I was Robbed at the W
I booked my room at the W ( Lexington & 49th) through an elite concierge service. My booking confirmation was presented upon check-in with my confirmed rate of 260.00 plus my credit card and ID.
Within a few hours my accountant called to ask me what I had been doing, because two charges had come in; one for over 5,000 dollars and one for close to 1,500 hundred. I said nothing,....that I had been at meetings after my early check in of 11:30. I decided to close down the card. Clearly this was fraud.What we didn't notice...seeing only 'New York, New York...was that the pre-fix was"W" .
When I went to check out three days later, I was socked with a bill for close to 3.000dollars. My room rate had been jacked to 377.00 a night...irregardless of my reservation confirmation, and there were close to 1,500 dollars in bar and lounge bills. I don't drink. Nor had I entertained anyone. I disputed the charges with the girl at the front desk, and she clearly could not care less that I had been 'taken' for 2,000. and said that the money was due. Period. I asked to see the manger. The day manager was sent over. He said that my rate had been changed, and that was what I had to pay. I was astounded. I had my reservation printout in hand. He glanced it over and said that "never the less", my rate had changed, and I owed the hotel 377.00 a night for my stay. I said that I had NEVER been to a hotel where the rate could be arbitrarily changed without any provision to the client. Who had ever heard of such a thing?!! He shrugged. What about the 1.500 dollars in bar bills that had been charged to my room? Well...it seemed that the concierge service, since they had made the reservation had been given access to my room credit (I still hadn't made the connection between the original 5,ooo dollar charge and this bill) I asked if that meant they had access to my room as well, and he replied 'Yes'...that was my problem. I had allowed the reservation to be made by them, and that gave them access.I was white. Some random guy...some creep who had used my credit to steal from me, under the hotel's umbrella, who the front desk never saw, never asked for ID, had all access to me and my credit... and all the hotel would say was that I had asked for it? How did someone with no room key, no room number,no identification with the hotel registration have access through the hotel's system to charge my bill up the WAZOO and get into my room?
I happen to have met , and had, the NY City Police Commissioner's number and an investigation is now under way...but the W never even took the time to check the security cameras to see who had been charging my room, until the police were involved. Yesterday. This all happened last Friday and the floor managers with whom I had to deal were snarky, disrespectful and cocky in the face of not only my personal distress, but the mess they should have been aware they were in. 
Unbelievable . Unacceptable.
I had to call the hotel again to prove that they had missed to 5,000 dollar charge and to ASK them to reimburse me.They say it's in process- one week later.No apology, no accountability that some one breached their security and accessed my card through their system. Now they have offered to return the room overcharge and credit me one nights stay. They are adamant that I will pay for the 1,500 dollar bar fee I didn't occur.No other compensation has been offered.