Couple says they showed up at hotel for honeymoon and it was closed

CHARLOTTE — A couple said they drove three hours for their honeymoon only to find the hotel they booked was closed.

Deric and La Shanda Whitworth had just gotten married and were planning to celebrate at the Palette Resort in Myrtle Beach.

“There was a big dumpster sitting out front of the hotel where they were gutting it,” Deric Whitworth said.

They said no one had told them the hotel was closed for renovations.

“I was upset. I was actually crying,” La Shanda Whitworth said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

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They told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke they found somewhere else to stay, but they were out more than $500. The couple disputed the charges with their credit card company, the hotel, and the website they used to book the resort -- Hotels.com -- but they got nowhere.

“I told her to call Action 9,” Deric Whitworth said.

She did, and Stoogenke got in touch with Hotels.com on their behalf.

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The company emailed him saying, “We sincerely apologize to the Whitworths for this inconvenience and have issued them a full refund. We continue to reinforce with our hotel partners the importance of prioritizing the communication of any changes in the status of their properties to ensure that guests have optimal travel experiences.”

Two days after the Whitworths contacted Action 9, their money was back in their account.

“Thanksgiving morning I was up at 7 o’clock in the morning, and I heard my phone go off, and I checked it, and I looked, and I was like, ‘Oh, we got our money back,’” La Shanda Whitworth said. “Oh, I was happy.”

The Whitworths hope to put the money toward another beach trip.

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You can find a great deal and have a great experience using third-party booking sites. Action 9 advises users to look up the hotel to make sure it’s open and that the amenities are all available. The third-party site may not know about recent changes.

If you run into problems, start with the online vendor, not the hotel. After all, that’s who you were dealing with “directly.”

You can always dispute the charge with your credit card. The Whitworths said that wasn’t working for them, but your credit card company may be better.

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