A thief broke into our hotel room, extended our stay, and charged over $1,000 to our account.

After your last hotel stay, did you stop by the front desk to inform them you were checking out? If not, you're definitely not alone. In today’s digital age, many travelers see the formal checkout process as unnecessary.

However, you might change your perspective after hearing about Nathan and Eleni Weisser's recent hotel ordeal.

The couple's alarming experience began with an unexpected upgrade to a luxurious suite at the London Hilton on Park Lane. It should have concluded with the Weissers casually checking out by dropping their keycards in a lobby box. They left for the airport to catch a flight to Greece, oblivious to the fact that a thief had been watching them. This criminal entered their vacant hotel room and called the front desk to extend their stay.

Over the next two days, the imposter ordered room service, enjoyed the king-size bed, and took in the stunning views of London. Sensing that the hotel might uncover his ruse, he quietly left, but the hotel charged his $800 bill to the Weissers' credit card.

Upon returning home from their trip, the couple discovered an unexpected charge. Thinking it was a simple billing mistake, Eleni called the hotel to dispute it. That’s when a hotel manager informed her that it was not an error; he revealed that her husband had extended their reservation over the phone and that the $800 charge would remain.

Weeks later, the London Hilton on Park Lane still refused to acknowledge that it had been deceived by a scammer, leaving the $800 charge on the couple's credit card statement. Feeling helpless, a frustrated Eleni reached out to TPG for assistance.

Here’s the continuation of this couple’s strange story, what TPG did to assist them, and tips on how you can safeguard yourself from unexpected hotel charges after checkout.

Using Hilton Honors points for a one-night stay

Earlier this year, the Weissers, dedicated TPG readers and passionate points enthusiasts, were organizing their summer trip to Greece. They planned to spend one night in London en route to the Greek islands.

Eleni was thrilled to find that she could reserve a standard king room at the London Hilton on Park Lane for 80,000 Hilton Honors points per night.

"We love the points game," Eleni shared. "This was a fantastic way to utilize our points."

As per TPG's August 2024 valuations, Hilton Honors points are worth 0.6 cents each. Therefore, Weisser estimated the room was "costing" her around $480, compared to the $720 nightly cash rate for the same room.

But even more exciting news awaited the couple.

An unexpected upgrade at the London Hilton on Park Lane

Upon their arrival in England, the couple was fatigued and eager to check into their room. They planned to rest a bit before heading out for some sightseeing in London.

"The reception informed us that we had received an upgrade," Eleni recalled. "I found it a bit unusual since we had booked with points, but we figured it was a perk of Nathan's Gold status with Hilton Honors."

The couple didn’t expect much from the upgrade, but they were grateful for the hotel’s thoughtful gesture.

Gold elite members of Hilton Honors are entitled to room upgrades at check-in based on availability. The Weissers were pleasantly surprised when they entered their room on the 27th floor.

The hotel had placed them in a spacious suite. The luxurious accommodations featured a living room, dining area, bedroom, marble bathroom, and breathtaking views of London.

It was the ideal start to their summer getaway.

Casually checking out of the hotel

Along with the upgrade, the hotel allowed the Weissers a late checkout the following day. With their flight to Preveza, Greece, set for mid-afternoon, the couple had extra time to savor their stunning suite.

Around 1 p.m., they requested an Uber to take them to London Stansted Airport (STN), located about 40 miles from the city. When the vehicle arrived, the couple collected their bags and proceeded to the lobby. Skipping the line at the reception, they dropped their keycards into a return box and exited the hotel.

Uber records indicate the Weissers were picked up at the London Hilton on Park Lane at 1:48 p.m., reaching the airport by 3:33 p.m. They boarded a Ryanair flight to Preveza at 5 p.m.

By this time, the thief had already manipulated their hotel stay. The con artist was comfortably situated in the suite on the 27th floor, having easily convinced the front desk over the phone that he was Nathan Weisser. When staff asked him to come downstairs to finalize the new registration for the additional night, he claimed to be unwell and promised to come down the next day.

The fraudster then ordered over $100 worth of room service and made himself at home in the luxurious suite with a view of the city.

The thief attempts to prolong his hotel stay for another night 

The following day, it seems the imposter was emboldened by his successful night and had no intention of leaving quickly. He called the front desk again, claiming that his illness had worsened. The staff offered to arrange for a doctor, but the con artist declined, instead requesting to stay for another night before continuing his journey.

The hotel staff consented to extend his stay for one more night, but insisted he come to the front desk. The scammer promised to come down soon, but he never showed up. Sensing that the staff might be getting suspicious, he decided against spending an extra night in the suite.

When he failed to appear at the front desk as he had said, the hotel sent someone to check on "Nathan" in the suite. They discovered the room was vacant.

The London Hilton on Park Lane finalized the reservation, charging the Weissers a no-show fee for the second night the thief had requested. Now, the unsuspecting couple, relaxing on a beach in Greece over 1,000 miles away, faced nearly $1,500 in unauthorized charges.

Identifying a questionable charge

Weeks later, Eleni Weisser reached out to TPG for assistance via email. By that time, she mentioned that she had contacted the London Hilton on Park Lane "at least 20 times" in a futile effort to dispute the fraudulent charges on her card.

In her email exchanges with the hotel, which she shared with TPG, the situation appeared quite strange. Despite multiple hotel representatives asserting that Nathan had extended his stay and occupied the room, Eleni deduced that the actual occupant must have been an imposter. She repeatedly voiced this suspicion in her correspondence, but none of the hotel staff, including the property manager, acknowledged her claim that they had hosted a fraudster and charged her for his stay.

This remained true even after Eleni provided a notification from Ryanair confirming that both she and Nathan had boarded the flight to Greece on the date in question.

Rather than resolving the issue, the hotel proposed to waive the no-show fee for one night as a compromise, but they stood firm on the extension for the first night and the expensive room service charges. This included the fraudulent $800 charge that the couple refused to pay.

As I examined the puzzling documentation, I questioned why the hotel had allowed the situation to spiral out of control. Eleni's records contained undeniable proof that the couple was not in England during the time the impersonator occupied their previous room.

I aimed to resolve this bizarre and stressful situation for the couple swiftly. They had enjoyed a fantastic stay at the London Hilton on Park Lane and had praised it to friends and family. It was truly regrettable that the hotel had not promptly recognized and rectified this error.

It was time for me to reach out to our executive contact at Hilton to see how his team could address this matter.

Requesting a refund from Hilton for the fraudulent charges

I forwarded all of Eleni's documentation to our executive contact at Hilton. This individual isn't a customer service representative, but rather a media contact and consumer advocate that I can access.

The documentation included:

• An Uber receipt indicating the couple was picked up from the London Hilton on Park Lane at 1:48 p.m. and taken to the airport.
• A confirmation from Ryanair verifying that both Nathan and Eleni boarded their flight to Greece at 5 p.m.

Within a day, Eleni finally received the positive outcome she had been striving for over the past weeks ... along with a little extra.

The London Hilton on Park Lane sent an email apology along with an explanation of their findings regarding the incident:

"[Our investigation indicates] ... an individual accessed your room after you checked out. When my team followed up, that person claimed to be unwell and requested an extension. Normally, extensions are processed at the front desk, but out of concern for their health, my team approved it over the phone. This issue has been reported to the authorities."

"I want to assure you that all charges related to this incident have been refunded to your credit card. Additionally, I confirm that your personal and credit card information was never compromised and remained secure throughout the process."

"I understand how unsettling this situation has been. Please be assured that we will do everything possible to prevent this from happening again."

"I would also like to refund the points you used for your initial night's stay, which have now been credited back to your account."

Ultimately, not only were all charges linked to the scammer eliminated, but the hotel also returned the 80,000 Hilton Honors points the couple had used for their original night in that beautiful suite.

The Weissers are pleased with the resolution, but they hope their experience acts as a cautionary tale for travelers this summer: Always check out of your hotel room in person. Failing to do so could result in unexpected and hard-to-remove charges after your stay.

Tips: How to prevent unexpected post-stay charges

As a frequent traveler, I often feel tempted to skip the front desk when checking out, especially when I'm pressed for time or faced with a long line. However, as a consumer advocate, I understand how this habit can leave travelers vulnerable to unnecessary issues.

Here are some ways to make sure you aren't putting yourself at risk for surprise charges after your stay.

Avoid using the hotel's key drop box. Always check out in person at the front desk.

This might add a few minutes to your travel schedule, but it will save you countless hours of frustration if any issues arise later.

Keep in mind that until your reservation is officially closed, you are liable for anything that occurs in your hotel room. If you skip the in-person checkout and someone enters your room after you've left, consumes items from the minibar, or causes damage, you will be responsible for those charges.

It's always best to bypass the keycard drop-off and conclude your stay at the front desk.

Take photos of the room's condition during check-in and check-out.

Many hotels operate under a franchise model, meaning they are independently owned and run. The hotel staff or owner may not share the same ethical standards or reputation associated with the brand.

Unfortunately, my case files reveal that some dishonest hotel owners specifically target guests who do not check out formally. These travelers often discover unexpected charges on their final bill long after they've left.

Common unexpected charges I've encountered include damage to TVs, mirrors, and furniture, as well as stains on carpets and charges for expensive minibar items.

To shield yourself from these surprise fees, I suggest the following:

• Take some photos or videos of the room's condition upon arrival and departure. You should also do this with rental cars if you aren't already.
• Make sure to close the door behind you when checking out to prevent anyone from sneaking in.
• Always review your final bill at the front desk before leaving. It's easier to resolve billing issues while you're still on-site.
• Always use a credit card for payments, as it provides protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act against potential fraudulent charges.

After checking out, monitor your credit card statement closely.

Even if you've gone through the formal checkout process and reviewed your final invoice, it doesn't always shield you from unexpected post-stay charges. As Erica Silverstein, managing editor of TPG's cruise team, suggests, it's crucial to keep an eye on your credit card bill after leaving the hotel.

While surprise post-stay charges are usually not as shocking as the ones the Weissers experienced, I know that smaller billing discrepancies are quite common. Some may stem from simple clerical errors, while others could be more dubious.

In my mediation experience over the years, I've noticed a recurring trend of extra charges arising from franchised hotels, which raises concerns that bill-padding may be a routine practice at certain locations to boost profits. However, this was not the case for the Weissers, as both the hotel and the couple were victims of fraud.

Ultimately, it's your responsibility to remain vigilant before, during, and after your hotel stay to safeguard against both accidental and deliberate billing mistakes.

It's crucial to understand that guests who pay with debit cards are often more vulnerable to this kind of scam. This is likely because the individual inflating the bill knows that the consumer may struggle to formally dispute the charge. Travelers should always avoid using a debit card for hotel payments, as it provides the hotel access to their entire bank account balance, unlike a credit card, which typically offers stronger purchase and fraud protections.

I've reported numerous instances where dishonest franchise hotel owners took advantage of their former guests by claiming that something absurdly large, like a stove, had gone missing from the room. While some of these cash-grab tales might sound amusing, for the hotel guest whose bank account has been wiped clean, it's certainly no laughing matter.

It's worth emphasizing: Never settle your hotel bill with a debit card linked to your main bank account.

Bottom line

While it's true that a thief sneaking into your hotel room after your departure is a rare event and unlikely for most travelers, there are numerous less dramatic reasons why it's always wise to formally check out. Although it may seem like an unnecessary step, taking a few extra minutes to check out in person is a small price to pay compared to the potential issues that could arise if you skip it.

Should you find yourself facing an unusual predicament with a hotel, cruise line, airline, credit card provider, or vacation rental, TPG is ready to assist. Just email me at [email protected], and I'll gladly investigate and support you as well.