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View Full Version : Desert Inn [hold on credit card]?



disneymania
07-02-2006, 02:29 PM
I read the reviews, and searched the forums. I have one question. I always pay cash for my hotel stay. But I keep reading that they put a $200-$300 hold on your credit card. I've never had any of the other places do that, and I've stayed at the tropicana, paradise pier and usually at the anaheim plaza. Yes, they take my atm visa number, but I never have any cash in my account at the time---I get the cash out for my trip. Can anyone explain the hold thing to me? Thanks, I need to decide if I need to reserve somewhere else.

annieb727
07-02-2006, 02:58 PM
hi there...I currently have two reservations there one for sept and one for oct...they have not charged my account anything, nor have they placed a hold on any of my money. I had previously another reservation for sept - didn't have hold on my money for that one either.

kiwifuz
07-02-2006, 03:02 PM
From my experience, and I suppose this could vary by the hotel, is that they don't place a hold against your card with the reservation. If you don't show up they'll put the 1st night or whatever their no show penalty is on that card. I don't think you experience a hold against a credit card until you check in. They they'll place a hold against your card.

But I'm sure you can call the hotel & ask. They should most definitely be able to tell you what they do.

Malcon10t
07-02-2006, 04:41 PM
I read the reviews, and searched the forums. I have one question. I always pay cash for my hotel stay. But I keep reading that they put a $200-$300 hold on your credit card. I've never had any of the other places do that, and I've stayed at the tropicana, paradise pier and usually at the anaheim plaza. Yes, they take my atm visa number, but I never have any cash in my account at the time---I get the cash out for my trip. Can anyone explain the hold thing to me? Thanks, I need to decide if I need to reserve somewhere else.
The day before you arrive, they insist on authorizing your account. So, I said OK, I would let them authorize one night on the my debit card, and pay the rest in cash. What has happened? They authorized it twice, and the manager is attempting to fix this as I am typing. Prior to today, I would have been recommending them. Today, I'm not as likely too. Will tell more after today. It is a nice place, the manager is nice, he just doesn't know how to fix this.

CamCay
07-02-2006, 06:34 PM
The day before you arrive, they insist on authorizing your account. So, I said OK, I would let them authorize one night on the my debit card, and pay the rest in cash. What has happened? They authorized it twice, and the manager is attempting to fix this as I am typing. Prior to today, I would have been recommending them. Today, I'm not as likely too. Will tell more after today. It is a nice place, the manager is nice, he just doesn't know how to fix this.

That's why i never give out my debit card number. At least with a credit card you have more time to get it fixed before the bill come due, with your debit card you are out the money now until it gets fixed. I pay my hotel in advance with cash but they always ask for a card for "incidentals". I always give a credit card.

disneyochem
07-02-2006, 07:07 PM
I have a good friend who works in the hotel industry. She says NEVER NEVER NEVER give a debit card when you check in to a hotel. Use cash or credit. The stories she has about employees, etc. that have abused the use of debit cards.......pretty scary!

disneymania
07-03-2006, 06:41 AM
The day before you arrive, they insist on authorizing your account. So, I said OK, I would let them authorize one night on the my debit card, and pay the rest in cash. What has happened? They authorized it twice, and the manager is attempting to fix this as I am typing. Prior to today, I would have been recommending them. Today, I'm not as likely too. Will tell more after today. It is a nice place, the manager is nice, he just doesn't know how to fix this.


Why did they want to put anything on your debit card if you had the entire amount ready to pay with cash? Did they give a reason? I'm feeling less and less thrilled with staying here, and might just find a different hotel. :(

Malcon10t
07-03-2006, 07:31 AM
Why did they want to put anything on your debit card if you had the entire amount ready to pay with cash? Did they give a reason? I'm feeling less and less thrilled with staying here, and might just find a different hotel. :(
They needed to put a hold on the day before in case I didn't show on them. I said ok, I could understand that. I arrived, paid cash figuring they would release the hold. Instead, the front desk clerk couldn't figure it out and has now placed a second hold instead of a release. The manager is still working on it. If they cannot place a hold before you arrive, they will cancel the room. If you pay in cash, I would suggest sending a money order a week before arrival.

mkraemer
07-03-2006, 09:26 AM
I've stayed there for years (many of them!) and I've never had my credit card charged until I leave.

Flukey things happen, I suppose.

Opus1guy
07-03-2006, 09:33 AM
Why did they want to put anything on your debit card if you had the entire amount ready to pay with cash? Did they give a reason? I'm feeling less and less thrilled with staying here, and might just find a different hotel. :(

Most hotels will put some sort of credit hold on your account even if you are paying cash. It varies greatly place to place. Some will put something like [number of nights] X [say $25] to cover themselves for any a certain amount of possible incidentals (phone calls, food, or other room charges). The amount put on hold per day is usually based on the quality of the hotel and services available. A luxury hotel may put a hold like $200 per night for possible incidentals, even if you are paying for the room with cash, or your room was completely pre-paid, or even if your room was free.

On a normal credit card paid stay, an example of a credit card hold would be the amount of nightly room rate (say $200) plus amount of daily possible incidental hold (say $50) times the number of nights (say 4) for a total credit hold in this example of $1000.

Even if your room has already been pre-paid or is free (from say frequent stay program points) and they should only be "holding" for the incidentals...the check-in agent often makes mistakes on the credit hold at check-in and uses the "normal" formula instead of the "incidentals only" formula...and then you're just screwed because it takes up to 10 days for your bank to re-credit your account even if the hotel reverses the entry right then and there. Even the hotel calling the bank often will not instantly reverse the entry (depending on bank policy and procedure) and it just sits there hogging your credit limit until it finally automatically releases it back to your credit line. :(

Many, many years ago I stayed a week at a Hilton in London on a free Hilton Honors Award Stay. Even though my room was already paid for with points, the check-in agent (unknown to me) put a "normal" hold on my credit card for the nightly rack rate ($400 per night) plus $100 per night for possible incidentals, times my 8 nights. They had put a credit hold of $4000 on my card instead of just $800 for the possible incidentals! Two days into my trip, my Visa was rejected at a restaurant and later that day I found out it was this screw-up that caused me to run out of credit line. Fortunately I had several other credit cards with me...but I didn't want to use them.

When I complained to the hotel they were all apologetic for their mistake, but there was nothing they could do at that point except credit my Hilton Honors account with some oopsy-goodwill points. I would have been in serious trouble if I had not had other credit cards to use though.

That's why I now advise (and do myself) that folks with pre-paid or cash payment stays really, really make sure the check-in agent knows what they are doing and before you hand them your cards say something like, "Please make sure you only 'hold' for your incidental policy and not for the room rate too."

Another way is to offer to pay the incidental hold with a cash deposit, instead of a credit card hold. Then when you check-out...they refund you the cash you deposited. But keep in mind that some hotels absolutely require a credit card...so that they have something to fall back on in case of overages.

Having said all of that, a few hotels will not "hold" anything if you pay in advance for the room. But most of those are motel type places where local calls are free and there is nothing to charge to your room. At some other places they will agree to not "hold" anything if you prepay the room...but they will turn off your phone and restrict your room number from any incidental room charges. But those are pretty rare and most hotels and motels require a credit card hold or some additional cash deposit to cover the possible incidental charges.

disneymania
07-03-2006, 09:43 AM
Well, I did get scared off by what I've read about the Desert Inn, and booked a room at the Park Vue instead. Thanks so much to everyone for explaining policies to me. I've always given a debit visa for incidentals, and am used to that. But the idea of having my room cancelled on me is kind of scary, since I will be traveling without a car, and with a two month old.

Goosegirl
07-03-2006, 12:25 PM
How much of a hold does the PP put on a card if you have pre-purchased a packaged vacation? I suppose I could call them and ask but asking the question here is cheaper than a long distance call!

And like Opus1Guy, we have had bad experiences with hotels maxing out our credit card on holds. When we were in China last September adopting our baby, each hotel placed a $1500.00 on our card. We were in 3 different hotels, 3 days each in 3 different provinces. Each hotel place a $500.00 hold per night on the card. And these holds were not released until a few days after we were back in the states! So I had $4500.00 in credit being held that I could not use. Fortunately, we had informed our credit card company before we left for China, and when they realised what was happening, they increased our credit limit to accomodate the holds. We ended up not having a big problem but it really could have been difficult! And we had already pre-paid our hotels before going to China.

kiwifuz
07-03-2006, 12:36 PM
Our most recent trip to DL we stayed at the Embassy Suites. We pre-paid for our room online. When we checked in we didn't put a card on our room. This meant we couldn't use the phone, movies were shut off, and we couldn't order room service. But in the age of cell phones and spending all day at DL & doing other things we didn't care. We've just had too many problems with holds being too large or taking too long to disappear. The same thing with rental cars, we always make sure to ask how much the hold amount is.

I have a good friend that works at a Radisson. They keep increasing the hold amount throughout the night on the weekends until the card either allows for all nights of the room plus incidentals, or it gets turned down. Then they claim they have to at least have half of the stay plus $50/night for charges. Seems high to me. We don't stay there. ;)

I think the holds against a card can be negotiated at many places. We usually stick to avoiding putting a card on the room. I don't think we've actually ever had a problem saying "No" to the card attached to the room if it's prepaid or a rewards stay.

Malcon10t
07-03-2006, 02:01 PM
I've stayed there for years (many of them!) and I've never had my credit card charged until I leave.

Flukey things happen, I suppose.
They don't charge it, but they "authorize it", which means they tie up the funds to cover the charge you might have. Let's say you use the credit card to hold your room, they authorize it for a nights stay. Then you arrive and pay in full in cash. The authorization will drop when either 1.) the remove it or 2.) after 4 days. So for 4 days the money is unusable for other purposes.

They did get the authorizations removed today on my debit account.

fidoprincess
07-03-2006, 02:16 PM
There is a police investigation about fraudulent credit/debit card charges with this hotel. Here is the link to a discussion on another board:

http://mb.laughingplace.com/default.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-77206-P-1&Refresh=0703060417

I hope you are able to get it all straightened out but I suggest that you make a point to contact Detective Faulkner of the Anaheim Police just to fill him in on your incident. Good Luck

disneymania
07-04-2006, 11:07 AM
There is a police investigation about fraudulent credit/debit card charges with this hotel. Here is the link to a discussion on another board:

http://mb.laughingplace.com/default.asp?WCI=MsgBoard&WCE=T-77206-P-1&Refresh=0703060417

Read the link,that is really scary. I cancelled my stay there, and booked at the hotel we always stay at. It's about a block down, but at least we know what to expect.

tonytone
07-06-2006, 12:09 PM
FWIW--that's why I use my AMEX charge card if the hotel needs a CC to place a hold in order to reserve a room, and use another CC to pay the bill at check-out. With the AMEX charge card there is no "limit" per se, so I don't have to worry about the credit line maxed out if I needed to place other purchases on it later on.