I’m a big fan of the IBIS Accor Group brand. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, in Armenia, the IBIS Yerevan Center was my home away from home. I stayed there so often that the front desk gave me birthday and Christmas presents. So, you can understand why IBIS has a warm place in my heart. That feelings is the main reason I selected the IBIS Vientiane Nam Phu Hotel. I booked nine days. My first reservation was for two nights, immediately followed by a reservation for another seven. When I checked in, I asked the front desk if the hotel could book my train ticket from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. The answer was yes. The hotel just needed 48 hours notice. Two days before my trip, I returned to the front desk. A photo of my passport was taken. I didn’t need to pay, until the ticket was purchased. I wanted a first class ticket. The hotel had to wait until they actually purchased the ticket to know what to charge me. If first class was all booked, they would need to purchase the cheaper second class ticket. When my first class ticket arrived I was charged 400,000 Baht. That’s twice the cost of the ticket. I was told it was a service charge and that I would have to pay an additional 200,000 Baht for the taxi to the train station. The morning of my departure, the taxi driver picked me up and drove me to the station. I exited the car and paid him the agreed price. He shook his head no. He wanted more money. I gathered my two bags and sat on the curb, as the driver continued to ask for more money. I finally said, “You can take me back to the hotel!” He then called the hotel. After about ten minutes, the driver apologized, got in his car, and drove away. It not that I was taken for 200,000 to 300,000 additional Baht. I’m American. I have enough money to travel to a foreign country and book a hotel room for nine days. I’m a mark! I get that. So, I just paid. I’m disappointed in having to give the Accor Group such a negative rating and the need to warn fellow travelers about the staff at this particular IBIS hotel.
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