Zach Griff, a well-known travel reporter from The Points Guy, recently stayed at The Pell Hotel in Middletown, Rhode Island, a JdV by Hyatt property, with his wife and their 8-month-old daughter. Upon checking out, he was shocked to discover a $500 smoking fee charged to his account. The problem? Neither he nor his wife smokes.
“Not only have I never smoked but I certainly wouldn’t start on a holiday weekend while traveling with my wife and baby,” Griff said in the now-viral post embedded below.
View this post on Instagram
When he approached hotel management, they told him the charge was based on readings from an advanced smoke detection system, which flagged the room on a Saturday afternoon even though, according to Griff, he wasn’t even in the room at the time but his wife and her friend were; her friend doesn’t smoke either.
After trying and failing to get a response from the hotel post-checkout, Griff did some digging and discovered multiple similar complaints online from past guests who say they were also wrongly hit with the same $500 fee.
Then came an update. “Within two hours of posting my reel the hotel’s general manager called me directly,” Griff shared, adding that the hotel owner was “upset” he had gone public.
The manager eventually promised a refund but Griff refused special treatment, stating it wasn’t fair to the many others who didn’t receive the same outcome.
Several of those affected reached out to him after seeing the video, claiming that the hotel either refused to refund them or tried negotiating down the fee from $500 to $250.
Digging deeper still, Griff discovered that The Pell Hotel uses a third-party system called Rest, which touts to hotel owners that they can “easily enforce your no-smoking policy, collect fines with confidence, and become a truly smoke-free hotel.”
It sounds like a win-win … except when they charge people who didn’t smoke. Griff thinks the only thing that could have possibly triggered the sensors is steam from his wife’s hair dryer.
In response to mounting pressure, Hyatt corporate told Griff that the hotel is “temporarily disabling” the sensors while they investigate.
Unfortunately, it’s still unclear whether wrongly charged guests will be reimbursed. Griff uploaded an update about what’s going on, which you can watch below.
View this post on Instagram
What You Should Do if This Happens to You
Keep these tips in mind to protect yourself:
- Check your hotel bill daily using the hotel app or TV system. Spot unauthorized charges early and contest them immediately.
- Always pay with a credit card that offers strong protections for chargebacks. This gives you more power if the hotel refuses to cooperate.
- Create a paper trail. If an issue arises request all communication via email so there’s a record.
- Avoid properties with shady reputations. Online reviews matter. If you see multiple complaints about the same issue take your business elsewhere.
- Report fraud. Anyone affected should contact the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office to file a complaint
As one commenter put it: “It was only a matter of time until they scammed the WRONG person.” If you’ve experienced something similar, share your story and help protect other travelers from falling into the same trap.
KEEP READING:
–Is Your Hotel Scamming You?
–Don’t Fall For It: Scammers are Pretending to Be Customs and Border Protection Agents
–Cybersecurity and Fraud Expert Shares Tips on How Not to Get Scammed When Traveling
–How to Avoid Vacation Rental Scams
–Don’t Fall For These QR Code Scams
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
