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27.08.2024 - 20:13 / thepointsguy.com
After your last hotel stay, did you stop by the front desk and let reception know you were leaving? If you didn't, you're certainly not alone. In today's digital world, many travelers find the formal checkout process unnecessary.
But I guarantee you'll rethink that point of view once you read about Nathan and Eleni Weisser's recent hotel experience.
The couple's troubling story started with a surprise upgrade to a fantastic suite at the London Hilton on Park Lane. It should have ended with the Weissers informally checking out by dropping their keycards in a box in the lobby. They headed to the airport for a flight to Greece, unaware that a bad actor had been watching them. That thief slipped into the unoccupied hotel room and called down to the front desk to extend the stay.
During the next two days, the imposter ordered room service, slept comfortably in the king-size bed and enjoyed the panoramic views of London. After the interloper suspected that the hotel was about to expose his scam, he quietly hit the road, but the hotel charged his $800 stay to the Weissers' credit card.
When the couple returned home from their vacation, they found the unexpected charge. Assuming the hotel had made a simple billing error, Eleni called to have the charge removed. That's when a hotel manager gave her the unexpected news that it was not, in fact, a mistake. He told Eleni that her husband had extended their reservation over the phone and the $800 charge would stand.
Weeks later, the London Hilton on Park Lane was still unwilling to consider that it had been duped by a grifter, and the $800 remained on the couple's credit card statement. At her wit's end, a frustrated Eleni turned to TPG for help.
Here is the rest of this couple's unusual tale, what TPG did to help them and what you can do to protect yourself from surprise post-checkout hotel charges.
Early this year, the Weissers, who are avid TPG readers and enthusiastic points chasers, were planning their summer vacation to Greece. They intended to spend one night in London on their way to the Greek islands.
Eleni was pleased to see that she could book a standard king room at the London Hilton on Park Lane for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
"We love to play the points game," Eleni told me. "This really was a fabulous way to spend our points."
According to TPG's August 2024 valuations, Hilton Honors points are valued at 0.6 cents each. So, Weisser figured the room was "costing" her about $480 ... as opposed to the $720 nightly cash rates the hotel was charging for the same room.
But even better news was in store for the couple.
On the day the couple arrived in England, they were tired and looking forward to checking into their room. They would get a
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