Woman booked 1 Las Vegas hotel, only to discover it was another she avoided
A woman booked a stay at one Las Vegas hotel, only to arrive and discover the property was actually another hotel she had intentionally avoided.
Utah resident Ariana Patino said she booked what was advertised as Palette Las Vegas on Booking.com for a weekend trip with her sister.
But when the sisters arrived in Las Vegas, Patino said they couldn't find the address listed on their reservation.
"We actually drove around for like 45 minutes trying to find out where this hotel is," Patino told ABC News.
The nearest address to the one on her reservation was OYO Hotel and Casino, a property Patino said she had purposely avoided booking because of negative reviews.
Once inside the OYO Hotel & Casino, Patino said she realized something was off.
"As soon as I walked in the doors, I recognized where it had the registration sign on Palette Las Vegas on the booking site," she said. "It had Oyo's name with the exact same registration desk. That's when it kind of like clicked."
Patino said she and her sister then approached the front desk for answers.
"We went up to the receptionist and I'm, like, 'we booked with Palette Las Vegas' and she goes, 'yep, that's us,'" Patino said, adding that the receptionist told them: "They just put up different listings or different ads just to see which one gains more traction."
Speaking to ABC News, Nick Ewen, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy, weighed in on Patino's experience.
"I've never seen anything as brazen as this," Ewen said. "There are times where hotels will go through a rebrand, where they go from one brand in a big chain to another, but ... This was essentially trying to dupe guests."
In a statement to ABC News, OYO Hotel & Casino addressed the listing and apologized for the confusion.
"We were evaluating how different blocks, or room categories, could be positioned under different brands. However, the listing went live while the related renovations and signage at the property were still being completed," the hotel said in part. "We sincerely regret the confusion and inconvenience caused."
Patino said she filed complaints with Booking.com, her bank and the Better Business Bureau.
Booking.com said in a statement to ABC News that it took action following an internal investigation.
"The Palette Las Vegas has been removed from our platform following an internal investigation. A refund is currently being processed for the guest," the company said in part. "While sophisticated fraud tactics are increasing … protecting our guests and supporting them … remains a priority for us."
Patino said the experience left her frustrated.
"This crossed the line," she said. "I mean, this is where I'm sleeping, this is where I am staying and I don’t think corporations like that should be able to get away with something like that."
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