I was in the Westin at ASA, which appeared to be the Official Conference Hotel For Procrastinators Who Made Their Reservations At The Last Minute.* I was running behind the last day and so didn’t check out, but instead had the bill e-mailed to me. Now that I look at it, there is a charge of $8.45 for the “honor bar.” I may be a sucker for room service at conferences, but I reserve using the minibar for moments of true life distress. Thankfully no such occasions arose at ASA.
I was going to call the Westin and complain, but the $8.45 wasn’t actually included in what they charged my Visa. In other words, the bill they sent me charged my Visa for everything except this $8.45, and I have $8.45 listed as “Balance Due.” Has anyone had this happen to them? I should still call them and figure this out, right?
* BTW, one person at the conference I talked to got a room at the Westin for $110 on Priceline, vs. a conference rate of $205.
9 Comments
I am now convinced that some troll goes around stealing your phone and drinking mini vodkas in order to bother with you.
I was charged some $85 for the minibar. Apparently there was a $12 camera that was missing every day. So for 6 days I was charged for it (plus tax). I thought to myself, “I bet a lot of folks wouldn’t notice this…”
When ASA was in Atlanta I chatted with someone who found a posted rate from the hotel that was cheaper than the ASA rate. He discovered this while sitting in his room, after having checked in and going on-line.
Is anyone going to Atlanta in two years? I’m still annoyed that we didn’t just pay the fine and instead are heading back there. But when I expressed this to a southern friend he suggested that I was a bigoted northerner. Perhaps, but really I think I just don’t want to spend my August in Atlanta.
Oh, I didn’t mean that you were being a bigoted northerner.
I was merely suggesting that, given some of the attitudes towards the south (and, for that matter, the rural midwest) I’ve heard some of my colleagues express informally over the years, I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the low attendance in Atlanta in years previous had something to do with disdain for the region. I’m sure there are other reasons as well.
That said, yes Atlanta will be sweltering and muggy. Just invest in some seersucker and you’ll be fine.
Yes, I’ll be there. But not happily - Atlanta is an unpleasant place indeed, and certainly not in fact the south! But I guess it’s the only “southern” city with enough hotel rooms in close proximity. Oh well. One bright spot from last time: the restaurant Joel was terrific.
As I recall, Brady, you called me a bigot and spit on my shoe.
Only after you told the concierge I was a Pander out to snare impressionable young sociologists into a lifetime of cultural analysis.
Atlanta in August? Now I know what incentive economists most responded to in deciding not to try Sociology.
I stayed at the Westin and had a charge of 16.90 on my bill for two minibar items (@ 8.45 for each of two days) which were not described. I told them I did not use the minibar and they took the charge off. But it is conspicuous that you also had an 8.45 item charged. Maybe this is some Westin strategy to buffer against an economic downturn.
Call them!
I was also at the Westin, and had similar charges - the minibar is wired with sensors, so if you ever even took something out, or if the $7 nuts on top weren’t properly lodged in, then you get charged. Thus, when I took out all the beer to store some pizza, I got charged some 30 dollars.
Damn robots.