Woman SLAMMED New York Hotel For Charging Her False $500 'Smoking Fee' In Viral TikTok Video

A North Carolina woman’s trip to New York City turned into a viral TikTok moment after she claimed a Times Square hotel falsely fined her $500 (approximately Rs 45,000) for smoking, even though she doesn’t smoke and wasn’t in the room when it allegedly happened.

What exactly happened?

According to People, Rhaiany Leicy shared that she stayed at the M Social Hotel in Times Square from October 3 to 5 with a friend. The two had chosen the property for its great location and reviews, planning a fun weekend in the city.

But when they returned to their room around 5 p.m. on Saturday, they were stunned to find an envelope taped to their door, informing them of a $500 smoking fee.

“I immediately went to the front desk,” Leicy told People. “I don’t smoke, and neither does my friend. We were out exploring the city all day.”

The hotel staff showed her a ‘Smoke Report’, which claimed that smoke was detected in her room between 4 and 4:30 p.m., a time when, Leicy says, they weren’t even there.

'Smoke detection technology'

According to the report, the hotel uses “smoke detection technology” that identifies vapourised tobacco, nicotine, or e-cigarette use through a proprietary algorithm. Still, Leicy insisted there was no smoking at all, even showing time-stamped photos proving she was elsewhere in the city.

When she requested security footage or keycard logs, the manager allegedly said there was “nothing they could do.” Later, the hotel changed its report, now claiming the smoke was detected between 9:15 and 10:15 a.m. instead. After researching online, Leicy found multiple reviews accusing the same hotel of charging false smoking fees.

Viral TikTok sparks reaction

Frustrated, Leicy took to TikTok to share her story. Her video has since garnered over 3 million views, with many users recounting similar experiences. Days later, she received an updated bill with the smoking fee removed.

“I think it only happened because of social media,” she told the outlet. “It feels really shady. If you’re not doing anything wrong, you shouldn’t go through something like this.”