Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet Ordered To Compensate Customer Rs. 25,000 For Last-Minute Room Change On Anniversary
The Mumbai District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Suburban Additional, presided by Mr. Ravindra P. Nagre along with Mr. S.V. Kalal as member, partly allowed a consumer complaint against Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet for shifting a room reservation on the day of check-in without informing the complainant, causing mental agony and trauma to him...
The Mumbai District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Suburban Additional, presided by Mr. Ravindra P. Nagre along with Mr. S.V. Kalal as member, partly allowed a consumer complaint against Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet for shifting a room reservation on the day of check-in without informing the complainant, causing mental agony and trauma to him and his family. Consequently, the Commission held the hotel liable for a deficiency in their services and unfair trade practices, ordering a compensation of Rs.25,000/- along with costs of Rs.10,000/- to the complainant.
Brief Facts
Mr. Dhaval Lalit (Complainant) purchased membership from the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet (Opposite Party) in February 2018 and booked a room for one night in January 2019 to celebrate his wedding anniversary. Despite reserving a superior hill view room, upon arrival, Lalit was informed of a last-minute change, relocating his booking from the hotel to an executive apartment due to room overbooking. The complainant objected to this change, as it wasn't communicated beforehand and didn't align with his celebration plans. Lalit checked the apartment but found it unsatisfactory due to differences in amenities and views compared to the hotel. The hotel refused to provide room as per the original reservation and, despite requests from the complainant, canceled his booking. Subsequently, Lalit faced inconvenience, emotional distress, and incurred expenses, leading him to file a consumer complaint.
Arguments by “Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet, Marriott Group”
The Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel (Opposite Party) responded by denying the complaint's allegations. They explained that the room reservation was shifted to Marriott Executive Apartments due to a wedding party at the hotel, aiming to avoid disturbance for guests, including the complainant himself. They highlighted refunding the membership charges to Lalit. According to them, they also offered a free stay at the hotel and a complimentary status upgrade with Marriott Hotels, which the complainant declined.
Observations of the Commission
The commission found that the hotel indeed provided deficient service and adopted unfair practices by changing the Complainant's room reservation without informing him beforehand. They further noted that even though the hotel made certain offers and refunded the membership amount later, it did not change the fact that they acted unfairly towards the Complainant.
As a result, the commission directed the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel to pay compensation of Rs. 25,000/- for the mental agony, trauma, and financial loss suffered by the Complainant, along with additional costs of Rs. 10,000/-. The hotel was given 60 days to comply with this order.
Case Title: Shri Dhaval Lalit Ajmera vs. Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet, Marriott Group
Counsel for the Complainant: None Present
Counsel for the Opposite Party: Ms. Sukruta Chimalkar, Advocate