Hyatt Hotels are using algorithmic Rest “smoking detectors” • Hacker News Board

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

#271

Post by tcoff91 » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:43 PM UTC

kayodelycaon wrote: post #250

tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think both of these "innovations" will be short lived once companies recognize that reputation is still a thing, and once you build a reputation of scamming your customers, it's very hard to recover from it and the revenue from the scams isn't enough to make up for the revenue lost because nobody wants to deal with your company anymore.

People still use Hertz despite them reporting cars as stolen and having their customers arrested.

At this point if you still use Hertz you are just a dumbass straight up.

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

#272

Post by dilyevsky » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:44 PM UTC

jml78 wrote: post #98

csomar wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there are exceptions about "exigent circumstances" and COVID was considered one. My EU flight was not refunded as well despite the EU having strong protections. The airlines, at the time, were given a life-line. I think these once in-a-decade or more events can be swallowed. But wouldn't be happy with a regular occurrence.

Which is crazy to me. I had purchased international airline tickets 9 months prior to COVID. Covid happened and everything was cancelled. The airline refused to refund, only give credit. The issue is that it was on an airline that was useless to me because this trip was cancelled and we were going to be rescheduling. Did a chargeback with Apple even though I was past the date, they still gave me my money back. I was…

Ive had good experiences with Apple doing chargebacks although my cases were pretty open and shut. Can’t say that about other issuers though including amex surprisingly

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

#273

Post by EliRivers » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:47 PM UTC

CamperBob2 wrote: post #242

jasonjayr wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision.”

I've never understood this old saw. The computer is just a tool. Somebody owns the computer, somebody installed it, somebody loaded software onto it. That's who should be held accountable. Taken at face value, you couldn't even use a pocket calculator to back up a management decision.

"Taken at face value, you couldn't even use a pocket calculator to back up a management decision."

That makes no sense. I am the manager. I make the decision. The calculator gives me some numbers but I am still the manager, still the decision maker, and I can use any tools appropriate to inform my decisions. Even a calculator. Taken at face value, that's what it says. That the calculator doesn't make the management decision; a person does.

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

#274

Post by Marsymars » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:49 PM UTC

dreamcompiler wrote: post #251

jzwinck wrote: post #33

Not about smoking but I recently stayed at a W hotel and was woken in the middle of the night by the room lights turning on. They used electronic push buttons and I turned them off. Seconds later they turned on again. This repeated several times until I was fully awake and called the front desk. "We can come put tape on the sensors." "What sensors?" "There are sensors under the bed." "Oh, so you already know about th…

Stayed at a Marriott property in Germany that had these. Got up in the middle of the night to pee and the automatic lights woke up my partner. I carry black electrical tape whenever I travel. It's marvelous for disabling sensors and covering up too-bright LEDs that light up the room all night.

Do you take the tape off when you leave?

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

#275

Post by nickdothutton » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:50 PM UTC

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…

Got billed (via corporate) for this because I put my own coke in a beer can slot and found myself in an interview with HR about it later, very strict no alcohol policy on company expenses. At the time I was tea total.

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

#276

Post by Marsymars » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:50 PM UTC

quickthrowman wrote: post #191

jzwinck wrote: post #33

Not about smoking but I recently stayed at a W hotel and was woken in the middle of the night by the room lights turning on. They used electronic push buttons and I turned them off. Seconds later they turned on again. This repeated several times until I was fully awake and called the front desk. "We can come put tape on the sensors." "What sensors?" "There are sensors under the bed." "Oh, so you already know about th…

Why the hell would they put occupancy sensors below the bed that trigger the overhead lights, that’s an absurd solution to people tripping and falling at night, provide a nightlight that costs $2 instead of (2) $100 occ sensor/relays. Possibly the issue was they used PIR/ultrasonic (aka dual-tech) sensors and the ultrasonic one was picking up vibrations, I’ve seen that happen in tenant spaces before and turning down…

I don’t know about $2, but for $35 you can get some nice motion-sensing nightlights, e.g. https://casper.com/products/glow-nightlight

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

#277

Post by orochimaaru » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:55 PM UTC

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…

Most hotels that have this will tell you this at check in. That’s the refrigerator is the mini bar/snack bar and don’t use it for personal items.

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

#278

Post by vkou » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:58 PM UTC

nine_zeros wrote: post #265

lxgr wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, that's a common misunderstanding, but they can't sue me in court – by accepting me as a customer, they accepted my binding arbitration agreement! It clearly said so on my luggage tag their authorized agent (i.e. the bellboy) handled as part of check-in.

>Oh, that's a common misunderstanding, but they can't sue me in court – by accepting me as a customer, they accepted my binding arbitration agreement! It clearly said so on my luggage tag their authorized agent (i.e. the bellboy) handled as part of check-in. Why can't there be a human membership union that sets these automatic binding arbitration agreements on service providers on behalf of members? Is there any law…

> Why can't there be a human membership union that sets these automatic binding arbitration agreements on service providers on behalf of members?

Those already exist, we call those things 'governments'.

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

#279

Post by vkou » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 5:59 PM UTC

lxgr wrote: post #224

grishka wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do hotels in the US not allow you to pay with cash any more? What if you don't have an internationally accepted card?

I believe many US hotels won't let you check in without at least a debit card these days. Possibly you can also put down the same amount they take as a hold on the card in cash, but I've never tried it.

You either need a card + ID, or a ~$300 cash deposit and ID.

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

#280

Post by dreamcompiler » Sat, Jul 19, 2025, 6:00 PM UTC

Marsymars wrote: post #274

dreamcompiler wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stayed at a Marriott property in Germany that had these. Got up in the middle of the night to pee and the automatic lights woke up my partner. I carry black electrical tape whenever I travel. It's marvelous for disabling sensors and covering up too-bright LEDs that light up the room all night.

Do you take the tape off when you leave?

Yes.

One could argue that I shouldn't because I'm "improving" their property but reasonable people could disagree about the definition of "improving." Bottom line is that it's their property and their rules but if I can make a nondestructive change to make the place more comfortable while I'm staying there, I will.