Choice Hotels International

Review: Choicehotels.com offers a "Best Internet Rate Guarantee" which states "If you find a lower published rate for the same hotel and accommodations for the same dates at any other qualified online source, we'll match the rate, plus give you a FREE night." In my attempt to claim the offered free night, I was erroneously rejected multiple times. The room I reserved at choicehotels.com showed a rate of $179.00/nt while the same room on [redacted] showed a rate of $170.36. My attempts to contact the best rate guarantee department and general customer service line were met with a complete disinterest in assisting me and multiple wrongful denials of my claim.

In my 1st claim I was denied because I entered the wrong confirmation number, a 0 was missing on the end, and my claim was instantly denied. This happened despite that my accurately provided name, check in date, and email address could easily provide this confirmation number as well. It was made clear by this that no effort would be made to assist me in claiming, and that strong effort would be made to hinder my progress.

2nd I was told that the rate simply did not exist on [redacted]. I received confirmation that the agent was viewing the correct page. I had to send a screenshot of the location of the rate to get confirmation that it existed. This could have been avoided by more observant browsing of the competitor's website, especially since the competitors rate was provided, and the corresponding room could be searched for by price alone. It is not my responsibility to show the agent how to browse the internet, when comparing competitive websites is their entire job purpose.

The 3rd different reason I received as to why my claim is being rejected, is that the competitors room type can't be determined. The room on the competitive site ([redacted]) is described as a "suite" but does not state if it is a 1 king bed or 2 queen bed suite, as choicehotels.com did. The number of beds in the room is irrelevant to the price. Both room types are the same price of $179.00/nt. Even if it were relevant, a call to the competitors toll free hotline would easily reveal the exact room listed. The agent I spoke to refused to contact [redacted] by phone to yield clarification. Instead, I called [redacted] and confirmed that "suite" could refer to either room, and I would have my choice upon contacting the hotel after purchase.

In every way, this claim qualified. The rate was publicly available, on the internet, for the same room/hotel/date. Of two reservations for the exact same stay, the competitors rate was lower. At all points of my claim being denied, the source is the agent lacking information which was easily available to them. Whether it was my reservation details, the location of the room rate on the competitors website, or the exact type of the competitor's available room. From this I perceive that choicehotels.com has no intention of approving best rate guarantee claims, as they do not seek to make any effort in assisting customers who wish to receive a discount. This extends the message that the best rate guarantee is a skin-deep promise, which is broken as soon as a customer attempts to redeem that promise.

To summarize my complaint and this time, besides the miserable customer service I have received, I remain denied for this best rate guarantee claim. It is clear that of the available rooms on getaroom.com, by process of elimination, "suite" refers to either 2 queen suite or 1 king suite, and in either case [redacted]'s rate is $8.64 lower that choicehotels.com. This constitutes the same room, at a lower publicly available rate, on the internet, and therefore a valid best rate guarantee claim.Desired Settlement: I expect choice hotels to honor the offer of one free night, which I was falsely denied. This night was intended to take place on 5/26/13, however, as I doubt this issue will be resolved before that time. I am willing instead to accept a gift card for the value of the denied service - $179.00.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]:

I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department of Choice Hotels International. We are concerned about the problems you recently experienced with regards to our Best Internet Rate Guarantee policies. I am writing to thank you for taking the time to bring these concerns to our attention via your comment submitted to the Revdex.com.

Choice Hotels International’s goal is to provide quality accommodations and dependable service to all of our guests. In this regard, and to insure accuracy, our Best Internet Rate Guarantee program has certain terms and conditions which must be adhered to. On www.choicehotels.com the terms and conditions state that the competing rate must be available for the same hotel, dates, room type, number of guests, type of currency and length of stay with the same rate terms/restrictions (including but not limited to, advance purchase requirements; pre-payment and deposit requirements; and cancellation and change policies; that it must be publicly viewable and available on the Internet and, as determined by Choice representatives, is at least US $1.00 (or the equivalent in the hotel’s currency) lower than the rate offered on ChoiceHotels.com at the time the claim is reviewed by Choice; and that cached information will not be accepted, including but not limited to shortened URL's or screen shots.

These terms and conditions are in place in order to be able to offer guests the assurance that they will be able to find the best internet rate for our hotels on our site. In order to provide this assurance, the competing site must clearly disclaim which room type, including bed options and amenities, is being reserved at a specified rate. If, as in this instance, the competing site does not disclose the exact room being reserved such a submission would not meet our set forth terms and conditions.

Again, we want to thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice Hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: Choice Hotel's chose to not acknowledge my specific situation, and instead chose to recite terms and conditions which I have already addressed as not applying to the situation at hand. This form-letter response repeating the source of contention is not a resolution. The level of disregard is made exceptionally clear by the agent forgetting to write their name after "Sincerely," when copy and pasting the prepared response.

Review: Worst hotel I have stayed at. Not only from getting ripped off about the price to just nasty indoor pool. The price on the website stated the price was $79.99 start off price. Then if you had discounts it went cheaper from the $79.99. The people at the hotel started off the price at $99.99 and then when I ask about the online price she said that they could charge whatever they wanted to charge.

This was at the Davenport iowa quality inn hotel.

Well I only get my daughter every other weekend and when I called up the person told me that they have a indoor pool and my daughter loves swimming. Well we get to the pool and there is no light switch to turn on the light to the pool room. Then you could see like the room was even finished painting as there was two tones of paint on the walls. And it was not even leveled out. Then the next morning we went out to the pool again and I could see why they don't have lights in the room. It was plain nasty. The bottom of the pool is really nasty with stains all over the place in the bottom of the pool, I remove mold and asbestos for a living and there was mold growing on some of the walls. I feel like I need to have my daughter tested for any disease cause she swam in the pool at night.

I will never stay there again and just don't want to take a chance.

A bunch of double talk from the person working the desk when I called today and then not caring to make it right. I could of stayed at the motel 6 for $50 less if I had known this hotel was so nasty.Desired Settlement: Refund of credit card and fix the pool area and pay attention to what the website says and not set your own prices as you see fit

Business

Response:

copy of response being sent to [redacted] in response to his complaint:

December 11, 2014

Review: I signed up for their website when traveling throughout the country in the summer of 2013. However useful the site was at the time, I no longer want advertising emails from them every week. I unsubscribed from their mailing system more than 4 times thus far. I tried to contact their company via "Contact Us" on their website, and after I clicked the "submit" button I got a email that said the comment was undeliverable because the company's inbox was full. I have no phone and no other way to contact them to tell them to STOP sending me emails.Desired Settlement: I would like their unsubscribe from emails page to work.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

I would like to apologize that unsubscribing from promotional offers did not stop the emails from coming through. I have removed your email address from our system so you should no longer receive emails from Choice Hotels.

Thanks,

Customer Relations

Review: I am a new [redacted] Vacation Club owner I transferred 5,000 [redacted] points to Choice Privileges which resulted in 20,000 Choice Privileges points. I paid a $35 transfer fee. I did this because I was on Emergency Leave for my grandmother’s funeral. I thought that 20,000 Choice Privileges Points would equal about a weeks’ worth of nights at a comfort inn. Especially since for 3,200 [redacted] points I can get a week on Las Vegas Strip at a Hilton. But we made the transfer as new owners and then I called Choice Privileges Reservations and told them the hotel nearest my family that I wanted to stay at on 20 June for 1 night, she said I had plenty of points and reserved the room. She did not inform me exactly how many points I was using for the 1 night at the Comfort Inn. I found out after the stay that we used all 20,000 points for the 1 night. So over the past month I have attempted to work it out with both companies [redacted] and Choice Privileges, [redacted] said that they will refund my 5,000 points as long as Choice Privileges does. I also have offered to pay for the room after the fact just so I can have those points back as I had no idea that 1 night was going to cost so many points. I called Choice Privileges on 22 July again after numerous e-mail traffic and phone calls and was told sorry they are not willing to except my payment in return for my points back. What is sad is the Military Rate was only $179, I paid $35 to transfer the [redacted] points and then wound up using all the transferred points for the 1 night which I wasn't informed ahead of time I'd be doing so. During today's phone call with John a resolution specialist for Choice Privileges he called the hotel they said no they weren't willing to return the points. I asked to talk with a manager and spoke with Shawntee (Choice Privileges Manager Resolution department) She heard my information sad she would try to call the hotel then while I was talking she hung up on me. She basically said though that there was nothing they were willing to do. I am completely willing to pay for the room nightly rate in exchange for my points back as I was never informed properly at the time of reservation exactly how many points that 1 night as going to cost me. Horrible customer service so far over the phone as the Manager hung up on me. I have received the run around throughout the last 30 days some people telling me I needed to go through [redacted] to initiate it and others saying that Choice Privileges would be willing to return the points as long as I was willing to pay for the room. But now when I called like I was requested to do in the e-mail I was told by Choice Privileges "Sorry, there is nothing they’re willing to do"Desired Settlement: I would like to have all my points returned to my account so that [redacted] can take them back and return the 5,000 [redacted] points to our account since we are brand new owners and were completely uninformed by Choice Privileges at the time of reservation what the Point cost would be for that night. I am willing to pay the military rate for the room.

Choice Privileges Reservation# [redacted] My details should be able to be seen from Choice Privileges by looking this up to include my [redacted] owner number which I'd eventually like the 5,000 points returned to. I know I will never see the Transfer Fee of $35 again, and I can live with that, but not the loss of 5,000 [redacted] points for 1 single night at a Comfort Inn.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]

Review: I was misled, lied to and abused by Ms Julia M[redacted], General Manager of Roadway Inn of [redacted] Ca and denied lodging and received certified mail notification of the locations intent to deny me service after the fact due to Ms M[redacted] personal animus toward me for notifying management by phone of my inability to even contact the location by phone for several hours as they did not answer. I asked to speak to the owner and she said that would be impossible as he permanently resides in India. I was referred to other locations belonging to the chain and subsequently (same day) booked a 7 day stay at the [redacted] location at [redacted] in [redacted], Ca which was in poor condition which burnt holes in the chair inside the room and on the bed covers which duly noted with the desk clerk when I noticed them and I also later notified them of 2 bottles or [redacted] Rum missing from the room and the housekeeping staff denied knowledge despite no one having room keys except myself only and the location staff. The desk clerks during my staff would not document and enact a wake up call per my request either claiming if the request was for 9 AM next day unless the request was made after 9 PM previous day their technology or system could not recognize the difference. Prior to even leaving Texas to fly California to spend the time visiting my first born grandchild I ignored the mistreatment and still booked with the chain at the alternate location at the 10%+ higher rate for the exact same room specifications and exact same days discussed FOR $445.42 total vice Ms M[redacted]'s total quote of $399.42 tax included. My distress with the company and their unsavory business practices and punitive treatment of persons complaining about service continues to this day (10/31/2014) as I responded to Ms M[redacted]'s derogatory letter of explanation of the company policy allowing all member locations to engage in harassment and/or descrimination in whatever they see fit which I received by ltr dtd (09/12/2014) and certified mail receipt dtd 09/13/2014 to which I responded to by additional attempts to speak in civil fashion with corporate management about the harassment and lies and in disgust at their trumpeting special rates for current or former military members and despite adressing this Ms M[redacted] it was only through the assitance of Dale at a Minot, ND call center that I was advised fully of and signed up for their member rewards program on 09/13/2014. I visited the Choice member hotel nearest where I live and there are 3 witnesses at the location of my civility and meeting with the GM Bob P[redacted] at the the [redacted] Comfort Suites location where I have guested previously with none of these issues and thoughtfully received contact information for Choice CEO Stephen J[redacted] who I promptly hand wrote a 6 page detailed missive of the entire mistreatment up to that point and mailed directly to him certified mail a many, many days prior to my 10/10/2014 departure and subsequent 10/10 - 10/17 stay at the [redacted] location. Since returning to Texas on 10/21/2014 I have tried repeatedly in vain to get the company CEO to honor my request and the show goodwill but I am repeatedly told he is travelling and his scheduling secretary is travelling as well and just for good measure the switchboard operator will hang up on me and the "executive staff" resolution people say I must take up my unhappy maltreatment for resolution with the same person and location that notified me in writing at $3.78 expense that they will hang up on me if I call and will not honor any contact regarding service as I included by copy in my personally paid for ltr to Choice CEO Mr J[redacted] a copy of their envelope with the price on it and a copy of the discrimination declaration letter itself via USPS certified mail for him to personally review. I still have copies of the correspondence as I naturally assumed given the poor service and misrepresentations might continue as indeed they have. Strangely enough Choice is already lobbying by email and regular mail for more visits and and purportedly could've earned a "free night" with only 2 qualifying nights of stays if I jumped from location to location as I have discussed at length as well with all of the firewall employees who don't care to resolve my complaint, will not examine its merits relative to their public positions on customers stays or priviledges. Their stated is intention is to ignore me forever and ignore my in writing request to address their associates treatment of me and to direct me to contact the location which in furtherance of their own stated policy reserves the right to discriminate as they see fit. Due to my time in the military I now suffer from PTSD and acute anxiety and hypertension so my fervent wish to be be handled in some reasonable respectfull manner and move on. My sit down conversation with General Manager Bob P[redacted] (yes I still have his business card with all of the other documentation) directly indicated to me that a formal direct correspondence would be honored, respected and answered in a reasonable time frame. I did what he indicated would bring attention to the issue and help lead to resolution and I thanked him and followed up as directed in the manner directed. Why am I still denied response or please let me know if Mr P[redacted] lied as well. I found him reasonable and decent and knowledgable so why am I still waiting and waiting and waiting? Please contact the [redacted], Tx [redacted] Comfort Suites location if you wish, there are 3 witnesses total to my my request, our one to one follow on conversation after 2 clerks brought him out to see me and all can vouch for my civility and reasonable attempt to resolve this travesty in a respectfull manner to both Choice Hotels and myself. I am at the point of requesting Revdex.com assistance and soon to ask all my creditors, banks and fraternal or military organizations to divest due to the clear and evident lack of regard for my situation. God bless and I hope to have a satisfactory response soon.Desired Settlement: That I could feel good again about ever being a customer instead of an aggrieved former customer who at this stage in good faith cannot recommend your chain to anyone and am honor bound to make sure others like me are not treated this way ever again. I will be frequently travelling to California to visit my daughters and my new grandson and you well know that Choice as a chain has major market share across North America and with my health due to my service and fixed income for life as a 100% compensable disabled vet, reasonable lodging costs will ALWAYS be an issue.

Business

Response:

Below is copy of response being mailed to [redacted]:

December 1, 2014

Review: I was harassed by [redacted] a front desk clerk at the [redacted], MS Comfort Inn. [redacted] called the cops on me and threatned me in front of my children. I went to the front desk to ask for additional towels which were provided. I was told to leave the dirty towels by the room door which I did. [redacted] banged on the room door 1 hour prior to check out stating where atre the additonal towels. I told her we were not finished with them yet and we would be leaving soon. [redacted] begin to get irrate and tell me I was a problem for a manager I never spoke to. I was treated very badly and feel I should be returned half of my money.Desired Settlement: I would like half of my payment returned to me. This was 6/15th and Father's day. My kids were upset as well as myself and spent the whole day angry and confused.

Business

Response:

Below is a copy of the response being sent to [redacted] in regards to complaint:

July 8, 2014

Dear [redacted]:I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International, to follow up with you regarding your complaint with the Revdex.com.

First, we would like to extend our apologies for your unfortunate experiences during your stay at the Comfort Inn located in [redacted], MS. Choice Hotels International encourages complete satisfaction to all of our customers and hope that you will consider this an isolated incident. At the same time, we also appreciate your comments because what we learn from your experience can help us maintain quality services.

I want you to know that your comments have been duly noted by this office. We forwarded a complaint to the hotel and the hotel has advised that a refund in the amount of $73.00 was processed on 7/4/14. We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at ###-###-####. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.

Sincerely,

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc: [redacted]

Review: On October 21, 2013, I stayed at Comfort Inn and Suites Lamplighter under a prepaid reservation. Upon checkout the next day, I was told they had no record of my being there and told me that the room I was trying to check out of was registered to a **. [redacted], a person I do not know. Then it was explained to me that this happened because no one checked me in upon arrival. Subsequently, I was charged multiple times and multiple amounts for the same stay. All of these charges were adjusted promptly and properly but on October 25, 2013, my debit card was again charged by Comfort Inn, this time in the amount of $99.68. I have gotten nowhere after repeated calls and attempts to have this charge reversed.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of the $99.68.

Business

Response:

Below is a copy of response letter sent to **. [redacted] to address her complaint:

December 5, 2013

**. [redacted]

Dear **. [redacted]:

I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International. I am writing in regards to a complaint that we received from the Revdex.com in regards to the billing from the Comfort Inn & Suites Lamplighter located in [redacted], CA.

I apologize for the billing issues that you experienced with the hotel. The comments and suggestions that we receive from our guests are important to us. Thus, your willingness to share your concerns regarding your stay are genuinely appreciated. We trust that you will look upon this matter as an isolated incident that is not indicative of the exceptionally high standards of service and hospitality that our hotels are known to offer.

I also wanted to follow up with you personally to be sure you have received a formal response from the hotel and the refund of $99.28 the hotel has advised they have posted to your credit card, to address your concerns.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at ###-###-####. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.

Sincerely,

Executive Customer Relations

CC: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: Actually, I do accept and appreciate what Choice Hotels has offered because it is exactly what I asked for; however, unfortunately I have not received the $99.28 that the Hotel claims to have posted to my account even as of today, December 14, 2013.

Regards,

Business

Response:

The following response was sent to **. [redacted] today:

December 23, 2013

**. [redacted]

RE: Experience at Comfort Inn & Suites Lamplighter in [redacted], CA

Dear **. [redacted]:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your recent experiences at the Comfort Inn & Suites Lamplighter. We appreciate that you took the time to bring these matters to our attention and apologize for your unsatisfactory stay. In addition, your comments have been duly noted by our office and forwarded on to the hotel's management. They, too, appreciate your feedback and are interested in providing for positive guest's experiences at their property.

We, at Choice Hotels International, value your business. We realize that you have many options for accommodations and want to encourage your continued patronage. In this regard, we will be sending a check to you in the amount of $99.68. Your check will arrive within six weeks.

Your feedback is important to us and we hope you will view this matter as an isolated incident, an exception to the high standards of service and hospitality our hotels are known to offer. We look forward to providing quality accommodations for you in the future.

Sincerely,

Director, Customer Care

Review: I have included below the details of my complain that I submitted in a letter to two different managers of the hotel.

"Dear **. [redacted],

I am a member in good standing of Choice Privileges since 2009. My family and I have used this membership in many cities for both business and pleasure. The cost of the hotels including the complementary breakfast fits very well with our budget and security comfort. With this in mind, we had no issues on making a reservation for our lodging in your managed hotel.

On March 4, 2014 my wife made a reservation under reference confirmation number with your hotel. The reservation was for a non-smoking room with two Queen Beds and a sofa-bed for two persons. When we arrived at the front desk of the listed hotel, the Junior Manager named [redacted] could not find a room meeting our reservation requirements. After she brought you into the conversation, you initially offered us a single room with a King Bed, a sofa-bed, and two cots. This initial offer did not go well with my wife after you informed her that our room was given to another person that arrived earlier than us. And then you offered two non-smoking rooms, each having a King Bed and a sofa-bed, at a cost of half the rate to pacify not meeting the requirements of our reservation. During the same conversation, you informed us that the parking permit was $12 per day. On the basis of this stated cost, I informed you of needing one for my son, who was arriving later on from Virginia.

After obtaining the keys to the rooms, **8 and *17, we went to both rooms. Both rooms had a sign by the door indicating they were designated as non-smoking rooms. The first one met that designation but the latter did not. On account that it was supposed to be a complementary room, lateness of the hour, and not wanting to make another long discussion with the front desk, we may no issue of the untruthfulness. The sofa-bed of the former room was not in perfect mechanical order since the box spring the mattress had a huge hole in it. I had to place the mattress on the floor to use it. For the same rationale as stated above, I did not call the front desk about this.

At around 1AM on March 22, 2014 my son arrived, and I went downstairs and gave him the parking permit. During that walk, which included walking by the front entrance and front desk, I thought I smelled marijuana in the air. At the front desk, I linked my son’s car to my room by writing my son’s generic license tag and my room number in a binder. No other identifying information was asked, such as the color of the vehicle or specific license number. This was a bit strange on the security arena. When I informed these to my wife, she thought I was over-reacting.

On the morning of March 22, 2014 we had an excellent time at the hotel. The front desk sent extra towels to our room as requested. The food was excellent from the Belgium waffles, coffee, pastries, and cereals. It was an excellent breakfast for everyone. The staff at breakfast had a professional attitude and was very warm to us. The lady in charge even helped my daughter on making her Belgium waffle. During breakfast, my wife and I made a mental note of being at [redacted] Station by 10 PM. The note displayed on the front desk about the schedule time of the shuttle said, “5PM to 10PM on the hour.” According to [redacted] as well as the morning driver, the shuttle leaves the hotel on the hour and arrives at [redacted] Station 10 to 15 minutes later.

After a long outing in the DC area that included many museums, mass, and a nice dinner, my family and I arrived at [redacted] Station at around 9:45PM. At 10PM, we walked to the location where the hotel shuttle supposed to pickup hotel guests. At 10:05PM, my wife called the front office to find out if the shuttle was on the way. The individual in the other end of the conversation was very unprofessional with her. The shuttle had not left, and he was about to send it for us. The shuttle arrived at 10:35PM. When my family and I entered into the shuttle, I smelled marijuana in the air. [redacted]s appearance looked unkempt, including uncombed hair, unwashed faced, sagging pants, and shoes untied. [redacted] was the shuttle driver. While en route to the hotel, there was an accident blocking the street [redacted] was intended to follow. At the sight of the accident, he became disoriented and looked at me for direction. He did not know how to go to the hotel except through the street that was blocked by the accident and began heading that way.

I told him, “I have a GPS,” and my wife began typing the hotel address as quickly as possible. At that moment I wanted to protect my wife and children, and I was frightened at the situation at hand, being in a city unknown to me, in a shuttle with marijuana smell, and a driver not all there. My protection was my wits and my soothing voice. At first, he was not following my commands very well, and after I told him, “you are doing well, and my GPS will assist you in getting to the hotel.” He began to follow my commands better, and by the grace of God, we made it safe and sound to the hotel. It was a very unnerving experience for the whole family.

At around midnight on March 22, 2014 my son and I went to the parking lot and found an individual outside the front entrance of the hotel smoking marijuana. This confirmed all of my previous assumptions, including [redacted] being intoxicated with Marijuana while driving my family from [redacted] Station to the hotel.

On the morning of March 23, 2014, my wife and I informed [redacted] of all our ordeals after she gave us the bills not conforming to our original understanding with you. The charged amounts to my [redacted] are simply wrong even before the frightening ordeal is taken into account.

You have charged two rooms at $75.99/night. It should have been one room at $75.99/night, and the second room at no cost. The parking permit was charged at $24/day; on the basis of our initial conversation, it should have been $12/day.

On the basis of the ordeal my family and I went through with [redacted] driving the shuttle under the influence of Marijuana or something, the rest of my bill should be covered by management or Choice Privileges.

I wish you and your management god speed in bringing your night staff under control."Desired Settlement: At present, the hotel has reimbursed me 50% of the bill ($198.02) and needs to reimburse me the other half of the bill ($198.02).

Review: I booked 2 rooms at the econo lodge in [redacted] va on sept 12-14. Upon arrival the room was dirty and did not appear to have been cleaned. During my stay I noticed drug activity and a prostitution ring on the hotel premises. I have two small children and did not feel safe at night. I called customer service and asked for a full refund and after 30 min on the phone received a half refund and was told I would get that in about 6 weeks. Due to the circumstances I want a full refund.Desired Settlement: A full refund due to the conditions and mis representations of the hotel

Business

Response:

Below is a copy of the response being sent to the guest in response to her complaint:

September 18, 2014

Dear [redacted]:I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International, to follow up with you regarding your complaint with the Revdex.com. We are concerned about the problems you recently experienced during your stay at the Econo Lodge located in [redacted], VA. I am writing to thank you for taking the time to again bring these matters to our attention and to apologize for this less than satisfactory experience.Guest comments tell us what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong and how we can improve. Thus, your willingness to share your experience is genuinely appreciated.Our records indicate that you spoke with our offices on 9/15/14, a check in the amount of $77.10 is being sent to you as the agreed upon resolution to the complaint. You should receive the check within 4-6 weeks at your mailing address. If we can be of any further assistance, please call our office at ###-###-####, we will be delighted to assist you.Sincerely,

Gary D[redacted]

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc: [redacted]

Review: we stay at choice hotels alot and the we have emailed them and called them about this we get hung up on and thay are mean to us over a free night we did not get. choice hotels have bad customer service. all we wont now is are money back now.Desired Settlement: a full refund for 7 day the total is $512.96 plus to say there sorry about been me to me on the phone.

Business

Response:

Good Afternoon,

Our office received previously a complaint from this guest on this matter via the Revdex.com of Arizona which was addressed and resolved as of March 20th.

The guest was issued the triple points for her stays up through February 20th which was the end date of our winter promotion. In addition, as the member was not registered for the Spring Promotion, the Choice Privileges office on March 7th issued courtesy points in the amount of 6,400 as the member had not registered for the current spring promotion requiring 2 separate stays to earn bonus points. The member redeemed points for free nights on March 2nd and March 7th.

At this time, the member has been awarded all points earned for her stays.

Regards,

Choice Hotels International

Coordinator

CR Executive Taskforce

Phone [redacted] (M-F 7:00am - 3:30pm ct)

Fax [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: I made a reservation for the [redacted], TX Comfort Suites, asking for an email confirmation as I always do. Some weeks later before traveling I checked my email to review trip plans (I travel quite a bit and count on these records) but there was no email. A call to the hotel confirmed I had no reservation. Upon return from [redacted] I learned my credit card had been charged for a "no-show" night. A converstaion with the General Manager did not resolve the issue.Desired Settlement: I'd like the hotel to credit my account for the charge they processed.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]: I am writing on behalf of the Choice Hotels Executive Customer Relations Department in response to the complaint filed with the Revdex.com. First, we would like to extend our apologies for your unsatisfactory experience with the Comfort Suites [redacted] Airport.Choice Hotels International encourages complete satisfaction to all of our customers and hope that you will consider this an isolated incident. At the same time, we also appreciate your comments because what we learn from your experience can help us maintain quality services.We want you to know that your comments have been duly noted by this office. The hotel has indicated that they have processed a full refund to resolve this complaint.We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.Sincerely,

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: Made reservations for 2 nights(6/27 &6/28 ) Paid with my [redacted] card 306 dollars. I had to cancel (6/24) .Quality Inn will not refund my money. Have made several phone callsDesired Settlement: Refund my 306 dollars

Business

Response:

Below is copy of letter being mailed to [redacted] in regards to his complaint:

July 25, 2014

Review: My Choice Privileges name is [redacted], my member number is [redacted]

Choice Hotels International advertised $50 gift card promotion is misleading and customer service agents are not aware of the many details. As a business incentive and what I thought a customer loyalty effort they offered me the opportunity to enroll in a online program, then book accommodation stays online and then complete the stays. I did just that, spending over $3000 and 14 nights during 3 separate stays. Afterwards, I was shocked to discover that my stays were in "Non-Qualifying Hotels". This is a contradiction, especially since I used the website to enroll in the gift card program and then book the stays. What's more, before booking the stays on the website I called the 800 number to make sure my accommodation and rate choices were appropriate and that I understood the program correctly. I was assured I would receive my gift cards. Now, after the stays are complete and they have my money, I deal with a different call center where it seems they have no problem determining my choices were non-qualifying properties and become rather stringent when deciding just what it takes to receive a gift card. It's all rather sad in that the hotel stay were lovely. Surely there must be a mistake?Desired Settlement: Gift Cards or Cash

Business

Response:

**. [redacted]'s stays were all at hotel properties in Sweden. Unfortunately Scandinavian countries, including Sweden, hotels do not participate in the Choice Privileges program. This information can be found on the www.choiceprivileges.com website. Below is what can be found on the website. We apologize for any inconvenience **. [redacted] has suffered.

Review: I had a reservation at the Comfort Inn, [redacted] for 2 nights Feb. 21-22nd, 2013. When I checked in I gave the front desk $198.00 in cash for 2 nights, the women behind the desk said she needed a credit card " just in case" I gave her one, the next morning I complained about no hot water & the room was hot, the guy behind the desk checked & stated they have 3 hot water heaters & by the time it gets to my room it should be 180 to 175, I said it was colder then that, he checked the room as I was leaving. When I came back I was locked out of my room, I went to the desk & asked why, she stated she could not get a $100.00 approval, in order to get back in my room I had to give her $100.00 in cash! I informed my husband of this, & he stated we were checking out now! So we packed up, she checked with the manager, & was told to check out the room before I could get my $100.00 in cash back, she did not find anything wrong so gave me my money back. All this because I complained about not having hot water. I have stayed in hotels from Seattle, WA to San Diego,Ca, from Washington,DC to Miami FL and everything in-between, & I have never been treated like this!Desired Settlement: I would like my $198.00 back, I slept in a hot room, and had to take a cold shower, I they did not fulfill the obligation of a good hotel!

Business

Response:

The following letter is being sent to [redacted] following our offices conversation with the guest today. [redacted] has accepted a refund of 50% of the stay or 1 night. This refund is in the form of a check which the guest will receive within 4-6 weeks.

Review: I stayed at 3 separate Choice hotels during a recent vacation, due completely to their "2 stays pays" Promotion. I read their terms before hand and had carefully followed the steps. I went to choicehotels.com on 2 occasions to make reservations for my next stay. I did not receive the points the offer said I would receive (8,000 to fulfill the terms of the promotion). I contacted customer service regarding the issue and was told I had used the actual hotel's websites, not choicehotels.com to make my reservations. The main choicehotels.com site directs you through the reservation process with no notice that you are leaving a website or anything else. I followed the terms and conditions set forth to the best of my ability and in good faith.Desired Settlement: I would like the points added to my account for the stays during the promotion to fulfill the terms of the promotion.

Business

Response:

Dear **. [redacted]:

Review: I was in [redacted] Ok on OCt 18,2014 to attend a football game. I had made online reservation to stay at the Econolodge located [redacted] in [redacted]. After the game I went to my hotel room and the room was dirty and looked liked it had not even been cleaned. The room had a awful odor the ceiling was water stained and the paint from the ceiling was chipped and falling on the bed. The pillow cases were stained and unwashed the bed cover was stained also. The wall lamp was hanging loose from the wall with wire exposed and did not even work. I felt the it was unsafe to stay in such a filthy hotel room. I went to the front desk and ask to speak with the manager because I wanted a refund the room was just to dirty to spend the night in. Manager was not there but if I could wait I could talk to him (Bob P[redacted])on the phone. The desk clerk went to the room with me and I pointed out all the items that were in need of repair and showed all the stained linen. We went back to the front desk and I asked to speak with Bob but to my suprise he was now unavailble to speak with me. I asked the desk clerk for a refund because I was not going to be staying the night room was just to scary and dirty. My request was refused and was told Bob would contact me. As of today I have not been contacted by the EconoLodge management. I feel that If you advertise rooms that are safe and clean they should be. Room [redacted] was a health hazard and probably a fire hazard too. Future hotel guest should not be subjected to the condition I experienced when you are paying for accomidations to spend the night while traveling.Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Refund

Would like the hotel put on notice and made to clean up their act and my credit card refunded.

Business

Response:

November 11, 2014

Review: When we went to check in at the hotel, they told us our room was not yet ready and it would be about an hour until we could check in. This was fine, so we left and came back. We came back a little early and just wanted to double check to see if maybe the room was ready yet, and the employee at the front desk ([redacted]) was very rude and basically at that point, I just wanted to cancel our reservation and go elsewhere. We eventually got checked in and got to our room but then during our stay there (which consisted of one night), we felt as though we were ignored by the staff and they did not seem concerned about the guest's needs. When we checked in, they told us there would be milk and juice available all the time but the rest of the food/drinks are for the breakfast. When we tried to get some juice for our 2 year old son, the employee at the front desk said the juice machine was locked and that there was none available. We then had to request new sheets from the front desk because the sheets for the sofa bed were practically rolled up in a ball and they were stained, so I wasn't even sure if they were clean sheets. The continental breakfast was absolutely horrible, the eggs were hard and overcooked. The carpet throughout the hotel was also very dirty. I have never felt like such an inconvenience at a hotel before.Desired Settlement: I want a full refund of the amount paid for our stay here. $98.39

Business

Response:

January 10 2014

From [redacted] Manager I am sorry people like this exist in this world. Let me go step by step

1. They attempted to check in at 11 30 am. Our check out time is 12pm and check in is 4pm. Eventually [redacted] checked them in early at 1:14 pm. [redacted] is always polite.

2. Upon check in, everyone is told we have Milk and Coffee all night. There is a large sign on our juice machine stating 6am -9am. The sign has been out since june. Never do we say milk and juice. All my people are seasoned, no one new.

3. [redacted] Hotels only requires us to have a continental breakfast. We provide so much more, eggs, ham, sausage waffles, two cereals, three

juices, fruit,yogurt.

4 No one came to ask for new sheets..

These people must have called Better Business on the way home. They live 35 minutes from,our hotel. This appears like a scam. They are on appears like a scam. They are on my do not rent list.

Sincerely ,

Review: I prepaid a hotel reservation for two nights (confirmation number [redacted], $218.96) on 9/16/14.

I checked into the hotel on Saturday, 10/11/14 and checked out on Monday, 10/13/14. Upon checking out and returning the two room keys, the desk staff indicated that I was "good to go" because I had already prepaid. I asked for a receipt and she stated she could not print one because I had reserved online thru ChoiceHotels.com and paid in full. A day after checking out, there is a charge for $5.98 from Choice Hotels. I have requested an explanation of the charge from Choice Hotels but have not received a response. I did not knowingly incur, request, authorize, sign for, nor was made aware of any additional charges beyond what I had already paid for this two-night reservation.Desired Settlement: Credit the $5.98 back to my credit card.

Business

Response:

October 27, 2014

Dear [redacted],

I am writing from the Customer Relations Executive Desk of Choice Hotels International in response to your Revdex.com complaint. Thank you for taking the time to bring your billing concerns to our attention. Please accept our apology.

Upon investigating your inquiry, it appears the additional charges are hotel services fees, in the amount of $2.99 per night. As stated on the Choice Hotels website during the booking process, “As taxes and service charges may change from the time a reservation is placed until the actual stay and during the actual stay, the total price is an estimate. Check with your specific hotel for details.”

Again, we want to thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice Hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.

Sincerely,

Shayla S[redacted]

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

CC: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: I booked an Advance Purchase reservation (confirmation number [redacted]) directly on the ChoiceHotels.com website primarily due to their claim "Your rates won't get better than this" which is predominately displayed on the Rates page of their website. My credit card was charged immediately and the charges are non-refundable.

In just over two weeks, the rate for the same room at the same hotel for the same dates is now 30% lower. Clearly, the rate DID get better. When I inquired about an adjustment, I was told that "Rates are subject to change at any time. There is always the possibility they will go up or down." While I understand that is always a possibility, I was led to believe it was a possibility mitigated by the claim "Your rates won't get better than this" which solely and entirely compelled me to make prepaid, advance non-cancellable, non-changeable, and non-refundable reservations in good faith.

This is not an isolated event. Another Advance Purchase reservation that I made due to the same misleading and deceptive claim has also dropped in price (confirmation [redacted]).

I believe the claim that "Your rates won't get better than this" positioned immediately above the rates shown on the web page constitute a false and deceptive claim in violation of section 17.12 of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.Desired Settlement: I simply wish to be credited the difference between what I paid for "A rate that won't get better" versus the rate that actually got better. In addition, I ask that the company consider removing the phrase "Your rates won't get better than this" from the web page providing current rate information, as it is misleading and implies that the rates currently shown are the lowest possible rates available at any time.

Business

Response:

Below is a copy of the response being sent to [redacted]:

October 3, 2014

Dear [redacted]:I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International, to follow up with you regarding your complaint with the Revdex.com. I am writing to thank you for taking the time to again bring these matters to our attention and to apologize for this less than satisfactory experience.Guest comments tell us what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong and how we can improve. Thus, your willingness to share your experience is genuinely appreciated.As we discussed by phone on 10/1/14, the positioning of the “Your rates won’t get better than this” banner on choicehotels.com is referring to the Best Available Rate plan. The reservations that you confirmed were with the Advance Purchase Rate plan. The purpose of the banner that you are referring to is to advise customers that they will not find a lower rate on any third party web sites, such as Expedia or Orbitz. The terms and conditions pertaining to the Best Internet Rate Guarantee are available for the public to view on choicehotels.com.

I apologize for any frustration this may have caused. As we discussed, we would not be able to offer either a full or partial refund of the charges for the reservations. If we can be of any further assistance, please call our office at ###-###-####, we will be delighted to assist you.Sincerely,

Gary D[redacted]

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc:

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because any reasonable person would find the prominently displayed claim in question misleading.

Regards,

Business

Response:

below is copy of response being sent to [redacted]:

October 7, 2014

Dear [redacted]:I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International, to follow up with you regarding your response to the complaint with the Revdex.com. Thank you again for taking the time to advise us about your experience.

In reviewing the information pertaining to this case, we must advise that we will not be able to offer any compensation in this matter.

As stated in my previous response, we discussed this matter by phone on 10/1/14, the positioning of the “Your rates won’t get better than this” banner on choicehotels.com is referring to the Best Available Rate plan. The reservations that you confirmed were with the Advance Purchase Rate plan. The purpose of the banner that you are referring to is to advise customers that they will not find a lower rate on any third party web sites, such as Expedia or Orbitz. The terms and conditions pertaining to the Best Internet Rate Guarantee are available for the public to view on choicehotels.com.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns with us. We want Choice hotels to remain your first choice when you travel. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at ###-###-####. We look forward to serving your future lodging needs.

Sincerely,

Gary D[redacted]

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc:

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Review: I registered for the Choice Hotels "Two Stays Pays" promotion. And, in accordance with that promotion I stayed at one of the Choice Hotels two different times. I received an email that I qualified for the $50 gift card in late July or early August. I then followed the redeeming process on line within a few days. I waited for a couple months, but when no card came I tried to go through the redemption process on line again. This time I got a message saying that I didn't have enough points. I immediately called Choice Hotels, and they told me that I didn't redeem my gift card before the expiration date on September 30. And, they refused to honor their promotion and send me the gift card.Desired Settlement: Send me the $50 gift card.

Business

Response:

Below is a copy of response being sent to [redacted]:

October 31, 2014

Princeville, IL [redacted]

Dear [redacted]:I am writing on behalf of the Executive Customer Relations Department for Choice Hotels International, to follow up with you regarding your complaint with the Revdex.com. We are concerned about the problems you recently experienced while contacting our Member Services Center. I am writing to thank you for taking the time to again bring these matters to our attention and to apologize for this less than satisfactory experience.Guest comments tell us what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong and how we can improve. Thus, your willingness to share your experience is genuinely appreciated.At your earliest convenience, can you please contact our Member Services Department at ###-###-#### and they will assist you with redeeming the gift card that was part of the promotion you participated in.Sincerely,

Gary D[redacted]

Coordinator, Executive Customer Relations

cc: [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I called Choice Hotels, and they still will not send me the $50 gift certificate as promised.