Fairfield Toronto Airport Rebooking Scam: This Is Low

Fairfield Toronto Airport Rebooking Scam: This Is Low

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A Marriott affiliated property near Toronto Airport is engaging in a practice that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, at least not to this extent. I can’t believe for how long this has seemingly been going on.

Fairfield Toronto Airport sends people to Crowne Plaza

An OMAAT reader booked a stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Toronto Airport directly through Marriott’s website. Three hours after booking, he received an email telling him that his reservation can’t be honored due to “unforeseen circumstances,” but that he’d be accommodated at the Crowne Plaza. Here’s what the email states:

We were looking forward to your stay with us at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Toronto Airport on [date] but unfortunately need to provide you with an alternative accommodation due to unforeseen circumstances. We are pleased to inform you that we have made arrangements for you at the full-service Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport by IHG, located at 33 Carlson Ct, Toronto, ON M9W 6H5, just 3 kilometers away from the Fairfield for the duration of your stay. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience but trust that you will have a wonderful stay at the Crowne Plaza. Rest assured that all the same services and more are available to you and your party including complimentary full buffet breakfast, complimentary Pearson Airport shuttle service and an on-site restaurant.

The Crowne Plaza has been informed of all your reservation details and will be expecting your arrival, please feel free to travel straight there.

Okay, sometimes things do happen at hotels, that cause guests to need to be rebooked elsewhere. However, he became a little suspicious given how quickly after booking he received this email. Furthermore, he noticed that the hotel was still selling rooms for the same date even after being told the reservation couldn’t be honored.

The Fairfield Toronto Airport is rebooking guests

The hotel apparently isn’t actually operating right now

If you look at the TripAdvisor reviews for this property, every single review over the past year has the same theme — the reservation couldn’t be honored due to “unforeseen circumstances,” and guests were moved elsewhere, typically to the Crowne Plaza.

So, what’s going on here? According to the most recent review, it seems the hotel may have a government contract for housing people, and isn’t actually accepting any guests:

This hotel is housing homeless people and is not capable of taking any guests at this time. Take a look at the reviews, for months they have been taking reservations and switching people to other hotels. I unfortunately went to this hotel this week and the entire lobby looks like a scene out of the last of us show. Totally fraudulent activity and dishonourable business practice. DO NOT BOOK HERE and please complain to Marriott. What a shameful business.

So, what’s the hotel’s motivation for selling rooms, then? I imagine there are two things at play:

  • The Fairfield is typically priced higher than the Crowne Plaza, so guests are stuck paying a higher rate for a hotel they didn’t actually want to stay at
  • The two hotels are owned by the same company, so this is a way to fill more rooms at the Crowne Plaza with guests who may not have otherwise considered booking the property (due to loyalty, or whatever else)

I think this practice as such is deceiving and dishonest. But what really takes it to the next level is the claim that this is due to “unforeseen circumstances,” which is a blatant lie. The hotel knows exactly what it’s doing.

So, is there any way to handle this situation to come out ahead? The reader brings up the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee, whereby Marriott has published compensation amounts when your reservation can’t be honored. If you have high tier elite status, you could be looking at $100 plus 90,000 Bonvoy points in compensation, in addition to having your night covered elsewhere.

Marriott Ultimate Reservation Guarantee

There’s a catch, though, as this restriction is in the terms & conditions:

A Participating Property must be open and operational for the Ultimate Reservation Guarantee benefit/compensation to apply.

I imagine the hotel would claim it isn’t open or operational, and therefore, would be able to reject that claim. Clearly the hotel wants it both ways — it wants to accept bookings as if it’s open, but wants to be allowed to make cancelations as if it’s closed.

Guests are being rebooked at the Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport

Bottom line

The Fairfield Inn & Suites Toronto Airport is running quite the hustle. For a long time now, the hotel appears to be closed for some sort of a government housing contract. The hotel continues to accept reservations, though, and then simply rebooks guests at the Crowne Plaza, claiming it’s due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

This is really low, both because the hotel is deceiving guests, and also because the Crowne Plaza is typically priced lower than the Fairfield Inn & Suites.

What do you make of this Fairfield YYZ’s rebooking practice?

Conversations (47)
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  1. derek Guest

    Not surprised. This is typical of Canadian dishonesty. Canadians love ripping each other off. Usually, it's by high prices (such as $6/gallon gas, very expensive milk and cheese, high rent, etc.) but sometimes they rip each other off this way.

  2. Ron Guest

    And Marriott corporate turns a blind eye towards this practice?

  3. UA-NYC Diamond

    Wow of all the chains, who would have guessed Marriott?!?! Oh wait everyone.

  4. Travelmastercanada Guest

    Interesting … it’s obviously been going on for a year, as in March 2024 I was supposed to overnight at the Fairfield on my way home & just as I was leaving the UK I received the notice that we had been moved to the Crowne Plaza … as a Marriott Titanium member I would not have looked at the Crowne Plaza as an option if the Fairfield had been unavailable … However, this appears to be an “owner” created issue not a Marriott one ….

  5. Webby Guest

    This exact thing happened to my in-laws at this hotel a few months ago.

    1. FNT Delta Diamond Guest

      Have them file a complaint: https://www.tico.ca/consumers/file-a-complaint

  6. Ross Guest

    This won't happen when Canada becomes the 51st state and the Justice Department cracks down on Canadian fraud. These hotel owners will be sent to the Greenland penal colony.

  7. Rupert Guest

    I had something similar happen during CoVid at the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport - they upgraded me to the Hilton next door for the same price (Hilton was more expensive at the time of my booking).
    They captured a wider group of customers who might not have booked the more expensive and managed a limited number of guests at the optimal cost to them. And the travel limits changed every day back then,...

    I had something similar happen during CoVid at the Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport - they upgraded me to the Hilton next door for the same price (Hilton was more expensive at the time of my booking).
    They captured a wider group of customers who might not have booked the more expensive and managed a limited number of guests at the optimal cost to them. And the travel limits changed every day back then, so I understood their situation and was ok with that process…
    This case, not so much. They are selling a service they can’t/have no intention of delivering, putting you into a lesser product (at least based on price), so that’s fraud, plain and simple.
    Report the fraud to the authorities, force them to stop it…businesses only get away with this nonsense, because we let them…

  8. Jim Guest

    The real scam is homeless native Canadians get to freeze while sleeping under highway overpasses while 3rd world illegals get free hotels

    4 more replies
  9. Vanessa Guest

    It's common in large Canadian cities due to their current government policy: hotels make large bank from taxpayers to house refugees and homeless, their negotiated rates are on par with their posted rates so corporate flyers and airline crew are at the bottom. Better to accommodate a newly arrived economic migrant than a paying customer.

    1 more reply
  10. Antwerp Guest

    There can simply be no reason this would be done unless the owners have a specific benefit in the process. Otherwise, why bother? I could see if allowing bookings over 90 days from now with an idea that the Government may move the people being housed there eventually. But the fact you can book a room on the same day and instantly get this email is really odd. The best I can imagine is that...

    There can simply be no reason this would be done unless the owners have a specific benefit in the process. Otherwise, why bother? I could see if allowing bookings over 90 days from now with an idea that the Government may move the people being housed there eventually. But the fact you can book a room on the same day and instantly get this email is really odd. The best I can imagine is that given two different loyalty brands it than covers two programs and booking sites. This allows for still showing Fairfield to Bonvoy loyalists who, if showing full or closed, might book at another Bonvoy property that is not owned by this company.

    So, yes, it's a bait and switch. Maybe not for guests who have no particular care about loyalty programs. But to those who do it - is moving a loyalist out of Bonvoy and into IHG and baiting them away from booking a different Bonvoy property close by.

    1 more reply
  11. Eskimo Guest

    Dear bloggers, influencers, and people making money off internet marketing. Everyone else also welcome.

    Do you consider this hotel is just doing your everyday "clickbait"?

    And what separates clickbait from scam?

    Should this post title be
    A: Fairfield Toronto Airport Rebooking Scam: This Is Low
    or
    B: Fairfield Toronto Airport Rebooking clickbait: This Is Low

    Appreciate all your responses.

    4 more replies
  12. NateNate Guest

    Last week, I was checking into the W Sao Paulo, and there was a suite available on the Marriott app. I asked for an upgrade and the front desk told me they don't see a suite available in their system. The Marriott app also showed 3 Premium King rooms available, and the hotel said they don't see those. They did have 1 Premium Double room.

    If I had immediately booked the Suite or Premium...

    Last week, I was checking into the W Sao Paulo, and there was a suite available on the Marriott app. I asked for an upgrade and the front desk told me they don't see a suite available in their system. The Marriott app also showed 3 Premium King rooms available, and the hotel said they don't see those. They did have 1 Premium Double room.

    If I had immediately booked the Suite or Premium King, and they couldn't honor it because the rooms weren't available, would the hotel be responsible for the Marriott guarantee amount?

    2 more replies
  13. FNT Delta Diamond Guest

    File complaints with Ontario's regulator: https://www.tico.ca/consumers/file-a-complaint

  14. JFB Guest

    I was walked to the Hampton Inn next door (again same owner) maybe 18 months ago or so - and a very similar story. Now, it all makes sense

  15. Likes-to-fly Gold

    This is disgusting practice indeed. It is not a question about which one is cheaper or whether you are able to lose time again to cancel the booking and find another hotel in a location that you wanted in the first place...

    The customer service (and trustworthiness, reliability) around the world goes down every year, I guess because there are too many travellers. And if they do not deceive you, they will find someone else...

    This is disgusting practice indeed. It is not a question about which one is cheaper or whether you are able to lose time again to cancel the booking and find another hotel in a location that you wanted in the first place...

    The customer service (and trustworthiness, reliability) around the world goes down every year, I guess because there are too many travellers. And if they do not deceive you, they will find someone else for sure. Nowadays too many people are accepting things that were once deemed unacceptable, and service providers know that. Hence, in a long term it's still profitable for the business...

    Ben, please continue with such reviews and postings, they are useful, at least for some.

  16. Jacob Guest

    Just another reason to not stay at Marriott branded hotel.

  17. Luke Guest

    Doing a quick search of random dates I found the cheapest rooms priced about 3 to 5 bucks less from fairfield at that crowne plaza. Given crowne is bit more full service & upscale I would've picked that anyway between the two.

    Secondly as long as your within the cancellation/refund period when informed of the hotel switch nothing stopping you from doing so as well. Would this be a problem if the bump up...

    Doing a quick search of random dates I found the cheapest rooms priced about 3 to 5 bucks less from fairfield at that crowne plaza. Given crowne is bit more full service & upscale I would've picked that anyway between the two.

    Secondly as long as your within the cancellation/refund period when informed of the hotel switch nothing stopping you from doing so as well. Would this be a problem if the bump up were to a Ritz or a St Reg even if those were "cheaper" (then again why would someone pick Fairfield over the other two for more $)

  18. Steve-O Guest

    The same thing happened at several hotels during the pandemic that shared a property with another Marriott brand. They would often accept bookings for either Marriott brand and then switch guests to the "open" hotel. Had this happen several times in the Middle East. I would flag it as getting walked since I showed that you could still book it and according to the terms it was a violation. The GM would often offer a...

    The same thing happened at several hotels during the pandemic that shared a property with another Marriott brand. They would often accept bookings for either Marriott brand and then switch guests to the "open" hotel. Had this happen several times in the Middle East. I would flag it as getting walked since I showed that you could still book it and according to the terms it was a violation. The GM would often offer a cash compensation on the bill and/or points. I kept booking and pointing it out as a matter of principle. They refused to change and would continue to offer the compensation. Whatever, thanks for the free cash and points!

    1. Eskimo Guest

      Everyone needs to stop using pandemic as an excuse. Heck I curse all those 24 hours establishment that now closes at 10pm.

      Now Steve-O as bad as Americans like to trash the Middle East, they probably would honor the agreement (or lock you up forever).

      But in America, I and almost everyone never ever ever got any cash from Bonvoy benefit guarantee.

  19. Peter Guest

    Not sure they need to "share" revenue, they are both owned by the same entity, so just sending guests to a sister hotel.

    https://mangahotels.com/hotel-properties/

    1 more reply
  20. Mike Guest

    I'd be livid if this happened to me. Especially when it's so blatant.

  21. Mike Guest

    Truthfully, I do not find anything wrong with this. As long as 1) the person will get the points/night credit 2) same rate 3) same facilities/comfort (which in this case sounds like an upgrade instead of a downgrade).

    Most probably both properties are owned by the same company.

    4 more replies
Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ Mike -- Hey, to each their own, but you don't have an issue with a company engaging in a bait and switch practice, and lying to guests? The hotel is quite literally selling a product it can't offer, and then lies by saying it's due to "unforeseen circumstances."

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Jerry Diamond

So you don't find a bait and switch amongst hotels at a highly trafficked airport to be newsworthy on a blog that focuses on loyalty?

3
FNT Delta Diamond Guest

Thereby undercutting Marriott and also not awarding the guest any points.

3
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