What to do When a Hotel Cancels Your Reservation?

Key Points:any

Imagine you get a week off from work.

You come home, rest a while, then decide you deserve a vacation. You plan the perfect vacation, and after an hour of searching find the Perfect Holiday Home – cozy, affordable, scenic, and available. Not wanting to miss out on a good deal, you quickly book the place, book some tickets and pack your bags. Soon you will be on your way.

You spend the next few days daydreaming about all the hardcore relaxing you’re going to do here, when you abruptly get pulled back to reality by an email from the inn: “We regret to inform you that we will not be able to honour your reservation.” What do you do now?

First you might want to know why the Perfect Holiday Home cancelled on you. Hotels can cancel reservations for many reasons, both in their control and out of it. Out of their control would be some kind of emergency – a crime, unexpected weather, some issues with the facilities. In their control are situations where they can make more money by cancelling your booking – whether by accommodating a large travel group, a more expensive booking, or simply because they overbooked their rooms.

These are all things hotels are likely to do due to a lack of regulating policies. This could happen to anyone, so it’s important to know what to do when it does.

See Also: What to Expect When Staying at a Pet-Friendly Hotel in Houston

The first thing you would want to do is probably leave a bad review. Next, try and get a refund. Usually, the offer of a refund or some accommodation will be listed in the cancellation notification. If not, you will have to read the hotel’s terms and conditions.

In the event of a cancellation, hotels have to offer you some form of compensation. Most will try to get away with giving you as little as possible, so it’s important that you push for it.

While a full refund would be best, the exact form of compensation will differ from hotel to hotel (this is why it’s important to read the T&C). This can be in the form of points, credits, money or even accommodation at a nearby hotel.

The closer to the check-in date the cancellation the more perks you are likely to get. A cancellation week in advance will probably only get you the amount you paid for the room, but a cancellation on the day off is likely to get you at least a few benefits too.

Some hotels even have loyalty programs, where a higher tier will afford you more perks in event of a cancellation.

But what do you do if your hotel refuses to give you any refund at all? Even though this is unlikely, it happens. The most obvious thing to do is leave a bad review on as many sites as you can. Next you can call your bank and initiate a refund from their end, after explaining your situation with evidence. Finally, if nothing else works, you can go to small claims court.

Of course, the best thing to do is avoid this hassle altogether. While hotels can cancel on anyone, there is something you can do to be last on their list.

Booking directly through the hotel instead of third-party sites is best, since those reservations are usually the first to be axed. Next would be to keep a check on the status of your reservation and inform the hotel whenever you plan to check in. Finally, if you are booking with a credit card, make sure it is active with good credit because when looking to cancel a reservation this is one of the first things hotels look at. [Rh/DS]

Also Read: