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Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

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Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#381

Post by userbinator »

rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #372
satellite2 wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using an ozone generator you can remove all odors in a medium sized room in less than 30min. Only poorly organized cleaning staff would have this issue.

I thought it was a little tougher than that? I know it costs at least a few hundred bucks and takes a day or two to ozone a small apartment, which would roughly line up with the $500 fine this hotel charges.

An ozone generator itself doesn't cost much and the only recurring cost is the power it draws, which is also low (dozens of watts).

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#382

Post by ericmay »

torlok wrote: post #345
hansvm wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big problem is the power imbalance. There's a reason they start your stay by putting a hold on a credit card. And even if you could charge them, they can afford a legal battle better than you.

Is this a US thing? I stay at hotels from time to time across Europe, and I always pay a fixed price either when booking or at arrival for the whole stay. Never had to enter credit card information anywhere, and I never would precisely for this reason. I put my credit card information once when booking a car at an airport and was scammed with random scratches being found at return. Can't imagine ever going through th…

No, it's a common practice in most western countries and can confirm for you a list of a dozen or more hotels ranging from $100/night to $1000/night that do this in countries ranging from Ireland to France to Japan. It's really no big deal and is extremely common. In fact, France as I discovered does this at the gas stations where they put $200 or so authorizations on your card for absolutely no good reason.

There are various scenarios but I think the one you are thinking of is you show up to the hotel, hand them your cash, and pay at the desk. Often times, though I have not been in a hotel that will not ask for a card, they ask you for a credit card and put an authorization on there in case you smoke in the room, or maybe turn it into spaghetti or any other random incidentals.

An authorization is basically the hotel telling the credit card that they're "reserving space" so to speak on your credit limit on the card.

Regarding your rental car experience, that's a common scam and again moreso seen in Europe, but not really anything to do with the method of payment. They would have just mailed you a bill for the damages instead. I guess you could ignore it.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#383

Post by pyman »

torlok wrote: post #345
hansvm wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big problem is the power imbalance. There's a reason they start your stay by putting a hold on a credit card. And even if you could charge them, they can afford a legal battle better than you.

Is this a US thing? I stay at hotels from time to time across Europe, and I always pay a fixed price either when booking or at arrival for the whole stay. Never had to enter credit card information anywhere, and I never would precisely for this reason. I put my credit card information once when booking a car at an airport and was scammed with random scratches being found at return. Can't imagine ever going through th…

I stopped using Airbnb because of the ridiculous "cleaning" fees and happily went back to hotels. But what Hyatt did in the US is shameful. The government should investigate, and the CEO should probably step down.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#385

Post by octo888 »

mouse_ wrote: post #124
dangus wrote: post #101

I saw a little quote about the modern business landscape that seems to apply here: “Save a few pennies by destroying trust.” The Hyatt franchise needs to shut this down ASAP. Most hotels are independently operated or operated by franchise groups. Not many hotel brands actually own the hotels and essentially act as marketing firms. If I were to give this the “never assign malice to that which can be adequately explain…

Never assign incompetence to that which can be adequately explained by greed.

My new favourite saying!

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#386

Post by pksebben »

scoofy wrote: post #365
gblargg wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Yes it is. “Democracy” from the Greek: “common people rule” and “Republic” from the Latin: “the thing, public.” Republic and democracy mean the same damn thing, rule by the people as opposed to rule by a monarch.

In what way is this country ruled by the people? You're periodically given a non-choice between two options that have equal disdain for your actual concerns, who then go on to play games to see who can get the most bajiliionare backing for reelection, and if you don't like what they're doing you're perfectly free to vote for the OTHER jerk who also doesn't give a shit about you.

This is oligarchy. The 'democratic' process is a smokescreen, and an increasingly thin one.

Look up 'liquid democracy'. It's the best example of what an actual democracy might look like if we did it. We won't, but I also enjoy Blade Runner and Star Trek, so there's no harm in fiction.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#387

Post by userbinator »

clort wrote: post #53
madaxe_again wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, woodbine? A hotel literally owned by/named after a cigarette brand? You literally couldn’t make this up.

Largely a property development company, named after a geological feature "Woodbine Sand", in Texas [1] https://woodbinedevelopment.com/woodbinedevelopment.com/our-...

While we're on that topic of "things that aren't actually named after cigarettes": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlboro_(disambiguation)

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#388

Post by userbinator »

tushar-r wrote: post #316

I'll probably pay 10 - 20% more for an "old school" hotel room with a clock radio and standard phone to call the front desk. No other "non-essential" electronics other than multiple well-placed power points. No TV, Coffee Machine either. The number of bright screens on random "smart" controls that I'm trying very hard to hide before sleeping are too much.

A traditional motel may be suitable, and even cheaper.

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#389

Post by pyman »

dangoodmanUT wrote: post #234
lxgr wrote: post #132

There has got to be a way to penalize companies for attempting this kind of thing. Even just removing the charge without discussion isn't enough, as some people will be traveling on a corporate card they don't necessarily monitor closely, will confuse the charge for something else etc. Otherwise, I'd love to be able to preemptively and without any prior communication charge (way in excess of the room rate, of course!…

Yes it's called a lawsuit for defrauding consumers. Hopefully someone actually does it though

I'm sure the hotel will blame the company that sold them the sensors, and the company that built them will blame some developer who changed the sensitivity value from 6 to 8. Everyone will act shocked, the developer will get fired, and the new revenue stream will be called "customers who visited adult websites on a shared private network." I doubt that will end up on TikTok :)

Re: Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors”

#390

Post by scoofy »

schwartzworld wrote: post #334
recipe19 wrote: post #259

It reminds me of a hotel I stayed at that had a stocked mini-fridge. Removing any item from the fridge resulted in an automatic, silent charge. Putting it back did not remove the charge. So if you simply took something out to check it in, or if you wanted to chill your own beverage, they counted that as consuming the item. They removed the charges if you checked the bill and objected at checkout. But how many people…

I was at a hotel recently with packaged snacks on a tray, cookies crackers etc. There was a sign clearly explaining that moving anything off the tray results in an automatic charge. Thank god we didn’t have the kids with us.

This kind of thing is so penny smart, pound foolish. If I ever see that sign, it's immediately going on my Instagram, telling everyone I know to never stay at such a place.

I'm still never staying at AirBnB's when it actually matters because they completely screwed over my gf when she booked a bachelorette party and the owner literally sold the property without cancelling the reservation and the new owner rebooked the same site, also using AirBnB. AirBnB just offered a refund, even though the monetary damages were easily 10x the cost of the reservation and obviously permanent in the fact that in ruined a major life event.

Say what you want about the amount of money your company will make. Reputations take a lifetime to build, and most people have a grim trigger when it comes to being screwed over.

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