Orbitz.com Orbitz charges fee for booking hotel Internet
I booked a hotel through Orbitz for the dates of September 6, 2008 through September 10, 2008. The hotel was Comfort Inn in Ocean City, NJ (www.choicehotels.com) and the room was ocean view, king size bed, non smoking, efficiency with balcony, microwave, refrigerator, stove top and was very nice for the price. The hotel gave me a receipt upon check out that totaled $484.39. There was one day (Saturday) at $138.39, three days (Sunday through Tuesday at $99.99.) The total each day for room charges/ state charges was $14.53 for Saturday and $10.50 for Sunday though Tuesday. This is all that the hotel charged for booking a room there. Then when I compared my charges from Orbitz, I discovered Orbitz charged my credit card upfront for $626.87. It was stated on my e-mail confirmation an average nightly rate of $136.99 with $78.91 in taxes and fees. The hotel only charged an average nightly fee of $109.59 with $46.03 in taxes and fees. I guess the $142.48 (difference between the total Orbitz charged me minus the total on the hotel receipt) was the booking fee for Orbitz! When I called the customer service number for Orbitz to get a clear explanation, the representative told me, very politely, that the room rate I was getting through Orbitz is the room fee that I would have been charged had I called the hotel directly. She told me there is no booking fee but that the hotel tells Orbitz the room charge for the specific period and this is what is charged to the customers. After I got off the phone I walked back into my hotel and asked them what amount would I have been charged for the exact room on the exact days I booked. The staff told me it would be the exact same as is on the receipt. So the bottom line is to not use Orbitz to book a hotel but only to find a hotel worth staying at then call the hotel directly by using the power of the internet and get the same rate if not better through the hotel. Don't get the overpriced fee to use a third party website when calling the hotel direct will save you big money.
Kelbel
Gap, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Pfn
Bayonne,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Yes, there SEEMS to be a fee...but there is not
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 19, 2008
To clarify:
I work in the Accounting Dept. of a major New York Hotel and deal with billing to Orbitz and other such companies (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). These companies are charged by the hotels a DISCOUNTED RATE for their bookings. They in turn charge the guest either the same rate as the hotel would originally charge or in some cases still less than the original rate, but more than their discounted rate.
This may look like a "booking fee" but in fact, you are still paying the same or less than you would if you had booked with the hotel directly.
Unfortunately, what you were told by both the Orbitz rep and the hotel's staff were INACCURATE information. Orbitz was probably flustered because the rates that they pay to the Hotel (what you saw on your bill) are CONFIDENTIAL and NEVER to be shown to the guest. And the hotel staff you spoke too either misunderstood your question or simply was too dull to realize that your hotel stay was through Orbitz AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN YOU A RECEIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE! The rates you would have paid if not booked through Orbitz would have been SUBSTANTIALLY higher.
Actually, the fact that Orbitz gets money from your stay in a hotel should be no suprise to anyone because how else would these companies stay in business!? How do you think they make their money? From the advertising on their website?
Pfn
Bayonne,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Yes, there SEEMS to be a fee...but there is not
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 19, 2008
To clarify:
I work in the Accounting Dept. of a major New York Hotel and deal with billing to Orbitz and other such companies (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). These companies are charged by the hotels a DISCOUNTED RATE for their bookings. They in turn charge the guest either the same rate as the hotel would originally charge or in some cases still less than the original rate, but more than their discounted rate.
This may look like a "booking fee" but in fact, you are still paying the same or less than you would if you had booked with the hotel directly.
Unfortunately, what you were told by both the Orbitz rep and the hotel's staff were INACCURATE information. Orbitz was probably flustered because the rates that they pay to the Hotel (what you saw on your bill) are CONFIDENTIAL and NEVER to be shown to the guest. And the hotel staff you spoke too either misunderstood your question or simply was too dull to realize that your hotel stay was through Orbitz AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN YOU A RECEIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE! The rates you would have paid if not booked through Orbitz would have been SUBSTANTIALLY higher.
Actually, the fact that Orbitz gets money from your stay in a hotel should be no suprise to anyone because how else would these companies stay in business!? How do you think they make their money? From the advertising on their website?
Pfn
Bayonne,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Yes, there SEEMS to be a fee...but there is not
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 19, 2008
To clarify:
I work in the Accounting Dept. of a major New York Hotel and deal with billing to Orbitz and other such companies (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). These companies are charged by the hotels a DISCOUNTED RATE for their bookings. They in turn charge the guest either the same rate as the hotel would originally charge or in some cases still less than the original rate, but more than their discounted rate.
This may look like a "booking fee" but in fact, you are still paying the same or less than you would if you had booked with the hotel directly.
Unfortunately, what you were told by both the Orbitz rep and the hotel's staff were INACCURATE information. Orbitz was probably flustered because the rates that they pay to the Hotel (what you saw on your bill) are CONFIDENTIAL and NEVER to be shown to the guest. And the hotel staff you spoke too either misunderstood your question or simply was too dull to realize that your hotel stay was through Orbitz AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN YOU A RECEIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE! The rates you would have paid if not booked through Orbitz would have been SUBSTANTIALLY higher.
Actually, the fact that Orbitz gets money from your stay in a hotel should be no suprise to anyone because how else would these companies stay in business!? How do you think they make their money? From the advertising on their website?
Pfn
Bayonne,New Jersey,
U.S.A.
Yes, there SEEMS to be a fee...but there is not
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, September 19, 2008
To clarify:
I work in the Accounting Dept. of a major New York Hotel and deal with billing to Orbitz and other such companies (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). These companies are charged by the hotels a DISCOUNTED RATE for their bookings. They in turn charge the guest either the same rate as the hotel would originally charge or in some cases still less than the original rate, but more than their discounted rate.
This may look like a "booking fee" but in fact, you are still paying the same or less than you would if you had booked with the hotel directly.
Unfortunately, what you were told by both the Orbitz rep and the hotel's staff were INACCURATE information. Orbitz was probably flustered because the rates that they pay to the Hotel (what you saw on your bill) are CONFIDENTIAL and NEVER to be shown to the guest. And the hotel staff you spoke too either misunderstood your question or simply was too dull to realize that your hotel stay was through Orbitz AND THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN YOU A RECEIPT IN THE FIRST PLACE! The rates you would have paid if not booked through Orbitz would have been SUBSTANTIALLY higher.
Actually, the fact that Orbitz gets money from your stay in a hotel should be no suprise to anyone because how else would these companies stay in business!? How do you think they make their money? From the advertising on their website?