Surprise mini-bar charge

My Florida cousin, Beverly, and I returned March 18, 2008, from a 2-week trip to the Azores, where we visited four of the nine islands. This was arranged by Abreu Tours (New York, NY; 800/223-1580, www.abreu-tours.com) and cost $3,002 per person, including airfare.

Accommodations, sightseeing, etc., were very good. Breakfast was included with every hotel as was a half day’s sightseeing on each island. On Pico Island we got lucky and our private tour lasted almost the entire day.

However, on our flight on Azores Express to São Miguel Island, Abreu neglected to write on our air tickets that we had prepaid to upgrade to business class; we were relegated to very crowded, narrow seats. After we returned, Abreu certainly did refund the difference in airfare.

At our last hotel, the Marina Atlantico in Ponta Delgada on San Miguel Island, we were charged €7 ($11) just for the privilege of using some space in our room’s mini-bar!

We kept our water in there and some fruit. Mind you, I did not use any of their items.

I complained bitterly about this (hey, I have been traveling all over the world, almost, and this was a first). Eventually, the hotel gave me the “northern price,” the price they charge the Scandinavians (who make up the largest number of visitors): €5.

A most unusual ripoff — and a new one, at that!

JUNE C. STARCK

New York, NY