An Indian influencer says she was charged over $50 by a New York hotel for getting cutlery and hot water delivered to her room. Anushka Rathod, a content creator from Gujarat, took to Instagram to warn her followers against falling into the same ‘tourist trap’ that she nearly did.
Rathod said that her hotel charged her extra for basic services without informing her beforehand that they would cost extra.
Unfair charges by New York hotel
In her Instagram video, she revealed three instances of being charged unfairly by the hotel.
In the first instance, she was charged $20 for getting a package of food delivered to her room from the reception. This charge she decided to ignore. However, there were two other charges on her final bill that she could not ignore.
Rathod said that the New York hotel added $26 to her bill for getting cutlery delivered to her room. The hotel also charged her $31 for hot water – which she requested because there was no kettle in the room.
All in all, she was charged $77 ( ₹6,700) for in-room delivery. She decided to dispute the last two charges which added up to $57 ( ₹5,000).
Fighting the charges
{{/usCountry}}All in all, she was charged $77 ( ₹6,700) for in-room delivery. She decided to dispute the last two charges which added up to $57 ( ₹5,000).
Fighting the charges
{{/usCountry}}Rathod — who featured on the 30 Under 30 - Asia - Media, Marketing & Advertising list in 2024 — said she approached the receptionist and argued that the charges were unfair.
She told the receptionist that it was unprofessional to charge such a high amount for such basic services – especially as she was not informed beforehand. The receptionist initially refused to have the charges removed. It was only the threat of negative social media reviews from Rathod that led the hotel to finally agree to remove the charges from her bill.
A warning on tourist trap
Rathod, who is from Surat, warned her followers not to fall for similar tourist traps when in the US.
“Remember, always check your bill carefully and don’t hesitate to question extra charges,” she wrote on Instagram.
In the comments section, some people shared similar experiences of being overcharged by hotels.
“Faced similar experiences in NYC too... Had to even fight for a month for just the security deposit of 100 dollars that they take... NY can be insane,” wrote one person.
“Paid huge price for the bed sheet that got a makeup stain or when the baby dropped something on it by a hotel in Bali. They charged us as laundry charges which was pathetic,” another Instagram user said.