Hotel group warns of booking scams ahead of holiday travel rush

With the holiday travel rush weeks away, the American Hotel and Lodging Association is warning travelers and shoppers about hotel booking scams.

The hotel association and lobbying group says more consumers are falling victim to deceptive hotel booking websites that look similar to legitimate hotel websites, with signs becoming harder to differentiate.

The fraudulent sites can scam travelers by mimicking real sites while using misleading price listings or including hidden fees and fake reservations, according to the AHLA.

"Travelers deserve to know their reservation is legitimate and that the price they see is the price they’ll pay," AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta said in a statement.

To help travelers avoid such scams, the AHLA has launched a new "look before you book" guide with these tips:

• Book hotel rooms directly through official hotel websites, apps or reservation call lines.
• Check to make sure hotel websites are correct, and watch out for misspelled words, typos, or even extra words in URL addresses. Do not assume the first search result is the correct option, as some of them may be a paid advertisement or search result that is not the official website. Look for websites that have "https://" at the beginning of website URLs, which indicates a secure connection.
• Be wary of prices that sound too good to be true, such as unusually low prices, high-pressure calls for action, unexpected transactions or suspicious requests for payment.
• Call hotels directly to book or confirm any reservations. Save confirmation information to have on hand.
• Read and understand any fine print with important information related to a reservation, including cancellation, change or refund policies.

The AHLA, which represents a number of major players in the hotel industry including hotel chains, independent hotels, management companies, bed and breakfasts, and more, said it is working with federal and state legislators and regulators to limit deceptive practices.

"We will continue working with our state and federal partners to strengthen enforcement and help make sure consumers don’t get scammed and have their plans ruined," Maietta said.