Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

--
Alasdair.

On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:20:35 +0000, Alasdair put finger to keyboard
and typed:

Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

That's precisely why they do it. From the guest's point of view, that
also allows them to complete the checkout process quickly (or even not
checkout as such at all, which is common in minimal-service motels
such as the Travelodge chain) as they don't need to wait for their
room to be checked and other bills to be added up before they leave.
So it's not entirely a one-sided benefit.

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

No, because they'll want to check that there are also enough funds to
cover any additional fees that are likely to be added.

Mark
--
Blog: http://mark.goodge.co.uk
Stuff: http://www.good-stuff.co.uk

"Mark Goodge" wrote in message
house.net...
On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:20:35 +0000, Alasdair put finger to keyboard
and typed:

Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

That's precisely why they do it. From the guest's point of view, that
also allows them to complete the checkout process quickly (or even not
checkout as such at all, which is common in minimal-service motels
such as the Travelodge chain) as they don't need to wait for their
room to be checked and other bills to be added up before they leave.
So it's not entirely a one-sided benefit.

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

No, because they'll want to check that there are also enough funds to
cover any additional fees that are likely to be added.

I've booked Travelodge rooms on the internet using a Cashplus card with just
enough credit to cover the cost of booking...No problems...
When I arrived at the hotel, they didn't ask to check my card again (even
though the website suggested they might)...They just checked the printed
documentation and gave me the keys...

"Sam" wrote in message
...

"Mark Goodge" wrote in message
house.net...
On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:20:35 +0000, Alasdair put finger to keyboard
and typed:

Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

That's precisely why they do it. From the guest's point of view, that
also allows them to complete the checkout process quickly (or even not
checkout as such at all, which is common in minimal-service motels
such as the Travelodge chain) as they don't need to wait for their
room to be checked and other bills to be added up before they leave.
So it's not entirely a one-sided benefit.

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

No, because they'll want to check that there are also enough funds to
cover any additional fees that are likely to be added.

I've booked Travelodge rooms on the internet using a Cashplus card with
just enough credit to cover the cost of booking...No problems...
When I arrived at the hotel, they didn't ask to check my card again (even
though the website suggested they might)...They just checked the printed
documentation and gave me the keys...

I had a hotel try it on with me before - I simply said to them - "The bill
is X. If you want these [extras] added on, I will still pay your bill, but
after I leave, you can take it up with my card company. That seemed to do
the trick

"John Smith" wrote in message
...

"Sam" wrote in message
...

"Mark Goodge" wrote in message
house.net...
On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:20:35 +0000, Alasdair put finger to keyboard
and typed:

Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

That's precisely why they do it. From the guest's point of view, that
also allows them to complete the checkout process quickly (or even not
checkout as such at all, which is common in minimal-service motels
such as the Travelodge chain) as they don't need to wait for their
room to be checked and other bills to be added up before they leave.
So it's not entirely a one-sided benefit.

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

No, because they'll want to check that there are also enough funds to
cover any additional fees that are likely to be added.

I've booked Travelodge rooms on the internet using a Cashplus card with
just enough credit to cover the cost of booking...No problems...
When I arrived at the hotel, they didn't ask to check my card again (even
though the website suggested they might)...They just checked the printed
documentation and gave me the keys...

I had a hotel try it on with me before - I simply said to them - "The bill
is X. If you want these [extras] added on, I will still pay your bill, but
after I leave, you can take it up with my card company. That seemed to do
the trick

If the hotel is in an area with lots of other hotels, then the managers are
generally very flexible and open to negotiation, as they know you'll just
walk and go to the next hotel up the road if they **** you off.

On Jan 16, 11:52*pm, "Sam" wrote:

If the hotel is in an area with lots of other hotels, then the managers are
generally very flexible and open to negotiation, as they know you'll just
walk and go to the next hotel up the road if they **** you off.

Do hotel staff not still have the traditional culture of 'discretion'
toward "Mr and Mrs John Smith?"

Sam wrote:

I've booked Travelodge rooms on the internet using a Cashplus card with
just enough credit to cover the cost of booking...No problems...
When I arrived at the hotel, they didn't ask to check my card again (even
though the website suggested they might)...They just checked the printed
documentation and gave me the keys...

Travelodge don't have extras that can be charged to the room in the same way
that other hotels do. That's why it works there.

"Jonathan Bryce" wrote in message
...
Sam wrote:

I've booked Travelodge rooms on the internet using a Cashplus card with
just enough credit to cover the cost of booking...No problems...
When I arrived at the hotel, they didn't ask to check my card again (even
though the website suggested they might)...They just checked the printed
documentation and gave me the keys...

Travelodge don't have extras that can be charged to the room in the same
way
that other hotels do. That's why it works there.

That makes sense I guess.
In all honestly, I can't afford to stay in hotels any posher than the likes
of Travelodges and Premier Inns ;-)

On Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:02:51 +0000, Mark Goodge
wrote:

Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

That's precisely why they do it.

I have a gut feeling that it is also to do with making it more
difficult to stay in a hotel anonymously.

--
Cynic

On Jan 16, 4:20*pm, Alasdair wrote:
Most hotels, these days, will not allow you to book a room with cash.
They insist on card payments.

From the guest's point of view, the down side of this is that charges
could be added to the card without the cardholder's knowledge or
consent and he only finds out about them when he gets the bill.

Like some people do with web sites that don't even work in the way the
customer specified?

Are there any ways to avoid this happening by using a pre-paid card
where the cost of the hotel room is all that is available?

You could try that but, unless the hotel can "block" additional credit
on the card, they're likely to do as any sensible person should do
with you and tell you to **** off.

-- -

Culex -- the Infamous Culex