Hello,
I want to make it clear that the hotel clerk at the desk was not the problem. My low rating of the check-in process reflects the system itself, not the employee. The clerk was polite and apologetic once the issue was resolved.
The problem began with the booking process through Hotels.com. When I booked, I was given the option to either pay in full through the app or pay at the hotel. I chose to pay through the app, which I will not do again. At check-in, it appeared that the hotel could not locate the access key or confirmation provided by the third-party app. This caused about a 20-minute delay, which was frustrating after a long trip.
What shocked me most, however, was the incidental fee. I fully understand the purpose of incidentals, but being charged over $750 is excessive. I was later told that this hotel charges $150 per night, which explains the total, but I have never encountered such high incidental fees anywhere I’ve traveled. For comparison, my stay with taxes came to about $1,300, but with the additional $750 hold, my credit card reflected a $2,050 balance. That’s a significant and unexpected increase, and while the hotel immediately takes the incidental fee, guests must then wait several business days for it to be released. This practice is especially hard on travelers who may be on a budget.
I also attempted to cancel my reservation through Hotels.com once I learned of the incidental fee, but was unable to. Had I chosen to hold the reservation and pay in