Travel industry insiders are warning travelers about online scams that can turn seemingly great deals into costly headaches.
When it comes to hotels, if a deal seems too good to be true, it might just be a scam.
“One big thing that we're seeing in our industry is scams,” Paige, a front desk supervisor with a decade of experience, said in the latest episode of Travel + Leisure's YouTube series, "Travel, Unfiltered."
It goes a little something like this: a customer finds an unusually low rate online, books it, and arrives at the hotel only to learn they don’t really have a reservation. “I had a poor customer who I just told, ‘Hey, call your bank because this [reservation] doesn’t exist,” Paige told T+L.
One way to avoid this is always booking directly with a property, another hotel staffer suggested, even if it requires calling to request they match a price you’ve found online. Many hotels already promise customers the best available rates when booking directly, with some even offering discounts or perks like free breakfast.
“If you're really looking for a deal, we can try to see what can best fit your needs,” the hotel staffer said.
It isn't just fake hotel bookings travelers need to worry about—fake activity bookings are also a problem. Another hotel staffer recounted a story about a family from Europe that had booked attraction tickets online. They had planned to visit the Statue of Liberty and other Big Apple highlights, but as the staffer was going through the family’s travel documents with them, they discovered nothing had actually been booked on their behalf.
Just because a third-party deal may look like a steal, it doesn’t mean it will be.
Beyond watching for scams, our team of hotel experts shared a few other tips for travelers looking to stretch their travel dollars and make the most of their experiences.
Sure, you can bundle services to save money, but is it a bargain if you don’t use all of the services you’re buying?
“If you're thinking of booking a package, look at what everything costs separately to see if that actually makes sense with the math,” one of our hotel experts said. “Sometimes it is just cheaper to book things separately.”
How to Score a Free Cocktail
Apparently, there is such a thing as a free drink, at least at some hotel restaurants.
“I think people forget to ask about the hotel restaurants. Many hotels have lovely in-house restaurants,” one of our experts told T+L. The best tip: ask about specialty cocktails. “We are usually excited to offer one to you complimentary just so you can try it."