So, the AWESOME HOTEL where E and I wound up not staying now has put pending charges on my account that amount to FOUR NIGHTS worth of stays… when we didn’t even stay ONCE.

I understand that they charged me for ONE night, since I didn’t cancel until 8pm (because I didn’t want to get out of the car) but FOUR? What in the world??

After spending a good chunk of time on the phone with the hotel’s parent company, they finally told me they couldn’t do anything for me (each hotel is individually owned and operated) but that I should contact my financial institution. So I did.

I was on the phone with one very helpful person, who walked me through all my options, but basically told me to wait and see what finally posts in the next couple of days. Fair enough. Then the call dropped and I called back and got someone else.

I verified my account and the person was looking at the account. Actual conversation (in summary) follows:

I began, “I have these charges from a hotel, but my sister and I didn’t even end up staying there because it was scary–”
Customer Service: “Do you mean at the Thus-and-such hotel in Name of City?”
Me: “Yes…”
Customer Service: “You’re right, that place IS scary. My wife and I stayed there, but we actually went inside the room. We unpacked our suitcase and I went into the bathroom and it was FULL of roaches. We packed up and left and I’ve been telling all of our friends and family ever since not to stay there!”
Me: “I am SO GLAD it wasn’t just me!!”

How random is that?? But I feel VINDICATED. I wasn’t just being paranoid. Even the guy at my financial institution agrees.

Ha.

((I just hope the charges aren’t a response to us accidentally scaring ourselves and possibly the night manager taking photos of the place… Though how would they ever know?))

[update]
So, two of the charges went through– one extra– but there was also a correction listed so that I only, in fact, paid for one night. Good on them for making it right.