4.6K views
7 comments

I recently made an online reservation with Holiday Inn Express. Their website clearly states that "a deposit for the entire stay" will be billed upon making the reservation.

Since the definition of "deposit" in this situation is this: "down payment: a partial payment made at the time of purchase; the balance to be paid later," of course I assumed that Holiday Inn knew what the word "deposit " actually means and that therefore they would be taking a "down payment," or percentage of the total charge.

I assumed that their web designer and/or corporate office has a dictionary if they don't know what "deposit" means.

Apparently they don't know, and don't have a dictionary. Holiday Inn has decided to change the dictionary meaning of the word "deposit" to mean, "the entire fee." I called Holiday Inn's 800 number to check on how much they had charged my card, and was told that it was the whole amount.

The woman I spoke to thought that saying "for the entire stay" somehow meant not a percentage for each night reserved, but "the entire fee."

There is no point discussing word definitions with someone who hasn't any power over corporate policy in the first place, but I find it exceedingly annoying to have to assume--rightly in this case--that the people in charge of a large corporation don't actually know the English language well enough to write policy.

Location: San Francisco, California

Do You Have Something To Say ?
Write a review

Comments

chat-icon

Please avoid publishing any personal information and promotional content

You will be automatically registered on our site. Username and password will be sent to you via email.
Post Comment
Guest

Same thing for me. Extremely deceptive.

Deposit means a partial amount is billed.

I cant get reimbursed until after my stay two months from now so I have to pay my credit card bill.

Last time I ever stay at a Holiday Inn.

Guest

I too was unhappy with the company's policy on advance payment for room reservations.

Iv'e stayed in many hotels in the UK and across Europe but I have never had to pay the full cost in advance.

Since when have hotels been allowed to deduct money from your bank account on the day of BOOKING, as opposed to withholding the transaction until the day of departure? Assuming this is the the same highly respected Holiday Inn group I have used before?

I cannot help thinking that the company are subtly investing and earning interest using customer's money whilst they potentially go overdrawn and subsequently have to pay the bank interest on it.

Through my media contacts we like to praise companies who offer the average working man or woman good value for money, though currently this is not the case with The Holiday Inn Group.

Guest

Looking at dictionary.com I cannot find your defini8tion of deposit. I did find this however

Deposit:

2.

to give as security or in part payment.

Notice the word OR? The hotel clearly means to give as security since they never told you a partial amount you would be paying.

Yes they charged you for the whole stay, they said they would. "A Deposit for the entire stay" as you quoted. They say deposit, because the actual amount you pay at checkout may be different than what you are paying upfront if you damaged anything or made long distance phone calls or anything else similar. Also keep in mind you are putting the money down as a guarantee to the hotel they sell the rooms you are reserving, therefore the deposit is being "given as security" to hold the room for you.

On a side note, why would you authorize a payment on your credit card if you didn't know/see the amount being charged? lol

I realize this is way old now, but I had to comment

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-182865

The words following or are "part payment"- part payment means less than full payment. The part payment is to give security for the performance of the contract.

If the offeree fails to perform, offeror can avail itself to the partial payment offered as security. Holiday Inn's policy is analagous to a real estate purchase contract and the earnest money given to secure performance equaling 100 percent of the purchase price. This is fraud in the inducement in my opinion.

Further if the contract is ambiguous as to its terms it is construed against the drafter - in this case Holiday Inn. This policy is ridiculous.

Ahlana Oqc
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-662741

The idea that a "deposit on the full amount" means the same thing as full payment is stretching literary license past the breaking point. A deposit is a partial payment to secure performance.

The fact that the partial payment "deposit" is computed based on the total of the anticpated purchase does make it a payment of the full amount. I would challenge the folks at Holiday Inn Express corporate and their supporters to recall a time when they every put down a deposit on a house, a car or other retail purchase and paid the full amount of the purchase at that time. The deosit amount was a factor of the total amount due, but that is where it stopped. This is legalized theft.

It is fraud in the inducement. It should be chanllenged in court. If there are othes who feel as I do, maybe we can bring our conerns and experiences together and legally put an end to this consumer ripoff or at least require the language to say, "A depsit in an amount equaling the entire reservation amount will be made at the time of booking." That would be clear to anyone who reads it. Why is Holiday Inn Express so unwilling to clearify what is obviously abiguous language.

Could it be all the better to gouge consumers? Shame on you Holiday Inn Express.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-182865

Saying on a side note, why would you authorize a payment on your credit card if you didn't see/know the amount being charged. LOL....I don't find this funny seeing I am going thru this right now with holiday inn, they don't get your authorization.

While staying there for a week they decided to ad on 1088.00, then 261.00 and more so I had to block my card.

The management laughs so now I have to find another way to get reimbursed. Hope this doesn't happen to you.

Guest

Im sorry to read about your mishap with their website. My experience with any hotel, not just Holiday Inn, when you book online, they take payment upfront.

This is usually why websites can offer cheaper prices, there is small print associated with any online booking, including no refunds. I book many many hotels online, but I am one of the few that actually read the disclaimers and I understand why they do this. I hope it does not discourage you from staying anywhere, its the web.

it is what it is. Happy Teavelling

Holiday Inn Express Hotels Reviews

  1. 74 reviews
  2. 31 reviews
  3. 16 reviews
  4. 9 reviews
  5. 3 reviews
Holiday Inn Express Hotels reviews