A popular Haytt hotel in New Orleans is still levying a bogus “credit card recovery fee” to guests who pay by credit card, even to those who use the Word of Hyatt visa card.
The Eliza Jane, A Hyatt Hotel In New Orleans, Continues To Add A “Credit Card Recovery Fee”
Earlier this year, View From The Wing noted that the Eliza Jane Hotel in New Orleans (you can read my review of the hotel here) was tacking on a 1.85% credit card recovery fee to guests folios, even though that fee was not disclosed upon booking.
At the time, Hyatt said the practice would end:
“We have addressed this issue with the hotel and they should cease the implementation of this extra charge.”
Only it’s now May 2024 and the practice continues.
A Live And Let’s Fly reader just checked out of the hotel and reports that the hotel is still tacking on this extra charge:
Regrettably, this was a hidden fee not disclosed at the time of booking:
And for that, this hotel should be taken to task.
I would hate to have a system as seems to be the case in Australia where credit card surcharges are the norm rather than the exception, but the biggest problem here is that this fee was not disclosed. It’s not even clear if the hotel accepts cash, but the in a country and commerce in which credit card use is so widespread without fees, it’s incredibly tacky to clandestinely tack on these fees to unspecuting guests.
Hyatt, please step in and advise this hotel that it cannot play these games.
> Read More: Eliza Jane Hotel New Orleans (Hyatt Unbound Collection) Review
This is complete insanity. Not only does it violate Hyatt rules but they had supposedly been warned before. Yet they still keep doing it and even worse not showing it up front. Truly amazing. Hyatt needs to drop this hotel right away. It’s a bit of a dump anyway. Add in being owned by brazen scammers.
@ Matthew — Reverse the charge with Chase. File a consumer complaint with the State attorney generals office. That will cost them way more effort than the $14 they are stealing from you. Never stay at this hotel. It isnt a good hotel anyway.
Agree that the hotel is meh at best. But the egregious nature of this goes much further. Hyatt needs to take care of it. If Eliza Jane wants to scam people on their own brand and booking site that’s on them and customers need to respond as you say. But it’s not our job to manage the disputes and complaints for a Hyatt branded property. It’s Hyatt’s job to manage their brand and protect it from those that clearly diminish a level of trust.
Thus, I would say complain to Hyatt Corporate. They need to either get them these idiots in line or remove them without delay.
“File a consumer complaint with the State attorney generals office. That will cost them way more effort than the $14 they are stealing from you.”
Unfortunately, you no longer have any recourse with any state AG. I can’t remember if this was a class action lawsuit settlement, or Congressional/judicial action, but a few years ago, states were pre-empted from banning credit card surcharges (prior to that, many did). I’m guessing based on prior statements that credit card fees violate Hyatt’s franchise/licensing agreements, so your only real recourse is to complain to Hyatt corporate and hope they take action.
I would argue that while the practice of charging it may not be of concern to any state AG, the idea that they are doing it without proper disclosure prior to a booking (one that is binding) is very much of concern.
It’s not the existence of the surcharge, but that they didn’t disclose it.
As others have said – it isn’t the surcharge itself, but the failure to disclose
I think an email from any guest with the proof of no disclosure and a receipt of the fee to the Attorney Generals Office would put the kybosh on this. of Louisiana would greatly assist in
Are you kidding! Louisiana state government is adverse to the public interest of its citizens.
I don’t understand this nickel and dime practice. For so little profit they sell their integrity.
I just stayed at a Fairmont Hotel using the Amex Plt $200 hotel benefit for the Hotels Collection. The benefit also includes a $100 hotel credit but you don’t actually get $100. I received closer to $94 because of the currency exchange screwing I experienced for that sum.
Everyone staying at these places just need to leave a bad review mentioning this practice in the review. The bad press and ratings will cease the practice.
It’s nickel and dime to consumers for sure. But to a hotel with, let’s say, a hundred rooms, over a year that can add up to quite a bump. An extra $200K+ annually as one conservative figure can be the salary for four or five staff. Quietly hidden and disguised.
I’d like to see someone pay with a huge bag of pennies.
Maybe you can get them to put your shirt in the pizza oven too.
I keep wanting to do this in Australia. Where the fee is at every hotel. Just to see their reaction. Honestly, this would be a fantastic You Tube moment that would really go viral.
Both Australia and New Zealand do this. Some places actually advertise that they don’t charge a fee. It’s wild. Seems like a newer thing.
Well aware, I am there on business each year and am subjected. The Hotel Industry must have a serious lobbying effort with the Government in Australia as it’s absolutely absurd that this has been allowed. However, we are talking about the U.S. and this hotel is in New Orleans, where it is far from the normal (and forbidden by Hyatt, Bonvoy and Hilton in the U.S.). Just because it’s normal in Australia should not allow this to become a thing here…or it will.
What’s even more egregious is that this hotel also charges a bulls*** “destination fee”. So not only are you paying the bulls*** credit card surcharge, but it’s being applied to yet another bogus fee.
I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again. None of this nonsense stops until customers start speaking with their wallets and stop patronizing hotels that charge these fees. Sadly I don’t ever expect that to actually happen.
Speaking with your wallet? Where? It’s become a cancer at virtually every decent hotel in the country where anyone wants or needs to go. And even not so decent hotels like Eliza Jane. Now they are imbedding them in stealth ways like we see Matthew describe. It won’t stop, no matter what.
Many of us choose Hyatt as a Globalist to avoid these fees. But if they are hiding them like this one, how do we avoid with our wallet? Like the Hyatt Centric in Sacramento that snuck in a “Historic Conservation Fee” and argued that it is mandatory so as to continue the historic preservation of the building.
The reality is that like we see with Ticketmaster this will never end unless the Government starts going after them. How are consumers voting with their wallets with Ticketmaster? They are going to Europe to see Taylor Swift where there are no junk crazy fees and tickets are actually approachable. However, is that a solution? No, it’s complete craziness. And now the Justice Department is getting involved to say enough.
We should continue to name and shame these properties.
If you do a chargeback it cost the property 15.00 fee they will stop then.
I live in Australia and the cc surcharge still pains me. I want to book Qantas flights online. What method do I have to avoid this surcharge?!
@Mick … What can do do ? Pay at the airport counter with cash , including coins .
Ha, yes true. Forgot this option!
This is not just a problem with some hotels. Even my preferred auto service center now charges a recovery fee for credit cards payment. Any transaction with the state of California with a credit card involves a recovery fee. How bad can this get? I recently made a donation to an organization that deals with Lupus, and they asked me to include extra to cover the credit card fee – I did, but still irritating.
They say that when you retire you will spend time travelling. Not so. Look at all the scam artists, and companies out there trying to take your money!
In the EU, it’s illegal to levy a credit card surcharge.
For the sake of comparison, I looked at an upmarket hotel in Croatia ($600 per night approx). The fees and taxes element added less than 1% to the room rate.
That’s because the VAT (value added tax) is already embedded in the price and not listed separately in a rate quote, although it is broken out on the receipt the hotel will give you for your room at the end of your stay. It’s 13% for hotels. And 25% on most everything else you’ll buy or do here in Croatia. The government wants their share!
I wonder what would happen if you were to offer to pay the price that they charged on the reservation and not a penny more?
They’d tell you to stay elsewhere
What rapid is that? Looking for some new lines and that looks fun.
I have not stayed at this hotel before, but I have found Hyatt to be lacking of late in any of their properties. I recently stayed at Wild Dunes and had similar experiences except the rooms started at 400 per night. They missed little things like a coffee maker was broken, front desk unattended, cheap toiletries, excessive fees per night that are padding the bill. Nice restaurants but double the fine local restaurants. Then there’s the point inflation.
I’m done for a while.