In a Price Driven Market – What’s Really Included?
Many of the reviews we receive on www.ReviewResorts.com are from upset travelers who are confused about what was actually included in their vacation travel package. For example, let’s say Bill and Suzy decided to take a Hawaii or Mexico vacation. They narrowed the search down to a particular hotel and found that hotel’s web site where it had a promotion that included breakfast. Like smart consumers Bill and Suzy did their homework. They called around, searched online, compared the package components and booked lowest price.
Now here’s the problem. Bill and Suzy bought the lowest price package for that air and hotel combination. They still think they have breakfast included because it was listed on the hotel’s own web site for people paying the standard (higher) rates. However, in a price driven market the travel operator negotiated a steep discount from the hotel who inturn stripped out the breakfast because the wholesale rate they had to provide to the travel operator was so low. So Bill & Suzy get to the hotel have breakfast and also get a bill.
An example of this situation is a review posted on www.ReviewResorts.com by Jean from Denver. In this review she wrote: “Beware what their WEB page offers as you may not be getting what you think you are!”
Another example of this disconnect are “Resort Fees” imposed by the large vacation hotels. Many times the resort fee is not included in air & hotel travel packages for price advantages. This can be a harsh $25 per person. per day reality check.
The quick take: These situations hardly make for satisfied customers. Most of these disgruntled travelers feel taken advantage of, and will probably not return. More importantly, they let as many people as possible to beware by posting on review sites advising others to beware of the hotel.
So my question to both travel operators and hotel management: Is it not in everyone’s best interest to work together to avoid these unhappy surprises? If the hotel includes breakfast on their website then make it included on the wholesale room contracts as well. If the hotel imposes a resort (which is a questionable tactic anyway) it should be included in the price of a travel package and not imposed at the hotel upon check-out. Avoid these situation or risk your valuable reputation in the world of user-generated reviews.
