Q: I am staying in a hotel and the first Morning my husband and I left for the day. When we returned back to the hotel our
Keys did not work. We talked to the front desk and they said that they went into our room and because it smelt like smoke we had to pay 250 dollars. We did not smoke in the room. We also had the do not disturb sign on the door. When I checked in I also said that we did not need room serv in the morning and we would be sleeping in. What's rights do I have and what should I do? Thank you
A:
Unfortunately you are in a difficult situation. Most businesses would not put a customer through an ordeal such as this without an extremely good reason to do so and it sounds as though this business did not have such a reason.
You could certainly hire an attorney to make a demand upon the business for you and you would probably get some money back or an opportunity to stay free in the future (assuming you were willing to do so). Most attorneys would be willing to do this for a small flat fee.
In these situations it is often very beneficial to get organizations such as the Better Business Bureau involved because the pressure that they put on businesses to treat customers fairly is pretty immense. Also, it seems that posting negative reviews on social websites and directory websites will cause businesses to respond appropriately to your concerns and/or demands. However, you should be cautious about saying anything that is not absolutely true because you may be held liable for such accusations.
This foregoing answer is provided by Douglas J Shumway, Esq.: (801) 478-8080. The answer provided is not intended to form an attorney client relationship and should not be construed as legal advice. Mr. Shumway is licensed only in Utah.
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