NEWS

[Pastor Phil]

Booking Error Offers Luxury Venice Vacation for 1 Cent

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

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Hundreds of lucky vacationers jumped on an Italian hotel offer that seemed too good to be true, booking a romantic four-star weekend in Venice for 1 cent, Reuters reported.

A hotel booking system error offered up the rooms at a fraction of the Crowne Plaza Quarto D'Altino's normal rate of up to $214 a night. The offer was quickly withdrawn once staff realized the mistake.

But the damage had been done, with some 1,400 nights booked at the 1-cent rate in a matter of hours. The mistake will cost Intercontinental Hotels Group, the world's largest chain, an estimated $126,000.

Neither Intercontinental Hotels Group or the hotel was immediately available for comment.