It's true! The computer probaby automatically doubles everything. When you tell the checkout person about it, they just say "Oh, OK" and correct it because they kow it's a scam.

I purposely never order room service or use the minibar so I know there's nothing they can get me for. When I check out and there are charges (and there usually are), I go ballistic.

It happened to me at some glitzy hotel in downtown Miami. They lured me back with promises of fruit trays and flowers--then they did it again!!!

It's like a dog licking it's own balls--because they can.

I've asked for the mini bar to be emptied & not refilled during my stay so I can use it as a fridge. Sometimes hotels are accommodating, other times I have to say I have medication that needs to be refrigerated.

The mini-bar is the worst. Especially when they fill it up with candy. That just made the term mini-bar confusing.

But the mini-bar does not even touch my experience with the college decline-balance system of being forced on meal plan with the minimum still being too much as you either waste meals/money or eat pedestrian cusine. You are also given a certain amount of money to spend on campus but everything is so overpriced. College is one giant mini-bar.

Here's a secret: A lot of it depends on management. I've had much nicer stays in a Clarion than in a Hilton. And if you're making reservations online, don't necessarily go by "Customer Reviews" - despite some very negative reviews of one place, I made a reservation anyway because of the good price and location - it turned out to be 9 out of 10.

I was staying at a very well-known seaside hotel in Santa Monica (yes,I'm speaking about you, SHUTTERS!)where upon arriving and finding my room not available, I was offered a complimentary beverage on the patio because of their delay. Five days later, I checked out at the main desk, received my bill and was on my way.

A month later I get my AMEX bill to find the 'complimentary' beverage was added separately to my stay. Amex fought for me but the hotel's excuse was 'the bar bill was legit but had not been submitted in time to make my checkout date'. Besides the fact that it was to be 'free', I can't believe they couldn't get their shit together in 5 days?! WTF?! Smells like a frequent scam to pull on guests whom they know are on expense accounts.

Nice advice! Ive checked out of hotels before and its always screwed up!

In retrospect it's an easy practice to take advantage of. Drink everything in the mini-bar, leave the lights on, use their valet, and watch some questionable movies. When you leave tell them that you didn't do any of it. They're so used to scamming people that they'll take everything off your bill... Yay, freebies!

I always pay cash when I stay at hotels, and when i go to bars too. If you think the scamming biz behind hotels is bad you should look into the bartending business!!! I've bartended for four years and have worked with so many girls who add on a few extra drinks to credit card tabs and pocket the difference. ALWAYS USE CASH, if you don't want it to end up in someone else's pocket!!

Wait a minute! I paid cash once on purpose because I didn't want any fuckup with my credit card bill. But they billed it to my credit card anyway! They double billed me!

It took me a lot of fighting to win that one but I did. And now I NEVER pay cash.

order depends comment include occur

It must be domestically, I've never had that problem overseas.

Well honeys, as a veteran of that industry, it costs a lot of money to run a hotel. Just because someone saw a movie or a TV series, they think they can treat hotel personnel as their servants. You can only do that if you PAY for it honey. Tips and kind words are the name of the game. Hotels don't pay their employees a lot and there is a high turnover rate. Stay where the employees are there long term. No one leaves when the tips are good. You're nice to them, they're nice to you.
People dispute everything their companies won't pay for, they dispute all the stuff they don't want their boss/spouse/finance department, etc to find out. Machines posting charges are probably out of date or the person is yet another new hire with half an hour training trying to figure it out.

Minibars are a bitch. Insist they empty them out or seal them for you. The medication bit is a good one. I know someone who worked a Baptist convention where one of the holy rolling guests actually tried to steal a minibar so she wouldn't be charged for her purchases.
Hotel people have seen it all honey. Yelling and carrying on will put you on the bottom of the list. Now you know how I got so jaded. I've had Air France crew members tell me they knew no one in France and didn't make zeees call! I've had bitch mothers trying to use all kinds of tactics for free stuff, blaming the trauma inflicted on her child because he was told he couldn't pee on some other kid in the pool area. The lives I've ruined honey.
On the other hand, guests who treated the staff well were a pleasure. You hated seeing them manhandled. You watched out for those nice to you.
Of course some grievances are valid and yes, pay attention to your bill, ask questions politely because the person behind behind that counter probably isn't the one who posted those charges. The person behind the desk is the one who gets paid the least and has to listen to people bully and bitch about items out of their control. That person is- however - the one who can remove those charges BEFORE they hit your credit card and avoid anymore problems. Be nice, be calm, slip them a tip for their trouble and those charges will stay off the bill. Or for you cheapskates, coo and thank and get the person's name, write it on a comment card and drop the thing off on your way out. Some chains reward employees when they get a lot of good comments.
Of course, if the person behind the desk is a total bitch, stay there politely disputing each item and demanding receipts before you sign anything. If it can't be produced, it can't be charged. Sign nothing until you see a final bill.
Last of all: ALWAYS tip your maids! The shit those women have to clean up, you have no idea....