Hidden Hotel Costs – Be Aware!

In July, I had booked a room in the Novotel Hotel- Mississauga, to be near an event my daughter was to be in on July 26. My reservation was confirmed and the amount to be paid at the hotel was stated. I was not aware of any other hidden hotel costs, until we arrived at our destination and slapped with a cost of a security deposit.

I have stayed at a few hotels in the past and have never had to pay a security deposit, unless I was traveling with my dog.

We packed up the items that would be needed during our stay at the hotel and for the Tri-Fun kids race on Sunday and headed out the door for a night of fun and relaxation.

It has been a long time since I have ventured to Mississauga on a bus, not knowing what side of Square one the hotel was on and of course we missed our bus stop. Turns out, it was on the opposite side of the mall. We had to lug all our stuff through the huge parking lot, stopping in Walmart for a bathroom stop, then a short walk down the street and we were at the hotel.

We were exhausted from the heat and traveling, we couldn’t wait until we were in our room to relax before going out to dinner and possibly a swim.

When our turn came to register we ran into the problem of the security cost that was not stated online when we reserved the room or on any email confirmations. I was told that I was required to leave a $50 or $100 deposit depending on if it was being paid by cash/debit card or Visa. I explained to the desk clerk that I was unaware of the charge and had not planned to pay that much extra on hotel cost, even though I would get it back the next day upon checkout.

I explained that we had traveled by bus from Toronto to attend the Tri-Fun Kids event, early Sunday morning. I would not be there for more than 12 hours. I told the clerk that I could leave $25-50, leaving us with $20 for dinner. The clerk left to talk to his supervisor and came back and told me the same thing, again I explained that we had an event and $50 was all the extra money I could spend. I was asked to call someone I know and ask for the extra money to cover the costs. I refused to do that, I thought that was just wrong. He then brought out his supervisor who explained the security deposit price of $100 and nothing lower.

We headed back home, with a sad child. We were unable to attend this paid event since it started at 7:30 am, and there was no way we would make it from Toronto to Mississauga on a bus on Sunday morning.

I sent the manager of the hotel an email explaining the situation; given different amounts for the security deposit, nothing on my invoice stating that a deposit was required, that fact that I was asked to find the money elsewhere if I wanted to stay at the hotel.

Response:

Thank you very much for your email below and please let me apologize for the inconvenience caused to you on Sunday 26th July.
On arrival, we do require payment for the room and incidentals, this amount is pre-approved on the credit card that is being used.
We do require a deposit of $250.00 if paying by cash or debit card, I understand the agent deduced this amount to $100 as you did not have the full amount.
Ms Bell, the hotel holds onto this amount only as a security to the room and on departure, once the room has been checked, this amount is refunded.

For any further reservations, please contact me directly as I will be more than happy to look after you.

For a night that would have been less than 12 hours, I feel that this is an extreme amount, double the cost of a hotel room for the night. I understand why deposits are required, however I feel that this could have been waived, since it was not stated on the reservation invoice. These added costs should be stated during reservations.

Don’t be left stranded or out money for a paid event, always check for Hidden Costs, it will save time, energy and money.

Have you ever been hit with hidden hotel cost? I will never let that happen again, I will be finding out ahead of time so I can save accordingly.