Consumer commission asks Jaipur hotel to pay Rs 10K to city-based exam aspirant for ‘denying him booked room’

Vageesh Marwaha (27) of Chandigarh stated in his complaint to the consumer commission that he had booked one room at FAB HOTEL ALEXA in Jaipur (Rajasthan), through FAB HOTELS, for two nights (June 22 and 23 this year) on payment of Rs 883, as he had to appear for Rajasthan Judiciary Exam on June 23.

But when the complainant reached the hotel on June 22 at 11.30 pm, he found the hotel closed, and the people outside the hotel informed him that the it was shut due to power outage, Vageesh Marwaha stated in the complaint.

Due to closure of the hotel, the complainant said that he had to walk several kilometres from the booked hotel to the area near his examination centre in search of a lodge. By the time he reached the area, it was 2 am, but still he could not get an accommodation, as all the rooms in that area were already occupied.

According to the complainant, he called a representative of FAB HOTELS and informed him that he has an exam in the morning (reporting time for June 23 exam 9 am) and he is unable to get an accommodation. He was assured by the said representative that his booking with them will be honoured.

The complainant alleged that he again called the hotel’s firm through customer care but nothing was done. Instead he was asked to pay a booking amount for one room that was available, the complaint alleged.

Besides physical pain, the said act of the the FAB HOTELS had caused him mental agony, the complainant stated. As he could not sleep before the exam, it had affected his performance in the exam, the complainant stated, adding that it was his last attempt.

FAB HOTELS and FAB HOTELS ALEXA were issued a notice in this connection, but when they did not turn up before the consumer commission, the matter was heard ex-parte on September 2 this year.

“One thing is clear from the foregoing discussion that the OPs (opposite parties) after receiving booking amount from the complainant for the room of the subject hotel failed to provide the same on the relevant date and time, which caused a lot of mental agony and physical harassment to the complainant just before his exam on the next morning. Hence deficiency in service is writ large on the part of the OPs,” said the commission.

Thus, the commission directed the FAB HOTELS and FAB HOTELS ALEXA (hotel) to refund Rs 883 to the complainant, along with Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 as costs of litigation.