A consumer court on Friday issued a notice to the general manager of Pearl Continental Hotel (PC) for July 11 in a suit seeking damages of Rs1,110,000 for not booking a room at PC Bhurban.
Petitioner Farhan Shehzad submitted that he had been a member of the hotel’s Privilege Club since August 2011. When he got the membership, Shehzad said, he was offered a complimentary voucher for a package that included a room that would be free for one night and paid for on the second night at PC Bhurban.
The voucher would be valid till August 31, 2013.
Shehzad said that on April 23 he asked the assistant administrative manager of the hotel’s Privilege Club to redeem his voucher and reserve a room for him at PC Bhurban from May 3 to 5, but the manager refused to book a room, without giving him a reason.
Shehzad said the manager also misbehaved with him and told him to pay regular charges for his stay at PC Bhurban. When he served the assistant manager a legal notice on April 23, Shehzad said, he made lame excuses and said the hotel could not accommodate his request in the month of May. The assistant manager offered to book a room at the PC Muzaffarabad Hotel instead.
Shehzad said he agreed to stay at the PC Muzaffarabad hotel. The assistant manager admitted that Shehzad had not been told that he could not get a room in May.
Shehzad said that he visited the hotel in Muzafarabad. He submitted that the respondent was guilty of unfair trade practice.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Privilege Club Membership Director M Athar said the allegations against PC had no legal standing as the terms and conditions of club membership stated “the Privilege Club reserves the right to change or amend the conditions of membership, its benefits and privilege without any notice”. The club could amend its policy without informing the petitioner, he said. He said club members were not accommodated in May since it was the peak tourism season.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2013.