I am frequently contacted with questions about "online deals" for luxury hotels and resorts. Today's email brought the following enquiry:
I see a rate of $599 per night for a Deluxe Ocean View [at Fairmont Kea Lani Maui] for our dates [Jan. 7-15, 2011] on hotelclub.com. Can you please see if you can get this rate with Virtuoso amenities? Please let me know ASAP as I think it's a pretty good rate and don't want it to go away.
Is this a good deal? I had my doubts, so I phoned the Sales Manager in Maui and also did a mock booking on the wholesaler's website. Here's what I learned.
(1) The rate quoted was the Suite Ocean Aloha 25% Discount promotion. The sales manager informed me that this package expires Dec. 17, 2009. Checking Fairmont's website, I found that this was absolutely the case. The quoted rate is not available for the requested dates next January.
So what happens when you book an invalid rate on a third-party website? Here's the fine print in HotelClub's terms and conditions: "HotelClub cannot and will not guarantee our website from inaccuracies caused by error or fault. HotelClub will not accept liability for any errors or omissions contained on the HotelClub website..."
The booking probably won't go through - leaving you with the hassle of finding out if your card was charged and, if necessary, getting your money back.
But that's nothing compared to the next two unpleasant surprises...
(2) This rate is 100% prepaid at time of booking. No hint of this whatsoever until you click through to make a booking. I always advise my clients to avoid prepaid rates. Why should your money be in the hands of a wholesaler or hotel for nine months? What happens if the wholesaler goes bankrupt? [Answer: you have to file a claim with your credit card company and trust that you have enough documentation - and filed your claim within the legal deadline - to get your money back.]
(3) This rate is non-cancellable, non-refundable, and non-changeable. Ouch! Again, this information needs to be provided upfront, not at the very end of a multi-page booking process.
There are genuine bargains to be found online if you're an educated consumer, but there are also innumerable pitfalls that can trap the unsuspecting into a "deal" that turns out to be a nightmare. Sometimes it pays to call a neighborhood travel consultant, or email a web-based travel consultant; our job is to get you the best value possible.
Virtuoso amenities (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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But that's nothing compared to the next two unpleasant surprises...
(2) This rate is 100% prepaid at time of booking. No hint of this whatsoever until you click through to make a booking. I always advise my clients to avoid prepaid rates. Why should your money be in the hands of a wholesaler or hotel for nine months? What happens if the wholesaler goes bankrupt? [Answer: you have to file a claim with your credit card company and trust that you have enough documentation - and filed your claim within the legal deadline - to get your money back.]
(3) This rate is non-cancellable, non-refundable, and non-changeable. Ouch! Again, this information needs to be provided upfront, not at the very end of a multi-page booking process.
There are genuine bargains to be found online if you're an educated consumer, but there are also innumerable pitfalls that can trap the unsuspecting into a "deal" that turns out to be a nightmare. Sometimes it pays to call a neighborhood travel consultant, or email a web-based travel consultant; our job is to get you the best value possible.
Virtuoso amenities (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2010 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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