Fresh linens, room service, wake-up calls... The hotel industry has long been known for its customer service. But more and more travelers are feeling like that emphasis on convenience is going out the window.
Reginald Campbell says that's just what happened to him. We caught this frequent traveler heading into a hotel and learned he's been a victim of a growing trend in the industry.
"In this economy you cannot afford to get burned. You think you can save a lot of money but what you don't see is that it's non-refundable," he said.
Campbell is one of many travelers who have jumped at discount room fares online only to find out the hard way, there's a catch if you cancel.
"You basically will not get your money back," he said.
Industry experts say hotels are merely responding to consumers nowadays who are more quick to change their minds.
"They'll go to these search engines and try to find a good price and they'll commit to it but they're quicker to back away from it too, so hotels are responding to that," said Peter Stone the Management and Marketing Director at Spartanburg Community College.
And hospitality experts are quick to defend hotels. They say cancellation policies are clear on their websites. It's the other travel sites that may be more vague.
"If you're not booking directly with the hotel or the hotel company, you're booking on a third party site, that's generally where there are more issues," said Scott D. Berman the Hospitality Expert at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC.
Campbell's advice?
"Read the fine print!."
He lost out on hundreds and wants to make sure you don't.
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