Clark Howard's Tips
Clark's annual father-daughter tripJuly 11, 2005
Clark and his teenaged daughter went to New York City over the weekend for their annual father-daughter trip.
He couldn't find a deal on Priceline or Hotwire, so he booked a room at the hotel Web site.
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CLARK'S TIP TOPICS
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That's not an exaggeration. He measured it. Plus, the AC was broken and the place was a mess.
Rebecca, Clark's daughter, slept on the floor the first night, and they checked out the next day.
It took a lot of effort to pay for one night only, but they got out of it and found a newly renovated hotel that was much better. Clark was willing to pay $199 for the room because the first one was so bad.
What you need to know is that if you stay more than one night, you have no recourse. If you leave after the first night and write to the correct people, you will probably be reimbursed or offered some type of compensation.
But don't stay if you're in the midst of a bad experience.
Do what you can to solve the problem then and there.
Clark has already drafted a letter to the V.P. of marketing for the hotel chain and we'll see what happens.
Check out tripadvisor.com for information and reviews on hotels. The Web site is priceless.
Don't believe the ratings on other booking sites, such as Travelocity, Orbitz and others. They inflate the star ratings to get people to book. Check out tripadvisor instead.
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