not care with who she was talking with, since it was not a manager and it was a supervisor. in fact, we can empathize with Mrs. **** situation, but hotel is doing their job by following and implementing reservations rules. when Mrs. **** spoke with the GM form the hotel, she acted verbally aggressive and keep asking why, why, why. GM responded to her, the reason why for the charge is because she missed the deadline to cancel the rsv, and she continue denied to accept the reality.   

  At this point Mrs. **** will continue to reject any decision from the hotel, as she has been doing it  since this happened. She rejected a corporate level decision, she rejected the third party level decision and she keeps rejecting hotel decision. We kindly ask you to please ends up this complaint, and respect hotel decision about refund, since hotel acted right based on cancelation policy agreement. Unfortunately, this is not the answer a guest would like to hear, but this the final answer and decision regarding this case, based on reservation policy agreement. 

  Sincerely, 

  Nimita P***** 

  General Manager, Holiday Inn Express Meadowlands Area. 

*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. ↩