Guaranteed Booking

Supersaint13

In November of last year, we booked a 4 night stay in Hotel O in Ypres Belgium for 8th - 12th November this year to coincide with the World War 1 commemorations.
This was booked through Hotels.com, part of Expedia. We recived confirmation from Hotels.com that it had been booked and that it was a guaranteed booking, payment to the hotel on arrival.
Yesterday, I received call from the hotel to advise me that they had overbooked and that the booking was therefore cancelled.
The only other accommodation we can now find in Ypres - because of the popularity of the dates - costs 1040 Euros, as opposed to the 480 Euros the previous booking cost. We booked early so that we could stay in Ypres, and other onward travel arrangements have been made. Our ferries have also been booked.
Where do we stand in regard to this? I'm sure the hotel have cancelled the booking as they will be able to sell the room at a much greater price than we paid.
Given that we have received confirmation of a guaranteed booking, can we make them either:
a) honour the original booking for us to stay in Hotel O, or
b) make Expedia meet the additional costs of staying in the only other available accommodation in Ypres.

Help please, this is a trip I have been planning for years and was really looking forward to it.

keyser666

You need to call hotels.com not expedia, call them and tell them what you've said here and then come back.

Supersaint13

Hotels.com are part of Expedia. Have spoken to Expedia - they sent me an e-mail confirming the cancellation; they say they will negotiate with the hotel to remedy this by either of the options I have mentioned (sorry, pretty key point, sorry I missed it from original post)

I'm wondering however what my recourse is should they (either the hotel or Expedia) advise me that there is nothing they can do? I have to speak to them again at 16-00h and would just like a bit of advice about my options should this be the outcome (crossing my bridges before I come to them I know, but being prepared is better I think!)

Thanks.

InsideInsurance

You need to read the terms of the "guarantee" and what this actually means along with any cancellation policy.

Unfortunately companies sometimes use emotive words in their marketing which if you then go on to read the small print means very little. The "guaranteed booking" may simply mean the price, should the booking go ahead, is guaranteed.

Gavin83

Supersaint13 wrote: »

a) honour the original booking for us to stay in Hotel O, or

How do you suggest they do this? By doing so they'd have to cancel someone elses booking so what makes yours more important? I know you have your theory that they've cancelled to make more money but you have to take them on their word, you've no way to prove this.

I've always found the customer service of hotels.com to be spot on, they've given me loads in the past. I'd suggest talking to them and seeing if they can work something out for you.

I was a gold member with them so this may have held some influence but it's always worth asking.

Supersaint13

I am speaking to hotels.com / Expedia as I mentioned. They have informed me that we are the only guests being inconvenienced.

Now call me cynical, but having booked 12 months ago for what we knew would be a very busy time in Ypres, I don't think it takes a massive leap in thought to arrive at the the conclusion I have Gavin83..................

Caz3121

Supersaint13 wrote: »

.
Where do we stand in regard to this? I'm sure the hotel have cancelled the booking as they will be able to sell the room at a much greater price than we paid.

So does the hotel website still show rooms available for your dates at a higher price?

redcard

Caz3121 wrote: »

So does the hotel website still show rooms available for your dates at a higher price?

They overbooked, they kicked out those on the cheapest rates.

Unfortunately it doesn't matter who booked first, it matters who paid most.

peachyprice

Caz3121 wrote: »

So does the hotel website still show rooms available for your dates at a higher price?

No, it's fully booked. Bang goes that theory.

Supersaint13

All's well that ends well - Hotel has reinstated our booking, free drinks at the hotel, and £100 refund. that's a winner. They clearly had someone paying less than the additional 600 euros it would have cost them to accommodate us in the only other place left in Ypres.
Hotels.com / Expedia were brilliant.

paddyrg

The hotel was probably threatened with being delisted by hotels.com and expedia - that's going to cost them more than the difference in a room rate!