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Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: My Dog is Sick & My Hotel Won't Let Me Rebook

A traveler wants to rebook his Caribbean vacation in order to take of his injured dog. Will the booking site allow an exception to its nonrefundable policies?

Article / Hotels

Does TripAdvisor Have a Problem with Fake Reviews?

This popular site relies on members to share honest reviews about hotels. But when it's the company's turn to be transparent about the way it operates, it goes strangely quiet.

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! Where Does the Clever Hotel Wordplay Cross the Line?

How can something that's complimentary end up costing you a few bucks? Leave it to some sneaky hotels to find a way.

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous: The Mystery of Resort Energy Fees Deepens

After travelers voiced their outrage about a resort that appeared to charge energy fees, we dig deeper into this case of missing e-mails, damaged online reputations, and timeshare…

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: A Dog Bite & a $2,305 Hotel Bill

A traveler is unable to travel after severely injuring her hand. But the bigger problem is that she accidentally booked a month's stay at a hotel, which is now holding her to the…

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! Socked With a $450 Resort Fee

A nightly resort fee adds up for a traveler who books a Las Vegas hotel for almost a month. Should this mandatory fee be bundled into the room rate?

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! Are Hotel "Energy" Fees About to Make a Comeback?

Hidden fees can be a nasty surprise for vacationing travelers, especially if the fees are mandatory and cover basic services such as utilities.

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! A $6,995 Club Membership for Travel Discounts

Are travel club memberships too good to be true? This traveler took the bait before experiencing buyer's remorse.

Article / Hotels

New Confidentiality Clauses Can Influence Vacation Rental Reviews

Can a vacation rental management company prevent you from posting a negative online review? One company charged this couple $500 for posting a negative review, which apparently…

Article / Hotels

Why Is There No Sense of Ownership in Home Rental Phishing Scams?

Con artists are taking advantage of the lucrative vacation home rental market to trick would-be renters into handing over to them thousands of dollars. Here's what to look out for.

Article / Hotels

Best Apps and Websites for Booking a Hotel Tonight

Need a hotel tonight? We road test apps and websites to find the best options for budget bookings.

Article / Hotels

BackBid Promises a Better Hotel Deal, but At What Price?

A new site lets hotels bid for your business. How will travelers benefit from all the competition?

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Hey, That's No Four-Star Hotel!

A traveler uses an online travel agency to reserve a four-star hotel but feels cheated when the hotel winds up being a three-star property. What gives?

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! A Best Rate Guarantee with the Worst Service

Travelers share their horror stories of getting hotels to honor any best rate guarantees. Should the misleading booking policy be banned?

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! Why Don't Hotels Advertise "All-In" Prices?

Given the uproar over airfare pricing, should hotels still be allowed to hide taxes, mandatory resort fees, and other charges that inflate your total room rate?

Article / Hotels

How to Rent a Villa in Tuscany

What you need to know before you trade in that urban hotel for a house in the Italian countryside.

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: The Lights Went Out, but They Kept My Money

A trip turns into a nightmare after a power outage means no hot water, heat, or lights at the hotel. Do these travelers deserve a full refund?

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! My Hotel Promised a Refund, But My Travel Agency Refused

In case you ever need to dispute a charge on your credit card, follow the example of this traveler -- he received a $282 hotel refund by getting the company's promise in writing.

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Booked For One Night, Charged For Two

A one-night stay a motel turns into a headache after a traveler is charged for two nights. Does the company owe her a refund and an apology?

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: A Broken Vacation Club Promise

A salesman promises to help a traveler with a reservation but is unable to fulfill the offer. Is the company obligated to honor that verbal promise?

Article / Hotels

That's Ridiculous! Hotels Eye Airline-like Rebooking Fees

Hotels already charge nonrefundable rates, so can gratuitous rebooking fees be too far away?

Article / Hotels

How to Research and Book a Hotel Online

Find the basic building blocks of an online hotel search in our roundup of social sites and metasearch engines.

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Help! I've Been 'Walked' To a Motel

A traveler is turned away from an overbooked hotel and sent to a decidedly less posh property. Can she get a refund?

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: I Didn't Smoke. What Are You Smoking?

Our reader is hit by a $250 cleaning fee for smoking in his hotel room. Problem is, he doesn't smoke. What options does he have?

Article / Hotels

Travel Troubleshooter: Why Do I Have to Pay a $477 Cancellation Fee?

A traveler books the wrong hotel but cancels within 24 hours after realizing the error. Why is the online travel agency charging nearly $500 for the mistake?