Made any travel mistakes lately?

[drron]

Interesting indeed. In the 30+ countries I've driven in, I've never once been asked for an IDP.

Go to Japan they always ask. No IDP no rental.

 

[VPS]

It’s interesting now with digital licensing, outside your own country these are often not accepted and one has to carry the physical one. Guess this will change in time.

When I tried to hire a car in Adelaide last year, they wouldn’t accept my digital license

 

[CaptJCool]

When I tried to hire a car in Adelaide last year, they wouldn’t accept my digital license

Nor a digital CC

 

[RooFlyer]

I have a tour payment coming up. My phone diary said by today and I also got an e-mail reminder from my Travel agent.

So I paid $4K to the TA and asked them to put the rest on my cc.

Puzzled phone call from TA, asking why I'd paid a month early (I didn't read her e-mail close enough) But they said they would send it back to me and done in under 5 minutes

 

[Seat0B]

Yep we have the IDPs but they wouldn’t accept it without the actual licence (nor looked at my partners at all)

As far as I am aware (which may not be very far ), and IDP is not in itself a licence to drive, but rather is a certification and translation in global languages that you do in fact hold a licence from a signatory country. I’ve never found a car rental company that will accept just the IDP without the underlying licence. However many car rental companies will accept Australian licence with no IDP (eg USA, Canada, UK, France, Oman, UAE etc). But some countries absolutely require both eg Japan. Hope it sorts out for you now the licence has been located. Sounds like a massive PITA.

 

[Quickstatus]

Got pinged by the astute accountant over a $1 Uber tip

Usually I enter an Uber tip a day after the Uber trip because instead of embedding the tip in one tax invoice, it is separated into a later invoice and easy to identify because its only ever less than $5.
I can never be coughd to examine an invoice for non business components because they are always 100% bus and paid with a specific Amex business. So in this case Uber tip got put through in Xero as part of the full invoice.
The tip was $1 and triggered an email from accountant to say "tips are non claimable" and likely she happily clocked the several minutes it took to send the email and added it to the annual bill.

 

[MARTINE]

I stayed at the Sofitel Darling Harbor last week

 

[luxury-lizard]

I stayed at the Sofitel Darling Harbor last week

And?

 

[fly2earth]

I'm sure I ended up paying more than the Uber trip to the accountant.

Imagine if that $1 brought you up to the next tax bracket. Would reach instant Ebenezer Scrooge status for life

 

[Quickstatus]

next tax bracket.

The a countant's fee pushes it back down

 

[MARTINE]

And?

A short list of what I experienced for $800+ night (commenced in member chit chat thread.)

1- Pay for access to L35 club/no specific check in processes or information about room on arrival then…
2- Wait over 1 hour for luggage, ring to reception ‘it is coming’, go to my personal concierge L35 (PC) who rings down and told ‘we delivered 10 mins ago’. Go back to room — still no luggage then…
3-Go to reception and speak w duty manager. He investigates and finds its still in storage (??) - now sent up. He offers x2 drink vouchers (have all the drinks I want on L35) and late checkout (have already) . I say not good enough - food credit in order.$100 given
4- that night at turn down, I said the chocolate only please. 15 minutes later someone arrives with x2 blocks of chocolate (?) I enquire next day with PC. Yes it was charged to minibar but will be removed (still charged)
5- Next day ask about newspapers. Downstairs concierge advised you can walk two blocks to newsagent or use my Sofitel Internet access to pressreader. No info given about code etc for this. Try for ages so back to PC on L35. He enquires and rings me back an hour later - its not working then…
6 - Decide to use the food credit as my PC allowed me to use on L35 as an ‘in dining’ experience. Really appreciated this. Great - three times they took our order, forgot one dish and had to be done as 2nd order. Then..
7-On day of checkout (midday extended from 11am) room card deactivated at 11 so have to go downstairs with luggage to get a new card as cannot go to L35 to check out or get back into the room. Then…
8- Then there was an extra twenty something dollars on top of the food order ie that chocolate and dish that did not arrive with inroom dining order. PC ( who was absolutely outstanding ) said I would not have to pay given all the issues. Great and appreciated. Nothing to pay then…
9- hours later no receipt so I email. Its sent and all paid for nothing outstanding. Great and then…
10- the following day I get an email that an extra charge has been made (the additional $20+ ) no explanation - just charge and then…
11- I sent an email last Sunday asking please remove the charge and I want to discuss the issues during my stay with senior manager and then…….

I have heard nothing since (but I have given a very honest critique on ‘How did we do?” Questionnaire).

Staff individually were great and my PC was so apologetic (constantly) and attempted to make good. The issues however are systemic

Rant over

 

[Quickstatus]

I really really hate luggage being brought up later.

Proper service should be the porter accompanies the guest to the room.

 

[fly2earth]

The a countant's fee pushes it back down

Nontheless the selfish gene still wins (especially in circumstances such as this according to Pavlov's conditioned dog and Darwin's evolutionary theory)

 

[MARTINE]

I really really hate luggage being brought up later.

Proper service should be the porter accompanies the guest to the room.

I will take my own next time
The entire palaver was 1 and 1/2 hours before I got to have a shower and access my stuff

 

[dairyfloss]

I really really hate luggage being brought up later.

Proper service should be the porter accompanies the guest to the room.

Yep - no matter how grand a hotel is; if I can take my own stuff with me straight to the room, I do.

 

[Quickstatus]

I will take my own next time

I am very quick in the USA. When the Shuttle/uber arrives at a hotel. I'm quicker than dropping a hot potato in getting out and handling my own luggage. Otherwise there is a tip (luggage handling fee) for the driver getting the luggage out of the vehicle, another tip (luggage handling fee) for the porter to take it into hotel lobby and then yet another tip (luggage handling fee) for yet another porter to deliver to room.

 

[fly2earth]

A short list of what I experienced for $800+ night (commenced in member chit chat thread.)

1- Pay for access to L35 club/no specific check in processes or information about room on arrival then…
2- Wait over 1 hour for luggage, ring to reception ‘it is coming’, go to my personal concierge L35 (PC) who rings down and told ‘we delivered 10 mins ago’. Go back to room — still no luggage then…
3-Go to reception and speak w duty manager. He investigates and finds its still in storage (??) - now sent up. He offers x2 drink vouchers (have all the drinks I want on L35) and late checkout (have already) . I say not good enough - food credit in order.$100 given
4- that night at turn down, I said the chocolate only please. 15 minutes later someone arrives with x2 blocks of chocolate (?) I enquire next day with PC. Yes it was charged to minibar but will be removed (still charged)
5- Next day ask about newspapers. Downstairs concierge advised you can walk two blocks to newsagent or use my Sofitel Internet access to pressreader. No info given about code etc for this. Try for ages so back to PC on L35. He enquires and rings me back an hour later - its not working then…
6 - Decide to use the food credit as my PC allowed me to use on L35 as an ‘in dining’ experience. Really appreciated this. Great - three times they took our order, forgot one dish and had to be done as 2nd order. Then..
7-On day of checkout (midday extended from 11am) room card deactivated at 11 so have to go downstairs with luggage to get a new card as cannot go to L35 to check out or get back into the room. Then…
8- Then there was an extra twenty something dollars on top of the food order ie that chocolate and dish that did not arrive with inroom dining order. PC ( who was absolutely outstanding ) said I would not have to pay given all the issues. Great and appreciated. Nothing to pay then…
9- hours later no receipt so I email. Its sent and all paid for nothing outstanding. Great and then…
10- the following day I get an email that an extra charge has been made (the additional $20+ ) no explanation - just charge and then…
11- I sent an email last Sunday asking please remove the charge and I want to discuss the issues during my stay with senior manager and then…….

I have heard nothing since (but I have given a very honest critique on ‘How did we do?” Questionnaire).

Staff individually were great and my PC was so apologetic (constantly) and attempted to make good. The issues however are systemic

Rant over

Same here. Sofitel G.C. didn't offer me a welcome wine when I checked in I thought the wine in the corner (not the minibar) was the welcome gift took it and they charged me $20. And when I checked in they did not tell me there was going to be power outage so you can imagine my shock when my power went out 20 minutes after check in at 11PM when I arrived from OOL. No message about it at all when I checked in. Blackout lasted fro three hours whole building dark. No compensation either. I tried reaching out to them through phone and email and they remain deaf to all ears. Would not stay with them again even as Platinum unless it was free nights and even then I'd rather stay at a Pullman. Expensive hotel expensive price subpar service. Even Novotel treats me better than this.

Post automatically merged: May 21, 2024

I am very quick in the USA. When the Shuttle/uber arrives at a hotel. I'm quicker than dropping a hot potato in getting out and handling my own luggage. Otherwise there is a tip (luggage handling fee) for the driver getting the luggage out of the vehicle, another tip (luggage handling fee) for the porter to take it into hotel lobby and then yet another tip (luggage handling fee) for yet another porter to deliver to room.

And here in Australia no one proactively offers to take your luggage because there are no tips. Oh the irony

I stayed at the Sofitel Darling Harbor last week

I stayed at the Sofitel G.C. last month.

A short list of what I experienced for $800+ night (commenced in member chit chat thread.)

1- Pay for access to L35 club/no specific check in processes or information about room on arrival then…
2- Wait over 1 hour for luggage, ring to reception ‘it is coming’, go to my personal concierge L35 (PC) who rings down and told ‘we delivered 10 mins ago’. Go back to room — still no luggage then…
3-Go to reception and speak w duty manager. He investigates and finds its still in storage (??) - now sent up. He offers x2 drink vouchers (have all the drinks I want on L35) and late checkout (have already) . I say not good enough - food credit in order.$100 given
4- that night at turn down, I said the chocolate only please. 15 minutes later someone arrives with x2 blocks of chocolate (?) I enquire next day with PC. Yes it was charged to minibar but will be removed (still charged)
5- Next day ask about newspapers. Downstairs concierge advised you can walk two blocks to newsagent or use my Sofitel Internet access to pressreader. No info given about code etc for this. Try for ages so back to PC on L35. He enquires and rings me back an hour later - its not working then…
6 - Decide to use the food credit as my PC allowed me to use on L35 as an ‘in dining’ experience. Really appreciated this. Great - three times they took our order, forgot one dish and had to be done as 2nd order. Then..
7-On day of checkout (midday extended from 11am) room card deactivated at 11 so have to go downstairs with luggage to get a new card as cannot go to L35 to check out or get back into the room. Then…
8- Then there was an extra twenty something dollars on top of the food order ie that chocolate and dish that did not arrive with inroom dining order. PC ( who was absolutely outstanding ) said I would not have to pay given all the issues. Great and appreciated. Nothing to pay then…
9- hours later no receipt so I email. Its sent and all paid for nothing outstanding. Great and then…
10- the following day I get an email that an extra charge has been made (the additional $20+ ) no explanation - just charge and then…
11- I sent an email last Sunday asking please remove the charge and I want to discuss the issues during my stay with senior manager and then…….

I have heard nothing since (but I have given a very honest critique on ‘How did we do?” Questionnaire).

Staff individually were great and my PC was so apologetic (constantly) and attempted to make good. The issues however are systemic

Rant over

Another hotel charged me around $20~ for redeeming my drink vouchers (not the above hotel brand but the same hotel parent company and mid-tier hotel). When I asked them they said it was for a lunch menu item. I told them I didn't order anything from the restaurant or the minibar. They said it was a mistake. And refunded the money. No apologies even for Platinum member. I'm not sure how this is even allowed as I assume most people will just trust the hotels not to mess up with the accounting for something as simple as this otherwise it will be fraud. If they do this to everyone then it would be crowne haven. The only reason I did not name the hotel because they upgraded me to a higher floor upon me requesting it (same room type sadly not an upgradeable room that is still showing as vacant). The same hotel caterer even said there was no free breakfast for Platinum members after I showed them my Platinum card which is different than the card on file (fair enough as I used the wrong number to make my booking but this is blatantly telling a flat out lie) and I had to tell the manager to get it sorted. Never trusting a hotel with my credit card again (and if I do trust them with it which I have to in order to check in you can be assured I am deactivating the card the moment the check-in process finishes. Either that or I'll eat my hat ).

update it is a hotel beside a busy airport which you have to cross a pedestrian bridge to access

 

[Scarlett]

I am very quick in the USA. When the Shuttle/uber arrives at a hotel. I'm quicker than dropping a hot potato in getting out and handling my own luggage. Otherwise there is a tip (luggage handling fee) for the driver getting the luggage out of the vehicle, another tip (luggage handling fee) for the porter to take it into hotel lobby and then yet another tip (luggage handling fee) for yet another porter to deliver to room.

I’ve managed to drag my luggage (suitcase, backpack and golf clubs) around 76 countries: I reckon I’m good getting it the 2-300m into my hotel room!

Which then of course begs the question, does everyone need help with everything in the USA because they are collectively the most stupid, or the laziest? Yet at the same time, individually, or in small groups, the most amazing, friendly and ingenious…

 

[RooFlyer]

and then yet another tip (luggage handling fee) for yet another porter to deliver to room.

...late.

I'm the same. Grab luggage with a steel grip & fend off any porter who tries to 'assist'.

BUT in Santiago at a very expensive hotel, I was too slow getting out of the car and my bags had disappeared before I could grab them. 2 calls, a trip back downstairs and an hour later, they were retrieved from a storage room where they had been sent to, and delivered to my room.

 

[MARTINE]

...late.

I'm the same. Grab luggage with a steel grip & fend off any porter who tries to 'assist'.

BUT in Santiago at a very expensive hotel, I was too slow getting out of the car and my bags had disappeared before I could grab them. 2 calls, a trip back downstairs and an hour later, they were retrieved from a storage room where they had been sent to, and delivered to my room.

I’m feeling better reading these similar experiences