CLEVELAND — With so many homes without power after the storms, countless people looked for alternative places to stay. Some turned to hotels, but there were also customers who faced even greater problems.
“I was sitting there on my patio watching it,” said Patricia Cannon, who lives at The Meridian in Lakewood.
She saw the storm coming earlier this week and when the power went out she had a lot of trouble sleeping. She needs her CPAP machine, which she can plug into.
“If I try to fall asleep on the couch, I suffocate within 15 minutes,” Cannon said.
Her son and daughter tried to find a hotel for Cannon. They said two hotels accepted their reservations, but when they got there, they found the buildings had no power.
Her daughter, Maya Rucker, told us she called a third hotel in Independence.
“They said, ‘Yes, we’re open. There are no problems. I have no indication that it’s not open,'” Rucker said.
But when they got there, problems arose again, they said. “It was pitch black in the hotel,” Rucker said.
“Even though you called beforehand,” we asked.
“Yes, I called beforehand… that really annoyed me,” she told us.
“Just take your listing out,” said her son, Rick Rucker. “If you’re not open when the power goes out … I’m a business owner, just don’t have it on the list.”
Maya said she booked the room through Expedia but then had problems getting a refund.
We also heard of similar problems at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cleveland-Westlake: people booked rooms, arrived, and then the hotel had no power.
Consumer advocates like Sheryl Harris, director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Protection, said using a credit card can be helpful in such situations.
“If you paid with a credit card, as we always recommend, you have the right to file a dispute,” Harris said. “That’s a no-brainer if you don’t get something you paid for.”
The same goes if you’re trying to book an Air B&B. Use a credit card. “If the place doesn’t exist or a homeowner says, this is my house. I never … I didn’t rent it out. You at least don’t have to pay,” Harris said.
Cannon and her family have suggestions for hotels to use during power outages. “During this hectic time, if you outsource your booking, you have to tell them, ‘Hey, we’re not available,'” Maya said.
“I’m just blessed to have two kids who take care of me,” Cannon said. “But there are a lot of people who don’t have that.”
We have contacted the hotels concerned and are waiting for a response.
Expedia said Maya’s complaint is currently under review.
She told us that when she was researching hotels, the prices seemed very high. If you think you might have a complaint about the prices, contact the Ohio Attorney General’s office. You can also file consumer complaints there or with the Cuyahoga County Office of Consumer Protection.
