EMMA WANJIKU

Christopher Elliots Tips For Avoiding Hybrid Hotel Scam



Posted: Friday, September 25, 2009

by EMMA WANJIKU
EMMALIFETIPS.com

When you decide to make bookings at a hotel as you travel, you often hope that you are going to get the best possible accommodation. And why not expect the best when different hotels, motels and resorts are constantly reassuring you of excellent services.  As you have discovered in your travels, hotels do not always live up to their word and you must face this reality. According to Christopher Elliot a travel columnist MSNBC, the ‘walking down' phenomena has not let up. Being ‘walked down' is the most common hotel scam that has only evolved with modern hotel booking infrastructure.

When a traveller is ‘walked down', this is what happens. The hotel you had booked to stay at suddenly realizes that they are overbooked. Since you are already there, the hotel finds another similar accommodation for you. Now the problem comes in when they refer you to a dump compared to the place you were looking forward to staying. The alternative accommodation is supposed to be a comparable property but as many have found out, guests are taken to lesser accommodations so to speak.

The hotel supposedly does this to cut costs and save money unethically. With this unfortunate scenario, it is wise for you to know what to do. The following are top tips by Christopher Elliot which he says will help you avoid the hybrid hotel scam.

The first thing you can do to avoid this hybrid hotel scam is to refuse the room offered. Since these scams ride on the absence of rooms, you need to seriously consider the fact that they might be lying to you. You do not have to make a scene but you can be defiant and see what the way forward will be. Those who have stood their ground have reported the miraculous availability of a room in the hotels they had booked. The bottom line is not to take it lying down.

The other tip to keep in mind to avoid the hybrid hotel scam is to keep on toes. Some people will not even pose to think about the injustice and the scam. Have it in the back of your mind that the absence of a room for you might indeed be a set up to save the hotel some money. In other words, ignorance will not help.

If you have a membership card, this might just be your ticket from being ‘walked down'. You need to inform the hotel that you are regular and that you deserve to be treated with utmost respect. However, do not bet on this all the time because there are no guarantees. Another tip that might just work is to employ a light mood and be humorous. Crack a joke and make them like you. Many times, it is pleasurable ‘walking down' a grump.  

Finally, it always pays to be on your best behaviour. Try being nice and understanding and show that your personality is exceptional. It can be really hard ‘walking down' nice guys and even if you are not one of them, surely you can act to avoid this common hybrid hotel scam.
Emma Wanjiku is a trained journalist who has been researching on many categories for her work. She has vast experience which she packages to give people essential tips on topics of life. For more see www.emmalifetips.com
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