File Hotel Complaints and Get Your Bill Refunded

Even with the rise of booking apps like Airbnb and VRBO, the global hotel industry still earned $550 billion in revenue for 2019. Hotels do provide an added sense of security that is sometimes missing from Airbnb. Nonetheless, things can still go wrong in hotels and guests may need to file hotel complaints.

People who are new to traveling or who haven't traveled in a long time are often confused about what warrants a complaint. Our below guide covers everything you need to know about hotel complaints. If things get really bad, DoNotPay knows all the ins and outs of hotel refund laws, including when you can send demand letters to a hotel for bed bugs.

Common Issues Worth Complaining to a Hotel

Hotel complaints can be any of the following:

• Neighboring guests are too noisy
• Your room isn't clean at arrival
• The cleaning crew ignores your "Do Not Disturb" sign
• Other guests at the hotel or resort aren't following the rules
• Your hotel or resort reservation wasn't honored
• There are hidden fees in your hotel booking
• Prior guests were smoking in your non-smoking room
• There are unpleasant odors in your room
• Hotel amenities such as free breakfast or free parking are unavailable
• The electronics in the room aren't working, e.g. the TV or the mini-fridge
• Personal items have been stolen from your room
• Your room is infested with pests like rodents, cockroaches, or bed bugs
• The hot water in your room isn't working
• Your room doesn't match the description of what you booked
• The internet isn't working or is too slow
• The AC or heater aren't working
• Amenities like the exercise facility or swimming pool are inaccessible
• The hotel staff is rude or unaccommodating
• Your room doesn't have complimentary supplies, such as soap, shampoo, or toothpaste

What Should You Do to Start a Hotel Complaint?

1. In most cases, problems with a hotel room can be fixed by the front desk. A front desk agent can assign you to a new room, speak with unruly guests, and fix many other issues.
2. Simply walk to the front desk or call them on your room's phone to report the issue.
3. If the front desk is unable or unwilling to fix a problem, it may need to be escalated to the hotel's corporate office.
4. If the hotel you are staying at is part of a chain, then it is very likely they have a corporate customer service team.

How to File a Complaint With a Hotel’s Corporate Customer Service Team

1. If you are still at the hotel, try calling the corporate customer service team. This usually gets issues resolved quicker.
2. Gather evidence with your phone should the complaint not be remedied. For example, take pictures of the pests, record the noise levels of neighboring guests, etc.
3. If you have already checked out and would like to file a complaint, online is the best way to do so. You will be asked to provide information such as the invoice or folio number, as well as evidence of the issue.

Challenges With Trying to Get a Refund From a Bad Hotel Experience

• There are certain hotels that just don't care about a customer's experience.
• Finding the right number to call or the right web form can be an incredibly frustrating experience.
• DoNotPay can help. We are experts in all the refund laws that hotels must adhere to.

How to File a Complaint Letter Against Any Hotel With DoNotPay

DoNotPay can submit an official complaint letter on your behalf against any hotel. Here's how:

1. Go to the Hotel Bill Complaints & Refunds product on DoNotPay.

2. Tell us the details of your experience and complaint, including how it negatively impacted your stay, and provide photographic evidence if available.

3. Enter the details of your reservation, including the check-in/check-out dates and hotel room number.

4. Tell us whether this is for a past reservation or you're still at the hotel (this helps us decide whether negotiation or chargeback is a better option for your case).

5. Choose whether you want us to contact the front desk or general manager (if you've already tried contacting the front desk already).

If the hotel refuses to offer a refund after this letter, we can help you send demand letters to in small claims court with our Send Demand Letters To Now product.

Why Use DoNotPay to Handle Your Complaints With a Hotel?

• Fast: You won't need to spend hours finding the right contact information for hotel complaints. We know how to get in touch with the proper person of every major hotel chain.
• Easy: Simply provide the pertinent information and we'll do the rest.
• Successful: DoNotPay started as a way for people to fight unfair parking tickets. After winning about a quarter-million cases, we've expanded our services to fight bad hotels.

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