BOSTON (WHDH) - A Rhode Island weekend took an expensive turn when Jessica Sathre’s hotel bill suddenly doubled.
“That put a tamper on everything,” she remembered.
Sathre had traveled from Arizona to Newport to see her son graduate from the Navy Officer Candidate School.
After three days of celebration, she went to check out and discovered the hotel had charged her $500 for smoking in her room.
Sathre is a registered nurse and said she doesn’t smoke or vape.
“As a nurse practitioner, I pride myself on my integrity. My patients need to trust me, so the fact that I don’t smoke, and I’m telling you I don’t smoke, I feel like it should be trustworthy just by me saying it,” Sathre said.
She even offered to get tested for THC and nicotine, but the hotel manager wouldn’t budge.
“It was just beyond frustrating,” Sathre said.
Months later, travel journalist Zach Griff stayed at the same hotel and was charged the same fee.
“I travel a ton. I spend a hundred plus nights on the road, and this was the first time I’ve experienced something like this,” Griff said.
He also said neither he nor his wife ever smoked.
“No, never have. We were traveling with our eight-month-old daughter during this trip, so it should be abundantly clear that we’re responsible adults and certainly not trying to pull a fast one here,” Griff said.
Griff said after the hotel refused to refund them the $500, he posted on social media about the incident.
“After posting and going so viral, it was pretty clear that so many other people have had this experience too,” Griff said.
The hotel that Griff and Sathre stayed at used a sensor that is marketed to enforce no-smoking policies at hotels. The technology aims to detect when guests vape, smoke nicotine, or marijuana.
Multiple companies are collaborating with hotel chains to offer sensors that can detect smoke and other air quality issues.
7 Investigates found complaints are piling up across the country, with guests claiming false charges.
Michelle Rogge stayed in Seaport last fall for a conference. She was also surprised by an additional $500 charge when checking out.
“They said smoke was detected in your room and they showed me a printout that had a sort of graph on it,” Rogge remembered. “I was like, ‘No. No, I was not smoking. I don’t smoke, so why would that happen?’”
Her attempts to dispute the charge were also unsuccessful.
“I was alone in a room, so no one else can say, ‘Oh no, I didn’t see you smoke.’ I know I didn’t, that’s pretty much all I have, but they are so convinced their system is flawless and not able to make mistakes,” Rogge said.
The sensor in John Krizan’s room went off twice and added $1,000 to the bill at his hotel in Seaport.
“It’s a horrible feeling to be accused of something you did not do and you are 1000% right, and you know you didn’t do it,” Krizan said.
The companies that manufacture the sensors stand by their accuracy but certain types can be triggered by things like steam, aerosols and cooking fumes.
And while travelers struggle to absorb these hefty charges, 7 Investigates found some sensor companies are pitching them as profit-makers for hotels. The companies’ websites promote “increased revenue” and the ability for the devices to “increase profitability.”
“I think good technology is actually going to make this experience better, for sure. But unfortunately, I think you also see some instances where people can take advantage of you with technology,” Griff said.
Brent Hayhurst works with Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. He said, for them, the sensors are not about profit but protection. Curator Hotel & Resorts Collection recently partnered with a smoking sensor company but none of their properties have implemented the technology yet.
“We didn’t see it as a revenue driver, we saw it as a potential tool for both operational defense of cost avoidance and as well as an opportunity to potentially increase marketing and look at air in a different way,” Hayhurst said.
Smoking in a nonsmoking room can cost hotels hundreds of dollars in cleaning fees. Hayhurst explains that as vaping increases and more states legalize marijuana, smoking and the cost of cleaning it up are becoming more of a problem for hotels.
Hayhurst said he thinks going forward, this technology will work best if it is used as a tool that staff use to follow up and investigate claims of smoking.
“It certainly is not meant to be, from our perspective, a completely blind enforcement tool devoid of human touch,” Hayhurst said.
Sathre and Griff were told they would be refunded after Griff’s video went viral. The hotel they stayed at told 7 Investigates it is reviewing how it supports its non-smoking / non-vaping policy in the wake of recent feedback.
While she will be refunded, Sathre said the whole experience will stick with her on her next trip.
“It’s gonna alter how I get ready when I’m traveling. Where I stay when I’m traveling. The questions I ask when I’m traveling,” she admitted.
The hotel where Rogge and Krizan stayed told 7 Investigates it is no longer using the sensors.
Krizan was able to get his bank to dispute his charges but Rogge paid with her debit card and has not been refunded.
“It is a lot of money and totally unexpected and it messes with your budget for many weeks and months to come,” Rogge said.
To avoid these fees, it is recommended to read reviews before booking a hotel and ask if they have smoking sensors. If you smell smoke or see any evidence of it when you check into your room, document the evidence.
If you’re hit with a surprise smoking fee and didn’t smoke, travel experts suggest checking your bill before leaving and disputing any charges on the spot. Paying with a credit card also gives you the option to challenge the fee with your card company if the hotel won’t remove it.
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