Fla. Hotel Agrees to Pay Back Customers It Overcharged During Hurricane Charley

The Ramada Airport Inn in Manatee, Fla. has reached a settlement with the State Attorney General’s office and agreed to pay back customers it allegedly overcharged for rooms during Hurricane Charley.

According to a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Charlie Crist, the hotel purposefully increased room prices for residents seeking emergency shelter from Hurricane Charley. The complaint said the hotel charged rates more than 80 percent greater than its typical rates.

The settlement also requires the hotel to pay $2,000 to the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund and $5,000 to the state to cover legal fees and the cost of the investigation.

“Investigators found that during the two-day evacuation for Hurricane Charley, the daily rate for rooms at the motel increased from $55 per night to $75 and, in some instances, $100 per night,” said a news release from the attorney general’s office.

“This settlement reinforces the message that Florida cannot and will not allow such practices,” Crist said in the release. “It is unthinkable that anyone would consider making an unjustified profit at the expense of unfortunate citizens.”

According to the settlement, Airport Inn management has 45 days to track down and refund the overcharged guests who stayed in the hotel between Aug. 12 and Aug. 30.

This is the 23rd settlement related to price-gouging incidents from the 2004 hurricane season.