BookOnlineReviews 10,239

On route to St. John's for a medical appointment, I googled numbers for the Holiday Inn Conference Center in St. John's, NL. I initially only found numbers with an 888 and a 383 area code and could not speak directly to a hotel receptionist. I eventually found a 709 area code (which is the area code for NL, Canada). I booked a hotel through this travel agency (not fully realizing it was a travel agency or third party booking agency as they did not state this in their call) expecting to be charged in Canadian dollars (CAD), as there was no clear indication otherwise. I also provided my address which is a NL, Canada address and booked a hotel with a NL, Canada address. However, I was shocked to see the final charge come through in US dollars (USD), which made the total significantly higher than what I had budgeted for. There was no upfront disclosure about the currency conversion or that the quoted prices were in USD. I was also not aware that I was being charged immediately instead of upon checking in/out of my hotel. This lack of transparency is incredibly frustrating and feels very deceptive. This kind of pricing misinformation is unacceptable—especially when people are relying on service for a smooth travel experience. Another point to add is that I asked for military rates and the rate I was told, does not match the rate that the hotel receptionist gave me either. It's all around puzzling and infuriating, to say the least. Travel is stressful enough, especially when it is for medical purposes, without having to second-guess whether you're being overcharged and taken advantage of. I will be spreading the word to avoid using this number for booking and to strongly caution others to ensure rates are in the correct currency (which should never have been an issue given the addresses I provided)—because they certainly won't point it out for you. I truly hope this issue is rectified as soon as possible as I need that money to cover the rest of my travel expenses or my family will not get to eat... try dealing with 'hangry' children! It will not be fun!