A 30 day hold on my credit card @ the Hilton Garden Inn?
buy Lyrica online usa Recently I stayed at the HIlton Garden Inn and even though my room was prepaid through Hotwire it was their policy to get a credit card for incidentals. The authorized the card for .00 to be released when I checked out. I know that a credit card for incidentals is common. What is not common however is for them to hold the funds for 30 days after check out. Not only have I been in the hotel business for over 20 years I travel once a month and I have never encountered this. I have used the same credit card at every other hotel I have stayed at and have always had the hold released back to my card (and available for use) with in 2 calender days. I have called my bank to see why after 2 weeks the money is still being held. The bank told me that the hotel has a 30 day hold. Sorry I am rambling but I am angry. Anyone else experience this?
The hotel doesn’t pay Hotwire. Hotwire is paid in full at the time of booking. The only reason the hotel touched my credit card was for the incidentals. Which there were none in my case.
Technorati Tags: calender days, credit card, hilton garden inn, hotel business, hotwire, incidentals, money
2 Responses
One Step Ahead
02 Feb 2010
Dan B
02 Feb 2010
That’s outrageous. 2-3 business days should be the maximum. Just about everyone who stays at the hotel uses a credit card. If they have just 200 checkouts per day, that’s $10,000 in hold funds and any given time just at that one hotel. Now, multiply that by 100 or so hotels and I would presume the hotel is making some interest on these funds.
There’s no good reason to hold this money. If they can’t figure out if there are any incidentals that they failed to charge you for, they have a very poor control over their procedures. I would write a letter to the individual person in charge at corporate headquarters with a complaint advising them that you’ll be taking your business elsewhere. Include your background (20 yrs hotel business, etc).
I would call the hotel and ask to speak to the manager. I have never heard of a thirty day hold after you have checked out. Has Hotwire paid the hotel yet? Call Hotwire and ask them also have they released the funds to the hotel.
Funds are tight these days and maybe the hotel does not want to get stuck with any charges.