Lawyer fights hotel's additional $250 charge
Jump to full article: Milwaukee (WI) Journal-Sentinel, 2010-09-05
Author: Alex Morrell of the Journal Sentinel
Intro: Kate Lloyd and her fiancé;, Aaron O'Neil, came to Milwaukee in mid-August to enjoy Irish Fest and celebrate birthdays with her family. . . .
What they saw had them fuming: a $250 charge for smoking in a nonsmoking room.
The problem? Neither Lloyd nor O'Neil is a smoker. What's more, Lloyd suffers from severe asthma. They insist there was no possibility anyone smoked in the room while they were there. . . .
After speaking Thursday with Lloyd, Public Investigator called the local Hyatt and the company's corporate office. Later that day, Hyatt changed its tone.
Lloyd got a call from a higher ranking official at the local Hyatt, who told her the hotel had received her letter demanding a refund and threatening to sue. The Hyatt refunded Lloyd the $250 that day.
In an interview with Public Investigator, Hyatt Regency Milwaukee general manager Gerald Rappaport insisted the hotel has evidence of smoking in the room, but given Lloyd's resolve to fight the bill and her asthmatic condition, the charge was taken off. . . .
Although Lloyd is relieved to have the ordeal behind her, she thinks the hotel's stringent policies should be snuffed out.
"I can't imagine I'm the only one this has happened to, and I hope exposing this practice will put an end to it," she said. "Nobody should have to go through this."
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