[slrphebos]

Okay I been down this road a bit too much with conventions in the last couple of years so I want to verify this. I know staying at the Hyatt with a different convention last November, at check in the Hyatt tried to put a reserve on the credit card for the room rate AND incidentals (which came out to I believe around $150 for a 3 night stay). Now that was not on the reservation and I was able to have it removed, but I want to know if this is going to happen when I go to check in at the DoubleTree for Acen. I been given the story at check in that "it's a new policy in case you charge anything to the room", but uh excuse me but I thought that was why I had to reserve the room with a credit card in the first place in case I charged anything over the weekend I had something that could be billed.

I'm just trying to save myself a rather nasty argument come Thursday evening. Is this policy with all the hotels? And why has it not been said anywhere except at check in?

[TheStrongJaeger]

I can't say for 100% this year but I stayed at the Doubletree last year and they said that if you were using a Debit card they would put a hold for incidentals(I believe it was $150) but if you were using an actual Credit Card they would not hold any extra. Like I said that was last year so I don't know if their policy is different this year. I'd recommend calling them to be sure.

And this is kind of standard policy for almost every hotel I'd ever stayed at, in the fine print it says they may authorize above the total.

[KnitChick]

That actually seems to be pretty typical. Even when I've stayed in hotel rooms that were pre-paid, like last week for a work conference, I've still had to give a credit card for "incidentals". But as long as you avoid the mini bar & don't order room service they just tie up some of the credit line for a few days. It's annoying but it's the way they do business.

[slrphebos]

What's weird was this was not done back in 2010 when I had stayed. It was after Acen 2010 that this annoying little thing started to happen. But glad to know it's everywhere and somehow I had been lucky to avoid it for as long as I had. Thank you.

[myrla]

It's 100% common, and not just to that specific hotel.

[IndyAndy]

I believe this is a pretty standard policy for hotels. It's their way of verifying that you have the room on your credit/debit card to pay for the room and other items you might charge to the room during your stay.

I just looked on the DoubleTree's website and when you go to reserve a room, if you select "rate details" next to the room rate, this is one of the items that pops up:

"If you use a debit/credit card to check in, a hold may be placed on your card account for the full anticipated amount to be owed to the hotel, including estimated incidentals, through your date of check-out and such hold may not be released for 72 hours from the date of check-out or longer at the discretion of your card issuer."

Hope that helps answer your question.

[The Fujoshi]

This is for all hotels that you come across and has been in effect since 2010 or even before that. I was surprised like yourself, since the people at the desk didn't mention this and I had to personally call the hotel after Acen when I seen the extra charges.

I'm not sure about other hotels but I do know that the Embassy if you pay with cash you don't have to worry about such rates.

[Ashori]

Does anyone know how much the incidentals charge is for the Hyatt?
My friends and I didn't know about this sort of thing when we went to check in last year at the Doubletree until my one friend's card was denied and we were informed of the additional charge/hold. This year, we want to be sure we have everything covered this time with no shock at the front desk.

[KungPowKirby]

Ashori, on 21 March 2012 - 09:42 AM, said:

Does anyone know how much the incidentals charge is for the Hyatt?
My friends and I didn't know about this sort of thing when we went to check in last year at the Doubletree until my one friend's card was denied and we were informed of the additional charge/hold. This year, we want to be sure we have everything covered this time with no shock at the front desk.

$50 a day. They will not put a hold on a credit card, but they will put one on a debit card. You will need one or the other, even if you pay with cash.

[Ashori]

KungPowKirby, on 21 March 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

$50 a day. They will not put a hold on a credit card, but they will put one on a debit card. You will need one or the other, even if you pay with cash.

All right. I'll double check with my friend and see if she's using a credit card for the room then (I know she's using a card, but don't know if which one it is).
Thank you! ^^

[KnitChick]

KungPowKirby, on 21 March 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

$50 a day. They will not put a hold on a credit card, but they will put one on a debit card. You will need one or the other, even if you pay with cash.

Actually hotels will put a hold on a credit card. I stayed in a hotel out in Naperville when we had that snowstorm in January, and the next day I saw a $20 "pending charge" on my card that I gave them for incidentals, that then never fully posted. It just disappeared after a couple more days.

So if you're close to the limit on the card you're giving them, it could potentially put you over. Just be aware of that. Make sure you have a card with a hundred or so dollars free & just don't use it until the week after con.

[KungPowKirby]

KnitChick, on 21 March 2012 - 01:06 PM, said:

Actually hotels will put a hold on a credit card. I stayed in a hotel out in Naperville when we had that snowstorm in January, and the next day I saw a $20 "pending charge" on my card that I gave them for incidentals, that then never fully posted. It just disappeared after a couple more days.

So if you're close to the limit on the card you're giving them, it could potentially put you over. Just be aware of that. Make sure you have a card with a hundred or so dollars free & just don't use it until the week after con.

I know because I just had a discussion about it with them. Thats what they Hyatt (Regency Ohare) said they would do, I wasn't speaking for hotels in general. Sorry if there was any confusion.

[Gabichox]

The Fujoshi, on 21 March 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I'm not sure about other hotels but I do know that the Embassy if you pay with cash you don't have to worry about such rates.

Are you positive on this? If I can avoid these fees by paying with cash I'd rather do that since I'm staying the embassy and the rates are killing me enough as it is. I don't have a few extra hundreds just hanging around on my account that I'm not using for acen already.

[TheStrongJaeger]

Gabichox, on 21 March 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

Are you positive on this? If I can avoid these fees by paying with cash I'd rather do that since I'm staying the embassy and the rates are killing me enough as it is. I don't have a few extra hundreds just hanging around on my account that I'm not using for acen already.

Every hotel I've stayed at has been the opposite; if you pay in cash then they need an extra deposit. Otherwise they have no way of charging you if something goes wrong. So maybe Embassy is like that but I've never heard of that.

[Gabichox]

^ Hmm.. I'll probably give them a call today and ask just to make extra sure then.