beware
1 night at Malibu Beach Inn, booked on location, in between flights from Hawaiian islands to France through southern California ; location : branded as Hollywood dream, in fact between coastal highway traffic, and eroded beach to which billionaires as hotel owner failed to block access for all ; room : no insulation, no sleep, entry on parking next to highway, outside visible between door and frame, cars noise instead of ocean sound ; cold, kitsch fake fireplace not heating enough ; not functioning toilet ; stained carpet ; selling methods : taxes not shown at booking, checkout stay rate increased ; bottles in bathroom, as free, rates concealed behind, extra debit 1 day later.
After checkout billing, unusable credit card, taxi from Malibu to LAX returned to hotel ; it took half an hour, warning that I would miss the flight, left in LA without money in hazardous situation, for Malibu Beach Inn management to fund ride reluctantly, after trying to avoid it, albeit at a cost near excess billing, with offer to refund it later ; in this kind of situation, smiles turn in hostility, consideration linked to cash machine status. It seemed as untold foreign limit on card ; yet, on arrival in northern France, card unusable for taxes on free miles flight to southern France ; left in the cold, medical error, after medical service alleged "crazy expenses" ; the day after, money on card account, incredible.
The bank revealed that before checkout Malibu Beach Inn asked for extra debit authorization on card, not shown on an invoice, added to checkin authorization, accounting for a guarantee 2/3 in excess of rate, with 15% card allowance on total authorized amount ; which blocked card, triggered wrecked tourist situation, 2/3 ratio ruling out improvident tourist behaviour.
It took a semester to receive Malibu Beach Inn invoice with false extra debit date on the same day as checkout, whereas card statement shows Malibu Beach Inn tried to bill in room few extras directly on card, 1 day after checkout, rejected by blocked card, before using extra debit authorization, which then was not for extra billing, with no access to locked minibar, bar, restaurant ; which shows that management, aware of card unusability and of related hazardous wrecked tourist situation, did not check for excessive hotel transactions, it only wanted wrecked tourist leaving the hall ; as a result, date of releasing abusive authorization hold on account, in excess of transaction amount, 1 day too late ; without Malibu Beach Inn abusive authorization, or had management checked transactions, would have shown as available money on card account 3 times as much as needed for taxes on flight to southern France.
Malibu Beach Inn management tried to avoid its responsibility with falsified invoice, instead of answering questions on abusive authorization. Malibu Beach Inn dealings to minimize its financial risk brought about intolerable risk to guest. Indeed it is the hotel from hell. It seems there is no solution other than a mediatized lawsuit. read more