Aussie woman's shock as $1400 hotel fee appears days after checking out
The incensed woman branded the belated charge from the hotel as 'cowardly'.
A woman who enjoyed an overnight stay at a ritzy Aussie hotel says she was left puzzled and confused when days later she was hit with a staggering $1,400 fee, describing it as a "disgusting" room charge she had no idea about.
West Australian woman Kelly — who has chosen not to give her real name — checked into the Novotel Perth Langley last Saturday to attend the Ministry of Sound concert at Kings Park. She had reportedly just finished getting ready, having showered and blow-dried her hair when the fire alarm went off. Moments later, she was shocked to discover fire crews had arrived at her door.
They ultimately determined her top-of-the-range Dyson hair dryer was the cause of the alarm, but no other action was taken and Kelly later took off to enjoy her evening.
She checked out the next morning with no issues and went about her week, before getting a serious shock days later.
Whopping fee appears days later
Three days later, the Perth woman said she was bewildered to find a whopping $1,400 had been deducted from her debit card, charged by the Novotel. Suddenly her $240-a-night room had grown in expense by sixfold. After calling the hotel, she was informed the fee was due to the fire department call-out, The West Australian reported.
According to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), there is in fact a $1,337 fee to have crews attend a property, with an additional $63 added to hotels for false alarms. However DFES's policy discourages hotels from passing the cost on to guests.
Kelly said she spent the entire day on Wednesday stressed out, attempting to have the charge reversed, which she said left her account in the negative.
Woman brands penalty 'disgusting'
Speaking to local media, she fumed over the hotel's handling of the sudden, belated charge.
"They sent no email, I called the hotel, [reception] said it was in their terms and conditions," she told The West Australian.
"So if you’re at a buffet and the alarm goes off are they going to charge you for burning your toast? ... It’s disgusting and cowardly."
Eventually, Kelly claims the Novotel began refusing to take her calls and didn't let her speak to the manager.
Later, after continued emails from the guest and subsequent media attention, the hotel's manager on Thursday reversed the charge.
In WA, the $1,337 fee is triggered by DFES after a premises has its fourth false fire alarm call-out in a financial year, with the the first three not attracting any charge.
The fee was introduced in 2015 after false alarms cost the department more than $8 million.
The Novotel Perth Langley has been contacted by Yahoo for comment.
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