Price Gouging by Marriott During Covid 19

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  • Faisal
    Participant

    Seek your advice. Marriott has gone cold on my feedback via Bonvoy.
    I was in Wuhan, China from 22-30 January for work/personal.
    On 25th January, i tried to redeem a room at Renaissance Hotel, Wuhan.. Standard room rate on that day was about RMB550 per nite for a stay on the 27th January. I could not use my redemption points .. technical issue on the web that prevented me from booking.
    On 26th, i made a booking on Marriott website…standard room now has gone up to RMB 1200 per nite. I continued with the booking as i need to have a room to work during the lockdown.
    Upon checking in, the hotel was basically deserted. Restaurants within the hotel were closed. Morning, next day breakfast was prepacked plastic box of chinese buns/jam and coffee.
    At checkout, i complained to the manager… told i paid double the normal rate, and i could not get a decent breakfast. He told me that the high price was to discourage guests from booking a stay!! and because of limited staffing, it can only offer limited services.
    Told him that Marriott should not take advantage of such situation by over charging guest who really need to stay. Marriott would be better served if it had stopped taking reservations like other hotels in the area during Covid 19 lockdown.
    He volunteered to give me 2000 bonvoy points as compensation.
    I wrote to Bonvoy services to reject the points. Repeated requests for an explanation why price gouging had taken place by its hotel went unanswered.

    How can i escalate the issue. Again… i do not need the points.. i just need an apology for a practice that is totally against Marriott organisation values. i am demanding too much?


    canucklad
    Participant

    [quote quote=996391]At checkout, i complained to the manager… told i paid double the normal rate, and i could not get a decent breakfast. He told me that the high price was to discourage guests from booking a stay!![/quote]

    Hi Faisal
    What you call price gouging could also be seen as responsibly applying a price that restricts booking as the manager said !

    In many businesses, mine included occasionally a price is set high to deliberately put off custom, whilst at the same time remaining within the laws of supply and demand , and more importantly the consumer law of the land.

    Normally used during a soft launch , this covert methodology tis there to protect the supply chain. In Marriott’s case to protect its employee’s, especially in Wuhan at that time.

    Sadly for yourself , you accepted the rate at time of booking , so like my customers who want to be at the top of their own particular Hyacinth Bucket queue , and can’t wait till the price inevitably drops , they’ve accepted it as part of their T&C’s

    And Faisal, I’ll finish by pointing out …. Apple’s been doing this for years without complaint !
    My advice, take the points with good grace !

    8 users thanked author for this post.

    Faisal
    Participant

    Canucklad,
    Thank you. Maybe i was expecting too much …. just asking for same level of room service and breakfast service…
    And at the same time… a courtesy reply from Marriott would be nice to explain the situation.

    Again. Thank you.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    [quote quote=996451]Maybe i was expecting too much …. just asking for same level of room service and breakfast service…[/quote]

    But these were not “usual” times.

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