HotelChatter

Your greatest weapon may have been your presence in the lobby of the Blue Heron. A guest who refuses to leave, and is speaking on a cell phone about what she feels is a broken promise made by the property, is every hotel's worst nightmare. Believe me, a hotel is extremely conscious of a lobby squatter and it won't take long before it finds a way to make that person happy.

Yes! Don't wait until you get home: be a pain in the ass on the spot.

He's right, though: having worked in hotels before, we know that nothing makes our job more difficult than an upset guest making a scene in the lobby -- hotel staffers want you outta there, so if giving you a refund is what it takes to get you out of our face, then we'll do it. Usually.

Words of advice, though: be respectful to everyone you speak to; it's not the front desk agent's fault that the place charges a hidden fee. And if you're going to be Larry David-style ridiculous, just don't be so ridiculous that the front deskers are forced to call security -- you should get thrown in jail for doing something badass, not for making a ruckus over a $50 hotel fee.

And if all else fails, write in to the MSNBC dude. He contacted the appropriate parties on this guest's behalf and managed to get all the guest's money refunded.