Travel reporter accuses Hyatt of $500 smoking fee scam

Comments

• along_the_road@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  When travel reporter Zach Griff checked into The Pell, a JDV by Hyatt property in Rhode Island, he expected a relaxing stay with his wife and 9-month-old daughter. Unfortunately, he left on a sour note after the hotel charged him a $500 smoking fee following his stay.

  The problem? Griff says he’s never smoked a day in his life, let alone in a hotel room while staying there with his family.

  Griff, a senior reporter at The Points Guy, took his story public on social media after the hotel allegedly charged him the $500 fee based on readings from an air quality sensor. The sensor data was supplied by a third-party company called Rest, which claims hotels can easily collect fees from smoking events.

  source

  • 14th_cylon@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Why did he pay? Or does the hotel have access to his card and can charge whatever they wish at will?

    source

    • Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Isn’t that how the US does it?

      You give your credit card and they charge whatever they want. Always found that very weird in the US.

      source

      • -> View More Comments
• chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  The crazy part to me is how the sensors company advertises as a selling point how much “smoking fine revenue” increases with their product

  source
• princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  The article says they have a 9-month old, I’ve seen Dyson purifiers kick on due to baby powder in the air being a contaminant so that could also explain some of it.

  source
• t3rmit3@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Chargeback time! I would 1000% make them take this to court, and they’d lose.

  source