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  • Report:  #790837

Complaint Review: Grand Hotel Kronenhof

Grand Hotel Kronenhof "Bait and Switch" Pontresina, Nationwide

  • Reported By:
    Alpinist — New York New York United States of America
  • Submitted:
    Thu, October 20, 2011
  • Updated:
    Mon, November 07, 2011

I made an online reservation on Booking.com which stated that one child would stay free of charge. This was the bait. The hotel then implemented the switch and emailed me saying I would have to pay an additional $100 per night for the child, because the free child offer did not apply in the winter. The only problemthere were no winter terms on the online booking site or in my confirmation email and the hotel advertised the same free child policy on many other travel web sites with no limitations to particular seasons.

Over the following days I spent hours engaged in about a dozen emails with the hotel front desk and hotel managers Heinz E. Hunkeler and Jenny Hunkeler, but they refused to honor the hotel reservation agreement.

According to U.S. consumer protection law [16 CFR PART 238], bait advertising is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want to sell. Even though the true facts are subsequently made known to the buyer, the law is violated if the first contact or interview is secured by deception.

Mr. Hunkeler and the hotel kept claiming they had no responsibility, since they stated my contractual partner was the online booking site. According to Booking.com terms, however, anyone making a reservation on Booking.com enters into a direct (legally binding) contractual relationship with the hotel at which you book.

The fact that Grand Hotel Kronenhof cannot be trusted is made clear on the hotels own web site: Grand Hotel Kronenhof gives no warranty and accepts responsibility for the accuracy of the material shown on its Website. (In particular, without limitation, prices, reservations, and online calculations.) We can not guarantee that the material shown on our Web site is complete and up to date at any given time.

 

1 Updates & Rebuttals


Grand Hotel Kronenhof, Pontresina

Pontresina,
Switzerland

Grand Hotel Kronenhof "Bait and Switch" Pontresina, Nationwide

#2REBUTTAL Owner of company

Mon, November 07, 2011

We thank all our guests for their feedback because we rely on them and they help us to constantly improve our services.

To all persons reading this negative statement, we like to communicate that the circumstances which are described are not correct and not according to what happened during the booking process.

Here is the clarification from our side:
Children are cordially welcome at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof any time. Our rate and booking policies which are clearly stated in all our confirmations, brochures as well as on the web - are as follows:
During summer season, children , 0 11 years stay free of charge in the parents room incl. extra bed and breakfast. As not all of our room categories allow an extra bed due to the setting and size of the room, we always state this clearly on all the offers and confirmations.

During winter season (which is our main business), children up to 2 years are free of charge in an extra bed in the parents room (incl. breakfast only). For children 3 years and up, we have special rates for extra beds and half board in suitable rooms.

On the written booking confirmation to this guest, it was clearly stated that his booking which he made via internet, is for 2 persons only. Of course, we made several suggestions for an alternative solution like we do in any case but unfortunately, he was not willing to accept it.

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