Madonna was so unimpressed by the service at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel — specifically, the lack of security — that she refused to pay the $90,000 rate for her suite. It’s just the latest chapter in the serialized drama, Celebrities and their Infamous Hotel Bills.
Lindsay Lohan racked up a massive bill while staying at Hollywood’s exclusive Chateau Marmont Hotel. She reportedly didn’t spend much time in the luxurious bungalow, but when she did, she was not on her best behavior.
And then there’s Amy Winehouse. If your eyes didn’t roll at the mention of her name, consider the outrageous bill the Riverbank Plaza Hotel must have presented her with after a recent stay in which the singer trashed her room. “It was carnage,” one insider said.
Not to get carried away with this, but my friends over at Budget Travel published an excellent writeup of the top 10 celebrity-trashed hotels. It claims the first instance of modern hotel room trashing can probably be traced to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, who reportedly fled their eucalyptus-scented bungalow at the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel of L.A.’s Wilshire Boulevard after it caught fire.
But back to the Material Girl. Madonna was angered when footage of her hotel room appeared on French television after a TV crew apparently sneaked past security during her stay and filmed her suite, showing the specially provided purified water and gym equipment she had requested.
Is there a lesson for us mere mortals? Perhaps.
Beyond pulling a Lindsay Lohan or Amy Winehouse, is there a time when you should refuse to pay your bill?
Yes, probably. But having your suite shown on TV isn’t one of them.
