DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I booked a weekend journey for early September final yr to the Miraval Berkshires, an all-inclusive resort in Lenox, Massachusetts. It was my finest buddy’s birthday, and my sister was initially going to affix us. She couldn’t make it, so I notified the lodge effectively inside the time allowed to switch my reservation with out penalty. Quite than three nights and three individuals, it will be two nights with two individuals. Since Miraval is all-inclusive, the property prices per particular person, per evening.
Christopher Elliott, the Journey Troubleshooter
The lodge charged me for 3 individuals. I seen the additional prices once I checked out, and a consultant first instructed me I’d be refunded. Just a few days later, one other lodge consultant instructed me I’d not be refunded.
After attempting to have this resolved for over a month and requesting an in depth breakdown of prices per evening in order that I might perceive the place the discrepancy was, their billing division supplied to refund $290, which is about 1/10 of the overcharges.
— Dalia Hamzeh, Braintree, Massachusetts
ANSWER: Miraval ought to have charged you for 2 nights for 2 individuals, as you requested. If it overcharged you, then it ought to have rapidly refunded the costs as an alternative of stringing you alongside and providing you with the silent therapy.
It seems Miraval by no means confirmed the cancellation in writing. This could have set off all types of alarms for you as a result of it means the lodge remains to be anticipating three company and plans to cost you accordingly.
One other alternative to repair this might be at check-in. In a follow-up dialog, you talked about that you simply requested in regards to the fee whenever you checked in, as a result of it mirrored three individuals. A consultant assured you it will be fastened. However I in all probability wouldn’t have left the foyer and not using a written affirmation that mirrored the right value.
I contacted Miraval in your behalf. A consultant responded, saying that the lodge wouldn’t touch upon visitor billing inquiries or private experiences “in any way.”
“What I can share with you is that they take guest and consumer feedback seriously and investigate any asserted matters like this with detailed backup, following up directly with the party themselves,” the consultant mentioned.
And so they did. The final supervisor of the Miraval known as you and defined what occurred. He says the unique fee had been “miscommunicated” to you and that you simply did, the truth is, pay the right fee. To make up for the misunderstanding, he supplied you both a refund or a possibility to return to the property for 2 nights at no cost. You’ve determined to return.
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