The owner of the Serena Hotel was arraigned yesterday and charged with trying to defraud a French couple who were going to stay at his hotel in Xlendi.
The news comes just a day after The Sunday Times reported that several tourists claimed they had been overcharged by the same man following a stay in the hotel.
The cases are similar but unrelated. The case for which hotelier Joe Vella was charged happened last Friday when a couple, who had paid for their holiday beforehand, were allegedly asked to pay again once they arrived at the hotel.
According to the French tourists, they even had their credit card swiped by the hotelier but it did not go through.
Inspector Josric Mifsud accused Mr Vella, under Chapter 308 of the criminal code, of attempting to defraud the French couple who are still in Malta and are expected to testify before they return home.
Mr Vella denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
He has also strenuously refuted the allegations made in his regard by the tourists who spoke to The Sunday Times. They claimed that Mr Vella overcharged them hundreds, in many cases thousands, of euros in various incidents dating back to 2003. Guests said they made formal reports to the police and the Malta Tourism Authority but have not been refunded or compensated.
Their stories are almost identical: A cheap holiday is offered to them by an online bargain tour operator like Bonus Week Breaks or The Gift Company - on condition that they attend a two-hour promotional talk on timeshare. Then, they claim, Mr Vella contacts them and offers them free transport from the airport to the hotel. On arrival, he asks guests to sign a registration form and to hand over a credit card for "security reasons", assuring them that no charges would be made.
After that, they allege, he charges their account without their permission. When they complain, Mr Vella produces a document which had either been given to them when they checked in or at that particular moment, their version goes.
The document states that guests have paid on a "room only" basis and that it is "compulsory" to pay - on arrival - for breakfast, dinner and utility fees. This amounts to an additional €490 per person a week.
When contacted, MTA Quality Assurance director Frank Farrugia told The Sunday Times that 10 per cent of formal complaints submitted to the MTA last year concerned this particular hotel - the vast majority filed by tourists claiming their credit card had been used without authorisation or that they were unwittingly charged for services.