Catamaran Resort and Spa Concealed additional charges on room San Diego, California

This place is a scam and a rip-off. Be careful when booking. They will hide additional fees in your reservation and refuse to refund the money if you happent to discover the extra charges. 

I came for a three-night stay to attend a conference that was hosted here. When I was reserving my room, there was a " conference reservation special," which I decided to take advantage of. When booking, there was no clear explanation of how much each night would be, or the charges associated with each room. I never received a confirmation for my booking, with a receipt of cost. At check-in, I expressed concern to the reservations host that I wasn't anticipating the cost of the room to be so high, but figured that it was my error and that something had slipped by me, so I let that slide. I asked if there were any cheaper options, and she said, no, this is the cheapest room available. The charge presented to me was $153 a night with the special group rate. I agreed to this, and stayed three nights. 

The room was at best, mediocre, with grungy carpets, a view of the parking garage nearly 25 feet from my window, and subsequently, no privacy, and worn out, cheesy furniture. The upkeep in the hotel is shameful.

After check-out, I never received a receipt of my charges, and just happened to see on my bank statement that I was charged extra. Upon investigation, I was told that I was charged a $50 upgrade fee (in addition to the $153), for the "Garden View Room" (remember, I was facing the parking garage, immediately outside my window). This was never made clear to me at any point in the reservation, check-in, or check-out process. Even when I confirmed the charges at check-in, it was not apparent on the card reader at the reservations counter. Even when I asked if there was anything cheaper than $153 a night, the employee at the Catamaran denied that there was anything less, and failed to make it clear that I was, in fact, being charged an additional fee.