50 Times Hotels Messed Up So Bad, People Had To Vent Online (New Pics)

We had the opportunity to speak with a few experts regarding travel accommodations. Ignacio Merino is currently the CEO of Freetour.com and has held a managerial position in various top hotel chains across the world for more than 15 years. In his conversation with Bored Panda, he shared some hotel industry secrets that the public ought to know. 

“When booking, mention a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary in the comments section, or simply write ‘special occasion, please nice room,’” he said, adding that politeness while letting hotel staff know about a special event improves a customer’s chances of receiving perks such as upgrades.

While accommodations have their fair share of shortcomings, travelers also commit errors that compromise their experience. According to LGBTQ travel writer and Queer Adventurers founder Lindsey Danis, one of the common errors people make is not thinking through their needs and making sure the accommodations they book match them.

“A little more foresight could’ve saved them a lot of frustration,” Danis said.  

Price discrimination is another issue, and according to The Broke Backpacker senior editor Aiden Freeborn, it is as real as it gets. As he explained, bigger hotel chains, most especially, track down user locations and may charge higher prices if the individual comes from a wealthy, first-world country. This is why he advises using a VPN when researching hotels and Airbnbs.

“Not only will it save you from price discrimination, but it will also keep your data private from any would-be hackers out there,” he said.

Still on the issue of pricing, travel tech entrepreneur and Get Directo founder Marina Guastavino says another common mistake is trusting third-party sites too much when it comes to giving the best deals. This is why she advises booking directly with the hotel or vacation rental.

“Mention the rate you found elsewhere and ask if they can offer a better price for booking direct,” she stated, adding that it works 70% of the time, especially if you are polite and respectful, or if you mention a special occasion as a reason for your trip. 

Misleading hotel bookings have been a persistent issue for some time. According to a 2019 report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), 23% of consumers have complained about being misled by third-party travel resellers. 

Apparently, such scams have become a lucrative business. The report notes that in 2018 alone, fraudulent transactions and bookings totaled a whopping $5.7 billion.

Fortunately, some of the erring parties did get their deserved sanctions. In 2022, Australia’s federal court ordered hotel price comparison platform Trivago to pay 44.7 million AUD in penalties for “making misleading representations” about room rates. 

The company admitted to receiving about 58 million AUD in cost-per-click fees from clicks on supposed cheaper offers for a specific hotel. In turn, consumers ended up overpaying about 38 million AUD for their featured rooms.

If you find yourself in a room that looks nothing like what you booked, escalating the matter would be your best course of action. However, if you must do so, make sure you’re speaking with the relevant person. 

"It's always worth asking to speak to someone who maybe a bit more senior or at least is aware of how the consumer law works and what the business's obligations are,” said Nicky Breen, a former media spokesperson of consumer advocacy group CHOICE. 

Ripping the business apart on social media may be an instinctive reaction. However, travel expert Sally French advises a less aggressive approach: asking for a fix in a cordial and empathetic way. 

“The person at the front desk is a human, too,” French told The Washington Post. “Have some level of understanding of the situation you’re in and how much power they have to fix it.” 

What about you, dear readers? Have you had any similar experiences? How bad were they? Share your stories in the comments below. Better yet, include photos while you’re at it.