Planning the Perfect Vacation: A Travel and Tourism Blog

A vacation should be a place to relax and get away from it all, but unfortunately, many vacations are stressful. There's a lot of planning involved, and regardless of how much time you spend planning, some of it can be derailed by full airplanes, late trains or overbooked hotels. During the trip, there can also be budgetary pressures. Hi! My name is Miranda, and I've dealt with all of that. However, I've also found fun strategies for avoiding those issues and hassles. In this blog, I am going to share all the travel and tourism tips I've learned through the years, and I hope they help make your next vacation more fun.

4 Hotel Scams Every Traveler Needs To Watch Out For

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Travelers, especially those traveling abroad or in an area they are unfamiliar with, are susceptible to scams by con artists looking to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists. If you are prepping for a vacation, then learn to recognize the following four common hotel scams that plague the hospitality industry. By being aware, you won't be caught off guard should you find yourself in a possible conning scheme.

1. Front Desk Scam

There have been instances where hotel guests have gotten a phone call in their hotel room in the middle of the night from someone claiming to be a hotel staffer. The caller claims that there was a computer crash and that all the names and transaction records of their guests have been lost. As a result, they need you to give your credit card number again. Of course, when guests decide to handle matters at the front desk instead, it is confirmed that no such calls were ever made.

On the surface, these calls sound legitimate, and in some cases, the caller is even able to correctly identify you by name and room number. To throw off suspicion, some may even give you the option to handle the issue at the front desk.

Keep in mind that no legitimate hotel will ever ask you for your credit card information over the phone. Also, most hotels will not call their guests after 9:00p.m. Most of these phony calls take place in the middle of the night when guests are sleeping, groggy and may be more willing to provide the requested information so they can quickly return to bed.

2. Getting "Walked"

Getting "walked down" is a lingo in the hotel industry that refers to hotel guests being moved to a cheaper accommodation than the one they made arrangements for. Sometimes, when a hotel makes a mistake and double-books a room, they will have to make it up to the guests by finding them an available room of comparable quality. The only problem is, it's usually not comparable at all and sometimes even in a different hotel altogether.

Hotels often do this to save money on their end. If you find yourself getting walked down, do not agree right away to the alternative accommodation. Stand your ground and affirm that you were guaranteed a reservation. More often than not, you will eventually be given a room of better value.

3. "Beachfront" Hotels

Some hotel brochures claim that their building is located within a stone's throw from the coast and that each room comes with a picturesque view of the ocean water. However, upon arrival, you quickly learn that the hotel is nowhere near the coastline.

Beware of misleading advertisement of hotels that use the term "beachside" or "beachfront". The same goes for airport hotels, as some may not actually be close to the airport at all. Always verify the exact location of the hotel by using sites like Google Earth or TripAdvisor.

4. Fake Hotel Representatives

There are con artists who pose as hotel representatives who stand outside the hotel and greet guests as they get off the taxi. These scammers look legitimate and may wear a suit complete with an identification badge and clipboard in hand. They will try to get you to deviate from your original plans by offering you a discounted deal at a different hotel. However, if you agree and arrive at this alternative hotel, you will be told that all rooms are booked but that higher priced rooms are available.

Always stick to your original reservations and avoid lone representatives. If you arrive at your destination without a reservation and need a room on the fly, get in touch with the nearest tourist information office to confirm the location of legitimate hotels, like Cartier Place Hotel.

Travelers are frequently preyed upon due to their perceived vulnerability. However, by recognizing the telltale signs of a scam, you can avoid the lure of deceptive schemes.

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3 July 2014