Travel scamsHotels and rooms
Hotel scams
17 reported in 14 countries. How each works and how to avoid it.
- MexicoVery commonFree gifts that lead to timeshare sales pitchesPromoters offer free meals, hotel nights, rental cars, tickets or tours in return for attending a timeshare presentation. Some present themselves as tourist information staff. The sales pitch can last one to two hours or longer. Sellers may make false promises, claim an agency will buy back the timeshare or pressure you to sign immediately. Promised gifts can be hard to collect.Cancún, Puerto Vallarta
- VietnamVery commonHotel price scamsHotel scams are described as very common, including at mid-range hotels. Hotel prices are also a major scam concern across Vietnam, but no further method is described.Ho Chi Minh City
- VietnamOccasionalHotel referral with an inflated taxi demandA guide asks whether you have booked a hotel. If you say no, they arrange a taxi to a hotel that pays commission. If you reject the hotel, they may demand an inflated taxi fare.
- MoroccoCommonUnwanted hotel directions for paymentTouts intercept visitors near their accommodation. They claim routes are closed or GPS does not work, then lead you a short distance to your hotel and expect money.
- MoroccoOccasionalRoom-service robberyA solo guest may be targeted for robbery when someone delivering room service enters the room.Marrakech
- EgyptCommonTaxi or station tout diverts you to a hotelA driver or tout pushes you towards a hotel that pays them a commission. Airport taxi drivers are especially associated with this trick. Travellers without a clear accommodation plan are easier to pressure.
- EgyptOccasionalDrink spiking by accommodation touts or staffThere have been reports of women being given spiked drinks by hotel touts or staff and then sexually assaulted.Luxor
- IndiaCommonFalse claims that your hotel is closed or unreachableA driver or tout says your hotel is closed, full or cut off by roadworks. They steer you to a hotel that pays them a commission. A travel agent may pretend to phone your hotel. In Delhi, they may claim there are no rooms anywhere and sell an overpriced car journey to your next destination. Similar false hotel claims occur elsewhere in India.Delhi
- South AfricaCommonBurglary and theft from accommodationThieves enter a property or take valuables left within easy reach. Items visible through an open window can be an easy target.
- Dominican RepublicOccasionalTheft from accommodationPassports or valuables left unsecured at your accommodation may be stolen, including by housekeeping staff.Santo Domingo
- New ZealandCommonAccommodation burglarySomeone enters accommodation and steals belongings. Burglary is usually opportunistic rather than aimed at a particular visitor.
- PeruCommonArrival touts steering you to another hotel or sellerTouts approach new arrivals and try to lead them to accommodation or sell services. They may use information you share to invent reasons why you should change your plans.
- BahrainOccasionalHotel-room burglarySomeone enters a hotel room and steals belongings. The entry method is not described. Hotel security does not remove the risk entirely.
- BoliviaOccasionalHotel check-in diversionA thief acts as if they work for the hotel. A diversion draws your attention away, and an unattended bag is taken.La Paz
- KyrgyzstanCommonMoney stolen from guesthouse roomsMoney left in a room disappears while the guest is away. There have been many reports involving cash stashes in rural guesthouses.
- DR CongoOccasionalTheft risk in poorly secured hotel roomsFlimsy door locks and ground-level windows that do not lock can leave rooms and belongings exposed to theft. Missing curtains can also leave possessions visible from outside.
- NigeriaOccasionalCard fraud after a hotel depositThere are reports of card details being used fraudulently almost immediately after guests paid hotel deposits. An expensive hotel does not remove this risk.Abuja
Reviewed by @snuck