The minibar trick

This is in reference to our first experience in Melia Purosani Hotel, Yogyakarta, in early August. As our company was celebrating its first anniversary, we decided to spend a night at Melia. We booked nine of the hotel's rooms (four single and five double).

The reason we chose this hotel is because it's the only five- star hotel in Yogyakarta, and we believed we would have a great time. Well, we were not really lucky. We were quite disappointed when, upon our return to Jakarta, we learned that the hotel had charged room 449 and room 451 for drinks they hadn't consumed from the minibar.

The company settled the whole bill and then charged my colleagues and I for things not covered by the company. Thinking that my extra bill was perhaps a computer error, I contacted the hotel to let the staff know about it. They appeared unconcerned about my complaint, and seemed to avoid my calls. It's not the money that matters, I believe my long distance calls have cost more than the amount incorrectly billed to the rooms.

I am just wondering why a five-star hotel like Melia does not know how to satisfy its customers. After waiting for them to return my calls, I decided to call them for the last time. The staff still insists that I consumed drinks from the minibar, and nothing more can be said about it. Frankly speaking, I feel cheated by the hotel. My colleagues and I have come to the conclusion that it's not a computer error that overbilled us, but more to do with the attitude of men here.

SUSAN

Jakarta