My husband and I decided it was worth the risk of losing our $800 so that we can have the oceanview. This was risky since we have four small children and anything could have happened to force us to cancel our reservation.
When we arrived at the hotel on Friday, March 2nd, they gave me a landview room and told me that Expedia booked me a landview room. I thought once I called Expedia, the issue would be resolved but after an hour on the phone with a supervisor who was extremely rude, I had no such luck.
When I went back to read my confirmation from Expedia, it said nothing about the oceanview room — only that I was guaranteed a king bed. This is false advertising and a scam as when I booked the room, Expedia’s website clearly stated that I was booking a guaranteed oceanview room. The hotel was completely booked all weekend and couldn’t do anything for us.
They told me that this happens every weekend with at least 4 reservations coming in telling them the same thing. Expedia clearly is pocketing the extra money and booking the landview rooms for the customers who paid the higher rate to have an oceanview room. We never would have stayed at this hotel if oceanview rooms were not available or guaranteed.
When I came home from my trip I called Expedia one last time and spoke with a supervisor, who offered me a $50 voucher to use with Expedia and that’s the best he said he could do. I told him I was not interested in taking a $50 voucher for Expedia to have them take my money and make false promises. Can you help? — Mary Fahy, Chicago
Answer: If Expedia sold you an oceanview room, then you should have received an oceanview room or a refund of the difference between an oceanview and a standard room.
Is having an oceanview room a big deal? In your case, yes. You specifically asked for it, you paid extra for it, and you gave up your right to a refund. Definitely worth it, by the way; the views of the ocean are spectacular on Florida’ west coast, and well worth paying a little extra to see.
But if an oceanview room was so important, why not check your confirmation to make sure it’s there? You just spent a lot of extra money for an amenity, but didn’t check your receipt to make sure you received it. If you had, you could have phoned Expedia and fixed this long before you checked in.
Once you checked into the hotel, Expedia wasn’t the only higher power to which you could appeal. You could have also phoned Hilton corporate to ask it to upgrade your room after the hotel turned you down.
I asked Expedia about your case. Its records show you booked your room through a phone agent. It reviewed its call records and determined that the agent incorrectly guaranteed ocean view accommodations at the time of purchase. The company has refunded the $120 rate difference and offered you a $50 travel coupon which can be used for a future purchase.
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