The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office is investigating the Ritz-Carlton in uptown after patrons said they were charged a 15 percent “CIAA service charge.”
Some customers who visited the hotel during the CIAA tournament in February said they noticed a surcharge on their bills.
Roy Cooper’s office sent Channel 9 a letter that it sent to the Ritz-Carlton requesting some background information on the charge, including what was the purpose of the surcharge.
The purpose of the letter, which was sent Monday, is to get a better understanding of the nature and circumstances of the surcharge and how it was disclosed to consumers.
The hotel has 10 days to issue a response.
Just before noon Tuesday, the Ritz-Carlton issued the following statement:
“We would like to apologize to any guests we may have offended by the addition of a service charge we implemented at a recent event in our lobby lounge. The service charge was not intended to single out any particular group or organization and we deeply regret any misunderstanding this may have caused. It is important for all guests to feel welcomed at our hotel and for them to receive the highest level of service, respect and hospitality we strive for every day.”
Read more here.
