Hotel Bookings Policy

mikejim

Hi

Any guidance here please:mad:

I booked for three nights in a hotel taking advantage of a discount deal. The booking was for three nights 17/18/19 May 2009 and I paid in advance for the stay. Due to late and unforeseen circumstances I was unable to get to London on Sunday 17 May to check in for the first night.

When I arrived at approximately 3.40pm on Monday 18 May 2009 I was informed by the duty manager that the booking had been cancelled because I failed to check in the previous day. I was informed at this point that the money "had gone" but I could stay the two remaining nights at full price. Although I found it fully understandable that nothing could be done regarding the previous night i.e. it had been paid for and refund was not an option I was unable to elicit a reasonable logical answer as to why the other two nights could not be honoured by the hotel.

There was nothing in the email communications stating all prepayments would be forfeit in such circumstances. I have checked all of the documentation sent to me and it is difficult to see where the contract justifies the sequestration of two nights booking fee.

I have written to the Hotel chain and have not received any response. Any help please?

Regards MJ

RadoJo

Did you contact the hotel to let them know you wouldn't be there on the first night but still expected to arrive on the second? I don't think they would be obliged to state explicitly in the e-mail confirmation about their cancellation policy, but it should be covered in their Ts and Cs, so if you haven't trawled through them yet, I would give them a look and see if they cover situations like this.

mikejim

Cheers, I will have a scan through

MJ

mikejim

Hi
The Ts & Cs for my deal are on their website as follows:
Terms & Conditions:
· Pre-payment of your stay is required upon booking.
· Rates are subject to availability.
· Rates are not cancellable, transferable or refundable.
· Wyndham Hotel Group reserves the right to alter or withdraw this offer at any time without notice.

As stated, I did pre-pay, I did not cancel the booking, I did not require a transfer and I did not ask for a refund for the first night I missed.

Any good?

flea72

the whole point of pre-pay is you pay upfront, so if you dont arrive, they still get their money. you didnt turn up as arranged, so they kept your money

most hotels also have terms that state, if you dont turn up on your intended arrival day, then all further nights will be cancelled too

and low and behold their T&C state exactly that

http://www.wyndham.com/corporate/faqs/main.wnt

'If you fail to arrive at the hotel on the scheduled arrival date, your reservation will be cancelled and you will not receive any refund or credit'

perhaps you should have rung and let them know, you were arriving later than planned

Flea

Mark_Hewitt

It's absolutely standard practice with pre-bookings such as this. And even with flexible bookings! If you don't turn up for your first nights stay it's assumed you won't turn up at all and your reservation will be cancelled.

What you forefit for that will usually be 1 nights rate for flexible bookings or the entire amount for non-flexible ones. Of course how different hotels handle it is a different matter.

Travelodge for example you can go onto the website and change the details of the booking if it is before 12pm to indicate you aren't staying that night. Of course for a pre-booked rate you won't get any refund but at least you'll be able to stay the remaining nights. If it is after 12pm you can call the hotel concerned directly and the reception will usually check you in themselves, then you can pick up the key for the remaining nights the next day. Although I believe that's at the receptions descretion, the only time I've tried it the reception staff knew who I was anyway.

Premier Inn are new to the whole non-refundable thing. I would imagine if you called central reservations on the morning of your first night they'd sort things out for you. Not sure about after that. I had that situation once but thankfully I knew well in advance and was staying in the same hotel a few days before so the receptionist arranged for me to be 'checked in' on the day and I arrived the next day. Of course I still had to pay the same amount.

So what am I saying? Ah yes, you should have told them at least on the day you were supposed to arrive, and not just show up the next day. You won't be getting your money back I'm afraid.

mikejim

Thank you all for the info.I was actually on my way when my journey was disrupted by a family emergency and cancelling the booking was the last thing on my mind. I will put this down to experience. I am lucky really it was only three nights, my work sometimes inviolves upto 28 days stay when it would seem, I would lose the lot in similar circumstances. Won't use this chain again!

Thanks again
MJ

Mark_Hewitt

mikejim wrote: »

Thank you all for the info.I was actually on my way when my journey was disrupted by a family emergency and cancelling the booking was the last thing on my mind. I will put this down to experience. I am lucky really it was only three nights, my work sometimes inviolves upto 28 days stay when it would seem, I would lose the lot in similar circumstances. Won't use this chain again!

Was it Days Inn? They are overpriced anyway!

pinkshoes

I've had pre-bookings where I've not turned up for the first night, but been able to stay the next night! (Obviously no refund for first night...).

Personally I think this is an unfair T&C, as you've already paid for the service. If they didn't make it very clear that you HAD to check in on the first night otherwise the whole booking would be cancelled, then I would perhaps speak to Trading Standards about it.

It's not like the hotel have lost out financially on this, as you've already paid.

Mark_Hewitt

pinkshoes wrote: »

It's not like the hotel have lost out financially on this, as you've already paid.

But quite often the reduced rates are reduced because the hotel knows it can make additional money from people who pay for the rooms, but don't turn up and these in turn are let to others for a higher price. It's all part of the business model.

pinkshoes

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

But quite often the reduced rates are reduced because the hotel knows it can make additional money from people who pay for the rooms, but don't turn up and these in turn are let to others for a higher price. It's all part of the business model.

Exactly, the room was no doubt re-sold when they didn't turn up that night, thus they actually profited from the no show.

As the OP had then turned up for the second and third nights, having already paid for them, and possibly spending more money in the hotel, then why should they have to pay AGAIN?