Radisson / Carlson Hotels Hotel Exchange Rate Ripoff Even Though I Had A Guaranteed Rate Omaha And Minnetonka Nebraska and Minnesota

I made a reservation for the Radisson Royal Hotel in Cali, Colombia using the radisson.com website which is owned by Carlson Hotels. I was given the "best online guarantee" rate of $120 US dollars per night, tax excluded, for two people. The rate including taxes was $133.20 USD. The room and the rate were guaranteed by my credit card.

When I checked out of the hotel, I was charged in local currency (Colombian pesos) not US dollars (this is normal). When the credit card bill arrived weeks later, I was charged $157.04 instead of the agreed upon and guaranteed $133.20.

Radisson and their owner, Carlson Hotels, falsely claimed that the difference was due to the exchange rate. Research shows that the exchange rate fluctuated by only one cent (yes, a penny) between September 1 (when I made the reservation) and September 10, 2007 (when I paid for the room). I performed the research at
www.oanda.com/convert/fxhistory

I was finally reimbursed the difference after several telephone calls. They refused to acknowledge that the exchange rate issue was a red herring.

This is clearly a deceptive business practice. Quote and guarantee a price in dollars, but then charge any price you desire in local currency above and beyond the guaranteed price and then blame the exchange rate. There is definitely a lack of ethics is that arrangement.

Would Radisson or Carlson have lowered the room rates if the currency exchange rates favored the customer? We all know that the answer is no.

Other hotels in Colombia that I have used did not play the exchange rate game. I have heard that other hotels do play the same game.

Dillan
Cleveland, Ohio
U.S.A.