Cheated by Le Meridien New Delhi
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 5/10/09
I recently stayed at Le Meridien New Delhi and it was unequivocably the worst experience I have ever had in a 5-star hotel.
1) My account was mishandled by the hotel staff resulting in my being unjustly charged around 100 USD for international phone calls that the hotel requested I make to provide them with an alternate credit card number along with copies of the front and back of the card, because the hotel's payment system was antiquated and the staff claimed that they they could not process the credit card I had previously provided them upon check-in without taking copies of the front and back of the card (a highly unsual and suspect practice, which made me even more wary as my wallet had been stolen I suspect either in or around the hotel), and this was despite the fact that the hotel had put a 250 USD hold on my card and the card was otherwise perfectly usable.
2) Prior to charging the new card number, the hotel did not present me with my folio or any breakdown of charges or even provide me with the total balance. Once the staff received the faxed copy of the front and back of the new card, they proceeded to charge the card without my verification of the total charges. When I requested my folio at the front desk upon check out, I was presented with the credit card receipt showing the amount the staff had charged the new card, and I was told after my request to see my bill, that is was "too late", that the card had already been charged- a fait d'accompli.
I tried to dispute the charges while still at the hotel, but the staff were uncooperative in escalating the dispute to their superiors, and after numerous phone calls and emails, I still have not been credited back the aformentioned charges.
3) On a more minor note, I also did not feel that the property was up to 5 star standard. More specifically, despite having negotiated an equivalent price at the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal (I had previously stayed within the Taj group during my stay in India), I chose Le Meridien for my final night in India to experience a more "modern" 5 star hotel in the country. However, upon check-in, front desk staff failed to inform me of two important facts- that the deluxe room they gave me failed to feature a bathtub, which I would have expected in a five star property, and that the all day dining establishment was undergoing construction which caused alot of noise as it is located in the courtyard in the middle of the property around which all the rooms are situated. And in terms of cleanliness- the light switches, phone, and window were all dirty with oily fingerprints.
I would not only discourage 5-star travellers from staying at Le Meridien New Delhi, but would actually warn against it, as I feel that management are not quite above board in their practices.