Dear All,
Sub: Excess lodging charged by Hotel Savera (Address :- Hotel Street, Udaipole, Opp. Central Bus Stand, Udaipur – 313001 ; [email protected])
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This is to bring to your knowledge that I had been to Udaipur on 17/08/09 for a two day visit. I had checked in at the above hotel on 17/08/09 at around 7 am (which is near the Rajasthan State Transport Bus Stand)
I was shown 2 rooms of hotel and among the same I was given one room no.205. I had negotiated the room charges for Rs.500/- per day. At the back of the reception a big placard was displaying “CHECK OUT TIME 12 NOON”
At the time of filling the (customer) details in the register their was a column which asked for details of “Identity Proof in case of Foreigners”, I was asked to provide the same but even after my repeatedly saying that I am not a foreigner and this column does not apply to me I was forced to provide my details (I gave my employers Id Card number)
I was asked to give some advance. I asked them whether it was necessary to give advance and I was told that it is necessary. I gave him Rs.200/- as advance but he refused to accept the same and insisted on Rs.1000/- to be paid or else he will not provide me accommodation. I desisted and after lot of discussion he gave me the room.
After checking room no.205 we found that the room fan and the bathroom flush was not working and asked them to either correct the same or give us another room. After they checked that their was a genuine problem I was shifted to Room No.204.
It may please be noted that due to the above all a good amount of time was wasted and by the time we were finally given a room it was a already about 10.00 AM. So check in time of 7 AM has no meaning when actually we were given room at around 10.00 AM.
We went out that day to visit Nathdwara and returned back in the evening. As soon as we came back we were told that we need to shift to another room as the one in which we were staying is a Deluxe room. I told them that we will be checking out the next morning and if it is necessary that to let us stay in the current room. Nobody replied we waited in our room for about half hour. Not getting any response we went out to have our dinner (since the food at the hotel was pathetic & expensive – we had taken breakfast on that morning).
On returning from dinner after we came back to our room I was told that we need to shift to another room. We were reluctant (as we were not using any Deluxe facility – viz. Air conditioner etc… and also our belongings were completely spread out in the room). However we were forced to change room at late evening. We were shifted to Room No.213.
In this room the Television Remote Control was not working after repeated complain the TV was changed and that too was not working. Again this one was also changed. There was no drinking water in the room and we called their reception/kitchen several times but no action was taken. Finally water was given to us after an hour.
Seeing at the pathetic service of the hotel we decided to check out the next morning.
This was not all the worst was still to come. The next morning we informed the reception over intercom that we will be checking out. When we came down to the reception to settle our dues I was astonished to see that we have been charged for 2 days. I asked for an explanation from the person oat the reception but he did not utter a word but just said that the amount charged is correct and I have to pay the same. After severe protest some another person who was sitting at table on the opposite side of the reception came and tries to explain me that it is 24 hour checkout time and I have been charged accordingly. I pointed at the displayed placard showing “CHECK OUT TIME 12 NOON” and told him that universally it is a norm of 12 hour checkout time and the same is also displayed on the counter then why are we being charged wrongly. As per him all Check-Ins before 12 PM are treated as 24 hour Check out and Check-Ins after 12 PM are treated as 12 hours Check Outs.
I told him several times that this was wrong and illegal as the slip in which I had signed at the time of checking in the hotel (reflecting the negotiated rate Rs.500/-) also showed “CHECK OUT TIME 12 NOON” at the back side.
But the person did not give any heed to my protests and requests and said that I will have to pay the entire amount no matter whomsoever I can complain. I told him that he was duping customers/tourists but he seemed to act as if he is above law of the land and we customers are at their mercy.
Finding no solutions and feeling helpless I checked out of the hotel and kept my luggage in the hotels cloak room. I wanted to make the payment through credit card (as they were displaying on the counter “we accept all credit/debit cards”) but they said that their machine is not working and I have to pay in cash. But I asked that I will be making payment in cash in the evening as I was not having enough cash.
In the evening when I came back to collect my baggage and make the payment I again asked them to pay by card the person on the counter again refused by saying that the machine was not working. But what I could see was the machine was on and alphabets/numbers were displaying on the screen of the machine. The best part was he never even tried to swipe the card once.
It is understandable that the motive of the Hotel was to harass the customers.
Sir, we being Indian are being meted with this kind of illegal treatment then we can imagine what kind of treatment are being given foreigner. These hotels are disgrace to our country, nation and more specifically to Rajasthan (one of the biggest tourist attractions of the world)
The tourism ministry is allocating & spending huge amount of funds to develop tourism in India and these Hotels are nothing but impediments to the growth of tourism in India. These hotels are having ulterior motives as we customers are at the mercy of their high handedness.
I am sure that the tourism department is unaware about these issues and we expect / demand strong action to set the system right and teach these hotels that they are not above law of the land. Also to prove that these small hotels cannot tarnish the image of Rajasthan and the efforts the tourism ministry is putting in to uplift the standard of tourism in India and more specifically Rajasthan.
It is worthwhile to mention that the magazine TRAVEL & LEISURE (http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/ ) has awarded UDAIPUR to be the Best City in Asia Overall but do you think that you deserve the same with this kind of illegitimate behaviour being given to genuine tourists.
I request you to kindly look into the above serious matter and arrange to refund the unjustified/illegal amount charged from us and also take strong action against the hotel to prove the might of the tourism department.
Hoping for some urgent action in the above matter.
Regards,
Pankaj Paharia
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