The adage let the buyer beware apparently includes let the booker beware in the era of COVID-19.
A Stouffville man told ElliotLakeToday he can't get a refund for his $400 booking deposit on a reservation he made last year at Waterfalls Lodge, a well-known northern Ontario resort in Spanish.
The resort owner, Rob Murphy, wrote, "We have many guests that have made reservations this spring and throughout the season. If guests cannot travel to Waterfalls Lodge because of COVID-19, we are offering to use their deposit payments for other dates this year or 2021."
"Deposit payments are not refundable. We have had a very good response with our offer from our guests, and it seems to be a fair way to handle the curve ball that this virushas thrown at us," Murphy added.
"When the cancellations first started we heard a lot of feedback on this. Why don't we do this? Why don't we do that?" Tony Elenis, CEO of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association, told ElliotLakeToday, "As you know this is a catastrophe for society, for every sector including the hospitality industry. They hit hard. And we don't make policies as an association. We will give guidance, but it's up to each individual business to make up their own policies, no different than any other sector outside the industry."
"We actually sent out a survey to find out what each hotel does. I think the common denominator was that if people have booked again, it was very easy to refund it. I don't think they need to pay again. And, basically that can be transferred over. They don't lose the money," Elenis added.
Elenis concluded, "So there's different decisions, depending on their own policies or their own situation. We don't direct that at all."
Former lodge guest Norm Lewis of Stouffville remains unsatisfied.
He said he's concerned he will have to pay another $400 to book another reservation to return to the lodge at a future date.
He has not heard anything new on the subject from Waterfalls Lodge and in a subsequent message from Rob Murphy to ElliotLakeToday, Murphy indicates that nothing has changed on his side.