On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:01:34 +0100, "tim....."
wrote:
>Payments to hotels aren't guaranteed under the scheme, but I doubt that the
>hotel could take this retrospective action (there are stories of hotels
>insisting on money when you arrive, before they give you the room key).
Many hotels nowadays (in my experience with tour-groups) ask for at
least an impression of your credit/debit card at check-in. You can't
get the room key or charge anything to your room number without doing
this, whether or not you tell them that you'll settle up in cash at
the end of your stay.
I asked a couple of hoteliers why - they told me that in the past
tour-groups arrived, spent a fortune in the bar, then cleared off the
next morning without paying their bills. When the hotel approached the
tour-operator for payment, the hotel was basically told to get stuffed
- your problem, not ours.
I'm actually staying in a Berlin hotel at the moment with a UK
tour-group, and whilst none of my group has been asked for a
credit-card impression, individual travellers arriving have been told
to do so at reception. Two US guests who complained about this were
told: "It's standard practice. We'll rip up the credit-card form when
you pay your account whilst you witness us doing so. If, however, you
leave without paying, we reserve the right to charge your
credit-card." (or words to that effect).
Keith (formerly of Bristol UK)
now moved to Berlin/nach Berlin umgezogen |