Hotel have taken all my spending money ...ridiculous?

[whatshardknock]

I'll currently at a hotel in London (Piccadilly circus )
I'm here for 4 nights (checked in yesterday)
I'm meeting friends who I haven't seen in years.
It's been a bit of a treat it's a lovely hotel and I've spent £1000 on the hotel (which I never do )As a treat after a shit year.
I booked on booking.com
I checked my bank the £1000 has came out and also a pending £800
I spoke to downstairs and the £800 will be refunded after I leave.
That's pretty much all my spending money.
Aibu to think booking.com should have said and also £800 deposit for a 4 night stay is mental surely.

This is par for the course in the US.

I remember arriving in Orlando, staying the night in a resort there after the flight before driving to Naples, and a young British family in front of me were distraught. They were staying for 14 nights, “holiday of a lifetime” and the resort wanted $150 per day for “incidentals” explaining it would be refunded within 90 days! They explained they didn’t have a credit card only a debit card but this would result in them going overdrawn at the bank and their bills wouldn’t get paid. The receptionist was horrible. She told them to ring family in the UK (our flight was delayed and by this time is was 5am UK time) to get them to provide their Credit card details. She said otherwise they couldn’t stay there. The young woman was crying as they had two toddlers. It was awful. I don’t know how it got sorted out in the end...but it was a horrible start to their “dream holiday”.

This happened to me once staying in a hotel for work. What was worse was that the company had already paid for my room. I had arrived with just my debit card, assuming I was not going to need to spend anything.

The £800 will be put back pretty quickly but that is no comfort when you wanted it now. You are right that it would help people if they were alerted that this would happen.

Tell the hotel that obviously you will have to score them down and write about this unreasonable charge in the reviews you will leave on tripadvisor and booking.com so that other customers will be aware in future. It probably won't work now you're half way through your stay but it's the only way I've ever managed to get hotels to budge on things like this. And do leave those bad reviews...

This happened to me with a global car hire company - and it was incorrect too. It really pissed me off. I asked for the block on the amount to be removed and was told it wasn't possible.

@WantToBeMum

Tell the hotel that obviously you will have to score them down and write about this unreasonable charge in the reviews you will leave on tripadvisor and booking.com so that other customers will be aware in future. It probably won't work now you're half way through your stay but it's the only way I've ever managed to get hotels to budge on things like this. And do leave those bad reviews...

Everyone is used to these shit threats now

"I haven't read t&cs properly. 1*"

Asking them to reduce the amount gradually over the next few days is a good idea,

It won't wash. Hotels also have bars and restaurants where guest can charge the bill to their room; any day of the stay.

Those shouting crime, fraud etc should bear in mind that the reason hotels do this, is because some guests steal and defraud

agree that this is normal practice. dissing the hotel online is a low move, and just demonstrates you’ve not read their T&C rather than the hotel isn’t good.

fastest solution is probably to contact your bank, explain what’s happened & request a temporary overdraft. Or phone a family member or close friend and tell them, ask if they’d do a BACS you’ll repay them in a couple of days. it’ll hit your account instantly.

As someone who works in the tourism industry and uses booking.com daily, i can tell you it's a damage deposit.
We do it with all of our villa's and apartments, it's in the terms and conditions, though we charge €300 for a villa, no matter how long the stay is. It'll be the hotel that has set the rules and not booking.com and it will have been in the terms and conditions when you reserved.

We return all of our deposits up to 7 days after departure as that's what we chose, you might not get your refund the day you leave depending on the reservation terms

I thought it was normal too. Certainly not a police matter.

The Marriott in the docklands did the same for me. It was much more reasonable though. I think around 50 - 100. I am usually quite close to the wire in my current account though so it was still a shock.

You spend £1000 on the hotel and haven’t got any money left over? On a credit card? Weird.

Credit cards are designed for this sort of thing. Best to get one and use it well, paying off every month in full. It will boost your credit rating. I know it's too late for this time, but right now, talk to your bank, explain what's happened and ask for a temporary £800 overdraft, I reckon.

Don't let it spoil your well-earned break!

She had £800 left over. Not weird.

Don’t get that someone’s so lavish on a hotel but they haven’t got any spare cash

This is absolutely standard. Normally you don't notice it because you give them a credit card to swipe.

Reporting them and leaving rubbish reviews will just make you look shit for brains so don't do that

@TomNook

Don’t get that someone’s so lavish on a hotel but they haven’t got any spare cash

Why don’t you just report then instead of doing half baked troll hunting? Honestly it’s becoming a boring occultation on here for some.

I had this last year, paid £250 for a night and they held another £250 for three days and made me overdrawn!

Without sounding harsh, but if the only money you have access to is £800, then maybe spending £1,000 on a hotel was not the best choice.

Yup sorry.

Next time you travel/stay in a hotel get a credit card beforehand.

I only ever book hotels/flights on CC.

For goodness sakes.

She did have “spare cash.” She had £800 “spare cash.” My spending money for two weeks in France last year was £300. London is expensive but still £800 for four days is MORE than enough.

There’s some unpleasant snobbery here from —smug— MNetters who are oh so used to expensive hotels and credit cards with high limits. I have a credit card with my bank and it’s limit is £2000 as I don’t want to get into a lot of debt. I guess I am not worthy of a nice hotel, right?

@fromdownwest

Without sounding harsh, but if the only money you have access to is £800, then maybe spending £1,000 on a hotel was not the best choice.

She probably has something called a job, which will give her access to a couple more thousand in approximately 7-10 days.

@TomNook

Don’t get that someone’s so lavish on a hotel but they haven’t got any spare cash

Stop being nasty. You know bugger all about OP’s circumstances. Or are you making these comments just to make you feel a bit more superior?

@fromdownwest

Without sounding harsh, but if the only money you have access to is £800, then maybe spending £1,000 on a hotel was not the best choice.

🙄

Hey op are you any further forward today? Try not to let it spoil your trip.is there anyone who can loan you the money for the time?

I've had this as well OP, it is a total pain! Also on a debit card, I don't have any credit cards currently.

Enjoy the break, London seems pretty quiet at the moment (I'd love to go!).