Legal question

 

A resort that requests you pay for your room charge in full when checking in, 

then not return the balance if you check out before the booked end of your stay.

 

Is this legal?

 

I heard that a tourist called the Tourist Police and they told the resort they had to return the balance.

IMHO 

 

If you booked for something they reserve the room for you cannot rent it out so you will have to pay. Ok maybe they can rent it out later but there are missed opportunities. If you book you have to pay, solution pay by the day (usually a higher rate and no security because they could kick you out as others have reserved.

It is legal, you book for something and pay. Now you want another deal (stay shorter) but you haven't any contract for that.

Even if it's not legal, what are you going to do? Take them to court?

Tip for the future: Tell them you stay one night and pay for just one night, even if you intend to stay more than one night. And then pay day by day

6 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Even if it's not legal, what are you going to do? Take them to court?

Tip for the future: Tell them you stay one night and pay for just one night, even if you intend to stay more than one night. And then pay day by day

That works.. until it does not (reservations of other people). It would work good in the low season though.

I only paid cash for 3 days at a time, and the only owner ever complained I didn't pay for the entire booked period was a Brit <deleted>.

Mind you I wouldn't do that at high season as they can kick me out to allow a booked customer to stay.

The time I did leave early, I accepted I'd lost the days paid for and not used. They could have lost out on a booking.

11 minutes ago, robblok said:

That works.. until it does not (reservations of other people). It would work good in the low season though.

It also works well in high season (maybe on a Thai public holiday you should not do it), i always do it like this and never had to leave my room. Of course there is a small chance that you are forced to leave, but i think the chance is really marginal. I think a hotel is only booked completely at just a few days per year, if it were more they would increase the prices.

41 minutes ago, jackdd said:

It also works well in high season (maybe on a Thai public holiday you should not do it), i always do it like this and never had to leave my room. Of course there is a small chance that you are forced to leave, but i think the chance is really marginal. I think a hotel is only booked completely at just a few days per year, if it were more they would increase the prices.

I think it depends where you go I often had problems in Koh Lipe even with normal bookings that hotels were already booked full or certain days were not available. That is why i just book and pay.