Taking Charge

I read with interest your article “Hung Up by High Hotel Phone Fees?” (Oct. 3). When I was in school I worked at the front desk of a Radisson Hotel in Columbia, S.C. I was constantly amazed at the telephone charges we billed guests, and often they were too. It didn’t make sense to me that we, in a higher-end hotel, would charge for services that guests in low-end lodgings (e.g., Motel 6) receive for almost free. I brought this to management’s attention, and they issued a policy not to charge the high rates for telephone calls. I don’t know how long this lasted, but I did at least feel like I had done something for our guests.

ROD SPROTT

Hollywood

In my two trips to Helsinki I stayed in the Hotel Torni, whose management was very courteous in trying to explain why the hotel charged me $136 for three under-three-minute calls within Europe, which was more than the $125-per-night single room rate. They said someone outside the hotel sets the surcharge. As nice as the hotel was, I’ll never go back.

ROGER NEWELL

San Diego