Marriott hotels have criticized to overload guests with hidden costs

The chain is now sentenced to a fine of $ 225,000 for having failed to comply with a legal regulation of 2021.


Anyone who has taken travel arrangements recently knows how difficult it can be to stick to your budget in the midst of the blazing, especially when it comes to finding a place to stay. The data show that in recent years, the cost of staying in a hotel has skyrocketed many cities In the United States, the scarcity of affordable booking options has led to the hotel brands in which they trust for accommodation, ideally by ensuring that they will get the best possible offer and have a pleasant experience . But now Marriott is criticized for overloading guests with hidden costs in some of its hotels. Read the rest to see how the company has landed in hot water.

Read this then: 5 secrets of the former Hilton employees .

Marriott is sentenced to a fine for violation of a settlement agreement by overloading the guests with hidden costs.

A Marriott sign in front of a Marriott hotel
Istock / Yujie Chen

No one loves a surprise on their hotel bill at the end of their stay. But Marriott is now in difficulty for violate judicial regulations He entered in 2021 by overloading his guests once again with hidden fees, reports CBS News. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

On April 12, the Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that the state had A fine of the hotel chain $ 225,000 not to comply with the agreement after receiving several extensions to modify its practices last February. Under the court order, Marriott now has until May 15 to meet and join the regulations.

"What we asked for Marriott, and what the regulations require is simple: be frank with consumers and do not hide the costs for hotel stays," said Henry in the press release. "I am grateful that Marriott agreed to comply with the terms of [the settlement agreement] without the need for dispute."

The hotel chain was previously accused of invoicing for guests for unnecessary costs via "DRIP PRICING".

Building Sign on Marriott Hotel , red letters on a glass tower.
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Depending on the conditions of the regulation, Marriott must inform all guests of all the compulsory costs included that they will have to pay throughout the reservation process. However, managers say that Marriott regularly uses "drain prices" to add additional costs such as "station costs, destination costs, installation and equipment costs, and other similar costs , are not listed in the total price of the hotel room until a consumer is in the last stages of the purchasing process or when registering, "according to the press release.

Before it accepts the rules, the guests complained that the company charged them beyond the Prize initially cited . In some cases, "destination pleasure costs" ranging from $ 9 to $ 95 have been added to invoices to allegedly cover equipment such as high -speed Internet access and "free" water bottles during recording, Wall Street's journal reported.

COLUMBIA District General Karl A. Racine Also filed a complaint Against the company in the summer of 2019 for these hidden costs, saying: "The advertising practices of bait and switching and misleading pricing are illegal." As of October 19, 2021, non -sealed court documents showed that Racine presumed that Marriott had received more than $ 220 million in these "deceived" station since 2012, according to 2012, according to Wall Street's journal .

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Marriott has agreed to modify many changes to its booking practices.

A close up of a sign outside a Marriott Hotel
Shutterstock / Alexandros Michailidis

Even if the company has not yet been fully in line, Marriott initially agreed to make several changes within the framework of its regulation which would affect the Reservation and billing process . The terms include the company displaying the total price of the costs, including when mentioned by telephone agents, the view of the Blog Rewards Travel Rewards from the Wing Reports. The company also cannot enclose destination or complex costs with taxes when displaying costs to the customer.

Marriott must also enumerate precisely what ownership provides wherever they charge compulsory reservation costs for reservation, not only for registration. The company is also responsible for how its franchisees behave when displaying prices information and must also put information on costs for booking sites and travel agencies so that they can announce Room rates adequately, by view from the wing.

When he was contacted by email, a spokesperson for Marriott said Better life : "Marriott International has long been determined to ensure that all the vacation / destination costs billed by hotels are indicated separately and clearly. We have worked to update our technology and the display of the price of the Piece to improve the way in which these costs are disclosed. Make changes to the display by May 15, 2023, according to our agreement with the state of Pennsylvania. "

The federal government could start repelling frivolous charges with new regulations.

A couple with a young child board a flight while wearing face masks in an airport
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These are not only hotels under fire so that travelers pay too much. In February, president Joe Biden called on the congress to pass the Undesirable costs prevention law To help reduce unexpected costs abandoned on customers, citing travel costs among Other common reproaches .

"You should not have to pay an additional $ 50 to sit next to your child on the plane, pay a surprise" holiday resort "for a stay at the hotel, pay $ 200 to terminate your wired plan or pay Huge service costs to buy concert tickets, "Biden wrote in a tweet on February 1.

So far, some companies in the travel industry have already preceded potential legislation. On February 28, American Airlines announced that she had updated her policies to guarantee that children under the age of 15 Go on flights Would be seated next to an adult who accompanies him at no additional cost.

"American Airlines allows families to sit together at no additional cost," the airline said in a statement sent by email to Better life at the time. “We are proud to offer advanced policies and adapted to customers who provide positive travel experience for families traveling together. Our current policies allow families to sit together without having to pay more, and we are delighted to update our customer service plan to give families traveling with us. ""


Categories: Travel
Tags: hotels / News
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