New York outrageous fees

[jadeycakes666]

My husband has booked a three day stay in New York. He didn't read reviews on the hotel, just saw a deal and booked it.

I was made aware there was facility charges on the hotel on top of the room rate that equate to about £300.

However today whilst showing a colleague the hotel we stumbled across a review about the incidental charges deposit they take. It's $100 dollars a day per room (we have two rooms), so I emailed the hotel and they have said to provide a credit card and they will place a hold on 1100 which will be released 7 days after we have checked out.

I find this extortionate and now I don't want to stay there. I wouldn't have minded so much had there not been copious reviews over the last 3 months saying people never got their money unheld and when they chased it they were told the hotel was hacked and are still trying to get their money back.

Would it be unreasonable of me to just book another hotel where it's a set incidental charge of $50 per room for the entire stay? I would rather spend an extra £400 than have to worry about not getting back 1100.

Can you actually get a refund? I’m imagining a hotel that has so many extra fees probably doesn’t have a generous cancellation policy.

If you can cancel it and rebook without losing too much money I would. If nothing else you’ll worry the entire time your there.

No. We would lose it I think. But I feel like spending an extra 400 that we were already taking would be better than losing 1100. It's not just one review saying they never got their charges back it's every single one for the last three months and all of their reviews titled WARNING DONT STAY HERE

Deposits on check in are normal in my experience when checking into hotels, especially in NYC. Same for "resort / amenity fees".

However them not refunding any damage deposits for months is a huge red flag, I'd stay elsewhere.

When I went last year I paid our facilities charge on my credit card and no other money was taken ,that does seem a lot .We stayed at a well known chain

I am fine with paying the deposit, but the deposit is ridiculous. $100 per night per room. Thats $600 alone not including the 360 facility charges. I am used to paying $50\100 for a whole stay

@jadeycakes666

Depends on the venue - we've stayed at a few NYC hotels and they were all in that region for damage deposits - never paid less tbh, even in other American cities!

I've never paid that much. Top is $50 but then that's the likes of Holiday Inn etc

Sounds normal for NYC, the charge is per room and you are better to all share one, you are out most of the time anyway in NYC. They should refund the deposit quickly. I agree it is a shock if you are bot used to it

What's the hotel called? I wound myself up over these but in the end was fine. Honestly, NY is chaotic and imagine people get deposits held back for a reason.

I doubt very much that the hotel is doing that in the frequency that is implied in the reviews, it’s more than likely (in my opinion) one disgruntled reviewer posting under different usernames

It could also very well be people who have caused damage trying to post negative reviews because they are mad about losing their deposits. Also Americans like to complain a lot (I say this as an American).

That was the norm for us, op, 100 a day. We went last March.

It quite typical

Put it on an Amex or credit card and you can section 75 it if you don't get it back or if they're is a dispute

Do not use cash or a debt card

Although it doesn't add to 1100? Can you explain

$360 resort fee plus $600 is $960 not 1100?

@jadeycakes666I was charged about 1/6 of my accommodation price again in fees for Toronto last month and they took CAD$100 deposit per room, they did “release” it in front of me when we left but it still hasn’t reached my account, I did phone to ask but they said it can take a month to reach the UK as if it was travelling by messenger pigeon so it sounds like that

i know at one that deposit are cant follow you to other countrys
costs them too