Saving Time, Trouble and Money when Staying at a Hotel

Having toiled in the hospitality industry for the majority of my working career, I tend to see things from a different perspective than many people when I stay at a hotel or resort. Having worked in hotel operations, finance, and even having lived in a hotel for over a month, I've seen things from a different set of eyes from most hotel guests.

Gone are the innocent days of my youth when I thought hotels were places of spotlessly clean beds and bacteria free hot tubs. Gone are the days when I thought you could just hand your credit card over to the front desk clerk and assume all the charges on your bill would be correct -- or even yours for that matter.

Now I know better. Having worked as a hotel director of finance, I've seen the mistakes, the billing errors, the overcharged room rates, the questioning stare on a front desk agent's face when you confront him about putting a charge on a particular guest's bill because he didn't know where else to put it.

Yep, if you think it doesn't happen, think again. And the easiest way to save money at a hotel is to make sure you avoid any issues to begin with.

Ensuring My Form of Payment is Correct

I occasionally use a debit card to reserve or hold hotel rooms, but I always make sure the right form of payment is on file when I arrive. When I worked in hotel finance, I eventually started getting so many calls about holds on debit cards that I started the message to my voicemail, "Hello, you've reached the finance department. If you are calling about a hold amount on your debit card, please be aware that it typically takes 24 to 48 hours before that hold is released -- "

Pretty sad isn't it? But it's true that many people don't realize using a debt card to reserve hotel rooms can land them in a pot of hot water. Even if you're planning to just hold the rooms with a debit card but pay with a credit card when you arrive, you could regret it.

While I can't speak for every hotel, as I recall when I was working, my particular hotel brand would typically hold an amount equal to your estimated room rate and tax total, plus an additional amount for incidentals. This means that if you didn't have enough money in your bank account to cover the total amount of the hold (room amounts plus incidental charges), it could result in overdraft fees, even if the hotel never officially charged the card. Add to this the chance that a hotel desk clerk could mistakenly add an extra zero, turning that $1000 authorization, which you had plenty in your account to cover, into a $10000 authorization, or he forgets to change the debit card used to hold the rooms over to a credit card you have on file once you arrive and your charges go on the debit card, you could be left eating the cost of the resulting account overdraft fees.

Getting a Copy of the Bill

I've seen my fair share of incorrect bills over the years. From hundred thousand dollar accounts to one-night stays, I've dealt with quite a few angry people, upset about being overcharged.

There are all kinds of things that can go wrong with billing during a hotel stay. Rooms get changed, charges get put on the wrong room folios, desk agents hit the wrong buttons when transferring charges from one room to another or one receipt to another, charge splits go wrong, forms of payment get switched or lost, or someone with the same last name might even be staying at the hotel.

While many guests like to just up and leave when they check out, take it from me, it's not a bad idea to stop by the front desk and grab a copy of your bill to look over before you go. It's typically much easier to solve issues then and there than when you credit card bill arrives weeks or even a month later.

But I realize not everyone has the time to wait in line to speak with a desk agent, especially on a busy check in or check out day. If nothing else though, try to grab the business card of the hotel's general manager, assistant general manager, accountant, controller or front desk manager before you go, just in case you do have a billing issue down the road. It's often easier to have them fix an issue than get the run around by desk agents or supervisors who may not have the authority to adjust a billing error.

My Credit Card on File and Authorized

I never, ever take things from a hotel -- with exception to soaps, pens, notepads, and similar freebies that the hotel actually wants you to take in an effort at free advertising. While the odds may be with me that the hotel might not notice a few towels, an iron, or pillow missing from their inventory, it's certainly not worth the cost if they did -- nor do I particularly want such items or have a desire to steal, but that's beside the point.

From the hotel's standpoint, as long as there is a credit card authorized and on file, it may actually help the monthly P & L statement when they charge your card two or three times what the items are actually worth after they are stolen.

Feeling like a rock star? Want to trash the room? Just don't be surprised when a $500 bill for special cleaning services arrives on your next credit card statement -- I've seen it done.

To me, trying stuff like this is like playing a game of Russian Roulette with your credit card -- and losing could be costly.

More From This Contributor:

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How I Maintain Financial Willpower

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Disclaimer:

The author is not a licensed financial professional. The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For financial advice, readers should consult a licensed financial advisor. Any action taken by the reader due to the information provided in this article is at the reader's discretion.