DC suing Marriott over ‘deceptive and misleading pricing practices’.

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) – The District of Columbia is suing hotel chain Marriott over what the Attorney General’s office describes as “deceptive and misleading pricing practices.”

According to Attorney General Karl Racine, Marriott – a national chain that is based in Montgomery County – “violated the District’s consumer protection laws.”

The AG’s office says it is trying to compel Marriott to advertise its “true prices” “up front.”

They are also seeking civil penalties from Marriott.

According to the AG’s office, the chain presents competitive prices on booking sites that allow consumers to compare rates from one hotel to another.

However, after the consumer books the room, the hotel allegedly tacks on mandatory fees on top of the advertised rates.

“Marriott reaped hundreds of millions of dollars in profit by deceiving consumers about the true price of its hotel rooms,” said Racine. “Bait-and-switch advertising and deceptive pricing practices are illegal.

With this lawsuit, we are seeking monetary relief for tens of thousands of District consumers who paid hidden resort fees and to force Marriott to be fully transparent about their prices so consumers can make informed decisions when booking hotel rooms.”

Click here to read the complete complaint.