Marriott Accused of Duping Consumers With ‘Drip Pricing’ in Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit

A pair of Californians say that they and other consumers have been duped by “drip pricing” tactics used by Marriott. 

Lead plaintiffs George Abdelsayed and Frank Ciglar filed a nationwide class action lawsuit claiming that Marriott International dangles inexpensive hotel prices on its and third party websites to lure consumers in; however, when the time comes to pay for the room, consumers are hit with a myriad of fees that were not included in the original advertising. 

“Marriott engages in drip pricing by falsely baiting consumers into believing they are getting a bargain, and then hides and disguises a portion of a hotel room’s daily rate from consumers,” claims the class action lawsuit. 

The Californians say they were drawn in by misleadingly advertised hotel rates by Marriott and were then forced to pay additional fees when booking the rooms. They say that Marriott forces them and other consumers to pay more than they expected for lodging “through a range of tactics, including, but not limited to, completely hiding price terms, mischaracterizing and hiding terms in small print, or adding various charges throughout the vending process.” 

The plaintiffs accuse Marriott of assessing a number of fees that constitute “drip pricing” on unsuspecting consumers, including resort, amenity, destination, taxes and other fees. 

“The effect of these fees is simple,” contends the Marriott class action lawsuit. “Consumers who are shopping for hotel rooms, either on Marriott’s own website or third-party online travel agency websites…such as Expedia, Kayak, or Travelocity, are duped into believing a Marriott hotel room is cheaper than it actually is.” 

Abdelsayed and Ciglar say that Marriott International is “incentivized” into drip pricing tactics because of the enormous profits it reaps from the alleged false advertising of its lodging rates. 

The plaintiffs are seeking damages on behalf of consumers nationwide who booked a Marriott hotel room since 2012, as well as for a California subclass for alleged violations of state consumer protection law. In addition, the class action lawsuit accuses Marriott of concealment, unjust enrichment, and negligent misrepresentation. Further, the plaintiffs say that the hotel should start a corrective advertising campaign telling consumers the truth about their room rates. 

Have you been duped by the alleged drip pricing at a Marriott hotel? Tell us about your experience in the comment section below. 

The lead plaintiffs are represented by L. Timothy Fisher and Blair E. Reed of Bursor & Fisher, PA. 

The Marriott Drip Pricing Class Action Lawsuit is Abdelsayed, et al v. Marriott International, Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-00402-BEN-JLB, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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