I have never seen a more clear cut example of a perfect use case for a credit card chargeback.

Fun fact: You can't dispute part of a charge. If you charge this back and win (you probably will) the hotel loses out on everything, for your entire stay. It also stacks up against them and raises their rates the more they get. An even vaguely concerted effort by people who have been ripped off by this would probably get the hotel in question booted from their credit card processor.

I imagine it's damn difficult to run a hotel if you can't accept credit cards. Just saying.

Sounds like an easy lawsuit. Record the entire stay, test different variables like a hair dryer, candle, fan, soldering smoke, medical equipment like nebulizer, steamer, etc. If they fine you, simply find a lawyer and request a $5M settlement fee. Boom, early retirement.

I stayed at a "hotel" in Denver a few years ago. It was advertised as a hotel on Hotels.com, and we booked because we thought it was cool that the unit had a full kitchen and was like a condo. We thought it would be the best of both worlds, hotel amenities and Airbnb style room. We get there, and it's basically an apartment building that they've turned into a hotel. They have no staff on site, and I had to download an app to check in and do a face scan. Super not privacy friendly. Then one day we stayed in and we're having a few drinks and conversing. This was 5 guys. We weren't being beligerant or loud, just talking. It was maybe 4 pm, and not quiet hours. I get a text saying there was a noise complaint. Then we bailed and got another text saying there was a 2nd noise complaint. They threatened us with a $500 fee the 2nd time. I told them we were no longer in the room, so it wasn't us. We later found what we assumed was a bug device that notified them if we went over a certain decibel level.

I never got charged, but I was ready to fight tooth and nail with my credit card company if they did. It was very weird, and I would never book with that company again.

Yet another huge win for those who choose to never leave their basements.

I miss my basement.

Couldn't that be interpreted as a confession that their air is at least as unsafe as staying with a heavy smoker the whole night, in terms of PM 2.5 and other hazards?

Sounds like a great way to abuse front desk staff by proxy.

revenue-generating scheme

Scam. I think the word is scam.

It’s the Hertz AI scam in a different sector. I suspect every major rental company will have a version of this soon, and that none of them will be auditable or appealable.

Isn't this a textbook candidate for a class action suit?

Wow. That is.... that is some horseshit.

Anyone got a mirror of the article that is not geoblocked?

That was a very annoying read. I could feel the tiktok plug even before it was posted. This sucks, but oh my god I hate the internet now.

This is why I preemptively destroy the hotel room.

Yet another way your country fucks over it's citizens

Yay! Fraud!

I'd hire a lawyer and hit them for reimbursement of the $500 fee, my legal fees, slander for claiming I'm a smoker, punitive damages, and any another other monetary penalty I could think of. I'm sure I could find a lawyer that would be salivating over this.

I beg the Death Asteroid to rain down on us.

Better refuse to pay the bill unless the item is removed. If they don’t remove it, contact your bank and block the payment.

Ah one step closer to "Fuck you, pay me" business style.