Can Travelodge relet your room if you have already paid for it?

usignuolo

Heard a couple of separate occasions recently where two different friends booked and prepaid for a Travelodge room on line and when they turned up to check in, were told hotel was full and their booking was no longer valid.

Is this legal?

Andyt1981

This has happened to me - I think they have an overbooking policy. We arrived at about 9pm with a pre-paid, pre-booked room to be told that they were full but they'd booked us a room at another travelodge about 39 miles away( back the way we'd come).

We ended up finding a room in a really nice pub down the road and travelodge ended up reimbursing us.

hcb42

It happens with most hotel chains and airlines, just travelodge are particlarly aggressive with it so they do outbook more than most.

p00hsticks

Check out the 'relocation' part of their T&Cs (Section 9)


http://www.travelodge.co.uk/terms-conditions


as hbc42 says, most hotel chains overbook on the assumption that not everyone will turn up

Bradfield

I have used TL for several years and it has never happened to me, although I am always conscious that it is a possibility.

If a percentage of people never turn up, even though they have already pre-paid, then it makes sense (practical and economic) to over-book. No point in having empty rooms when there is a demand for them.

The key question is what happens if you turn out to be the unlucky one who turns up to find your room is gone?

Relocating is not so much a problem in large towns or cities where there are several Travelodges in one area. Although it could be difficult for those who turn up late at night and rely on public transport.

The worst affected would be those who have booked in a TL where there are none others around and arrive late at night.
The experience of "andyt1981" is encouraging although I would hope that they re-imbursed him "graciously".

So basically, I do get the reason why they over-book but just pray that it never happens to me. If it ever does happen I would expect them to relocate me, or re-imburse me for alternative accommodation, without any quibble.

susancs

It has never happened to me, but as I am aware that they do overbook to account for no shows I book in as early as I can, but if I know I will be arriving later at night, I ring up to confirm that I will be arriving and the spproximate time so they dont think I am a "no show" and resell my room.

hcb42

I never book TL nowadays, I do use Premier Inn on occasion, but I always arrive early in the day

Sharon87

At work they booked us 9 rooms, we turned up late 10:30pm as that's when we finished working and they hadn't had 2 of the rooms available. The company I worked for managed to get all of our rooms refunded. It was a massive inconvenience trying to organise a new room about 11pm at night especially when we started work again early the next morning.

Vectis

Sharon87 wrote: »

At work they booked us 9 rooms, we turned up late 10:30pm as that's when we finished working and they hadn't had 2 of the rooms available. The company I worked for managed to get all of our rooms refunded. It was a massive inconvenience trying to organise a new room about 11pm at night especially when we started work again early the next morning.

I think I'd have been sending someone along to check in and collect the 'keys' earlier in the day, or at least phone the actual hotel early in the day to book in.

I'd do this when we book for personal use and I'd certainly do it if booking 9 rooms and turning up very late.

paddyrg

What a pain - you'd understand it more if you hadn't already paid in full for the room. Especially as if you were a no-show, they'd keep the money anyway and have sold a room twice over. The moment they take more bookings than they have functioning rooms isa the moment they're actively intending to stitch someone up. That's a pretty contemptful attitude to customers in my mind.

It's /almost/ bait-and-switch, you pay for one hotel and they try to palm you off with another an hour away - if you wanted to stay an hour away...well you'd have booked there in the first place, wouldn't you?!

Must admit I tend to try to call in earlier or at least alert hotels ahead if I'm going to be a late check-in.

colmil

Serves anyone who books with Travelodge right for having anything to do with them!

They are the Ryanair of the travel industry.