Hotel cancellation policy

Badknee

Hi. 

I'd be grateful for opinions on the following wording of a USA hotel cancellation policy (in bold):

We collect payment 7 days prior to arrival. At that point, cancellation is non-refundable. The guest is responsible for payment in full for all nights reserved regardless of their actual arrival or departure date. No refunds are available once final payment has been made. 

By way of background we booked a 4 night hotel stay around 6 months ago and believed that the reservation was fully refundable until 7 days before check in, in July 2025. We have tried to cancel by email due to a change in circumstances but 8 emails have not been responded to over the last two weeks and nobody answers the phone when we call. We have no reason to believe that the hotel has closed as reviews are still appearing online. 

We left our Visa card details when making the booking online and are concerned that in the absence of confirmation from the hotel that they've cancelled the booking, payment will be taken from the card in July 2025. Does the cancellation policy of a hotel need to explicitly state that the reservation is fully refundable? Or can that be implied from the above wording which seems to suggest that it's only non-refundable once the payment has been taken 7 days before check-in? 

Many thanks.

DullGreyGuy

Its always better if its explicit rather than implicit but would agree that based on that wording it can be inferred that its at least partially cancellable before the deadline. 

Which hotel is it? Are you calling at an appropriate time for their timezone?

comeandgo

Hm, if I read that I’d not assume prior to 7 days fully refundable.  It may state in their terms 50% refundable or cancellation fees or that it’s only date changes they allow with no further costs.

Badknee

Thanks for your response. It's a hotel in Colorado, so we have waited until the evening here in the UK and called between 9am and 11am Colorado time. I wasn't concerned about cancellation as we didn't have any intention to cancel it, and the policy appeared to be straightforward enough, but their failure to respond has me worried that they'll take the payment from the credit card in July. Thanks again. 

flaneurs_lobster

Can we assume that the hotel is not a member of one of the usual chain brands?

If the text that you quote is the only reference to the status of your booking/cancellation policy then I'd assume that you can cancel any time up to 7 days before check-in without penalty.

I'd also assume that any hotel that doesn't answer emails or phone calls is not one that I'd want holding my live Visa card details.

Have they done a card verification (a zero amount transaction) against your card?

Is there a way to "blacklist" a possible future transaction on a card? If it has been "pre-authorised"?

I'd be tempted to get the card cancelled/replaced.

Badknee

Thanks comeandgo. It's the absence of such wording, along with the absence of an explicit 'fully refundable', that has me confused, and worried that the payment will be taken. I suppose I'll just have to keep trying. Thanks. 

Badknee

After reading your response flaneurs_lobster I checked our credit card online and they have not taken a zero amount transaction. And no they're not a large chain hotel, just a small independent with a sister hotel, but run by the same team I believe (I've also tried to contact them). Fingers crossed they respond soon. Thanks for your response. 

Voyager2002

flaneurs_lobster said:

Can we assume that the hotel is not a member of one of the usual chain brands?

If the text that you quote is the only reference to the status of your booking/cancellation policy then I'd assume that you can cancel any time up to 7 days before check-in without penalty.

I'd also assume that any hotel that doesn't answer emails or phone calls is not one that I'd want holding my live Visa card details.

Have they done a card verification (a zero amount transaction) against your card?

Is there a way to "blacklist" a possible future transaction on a card? If it has been "pre-authorised"?

I'd be tempted to get the card cancelled/replaced.

They can still take payment if the card is replaced

OP should discuss the situation with the card provider

Badknee

Thanks Voyager2002. The card provider won't block the payment and said that I'd have to resolve it with the hotel. Only once the payment has been taken will they then consider a dispute apparently, and I only have the arguably ambiguous wording of the hotel cancellation policy to present to them at that stage should the monies be taken. Thanks. 

Voyager2002

Badknee said:

Thanks Voyager2002. The card provider won't block the payment and said that I'd have to resolve it with the hotel. Only once the payment has been taken will they then consider a dispute apparently, and I only have the arguably ambiguous wording of the hotel cancellation policy to present to them at that stage should the monies be taken. Thanks. 

In that case one option would be to close your account with that provider and explicitly say that you are terminating your agreement with them. That would protect you from a possible hotel charge, but then you would need to find a different card to use.

Badknee

Thanks again. Interestingly their sister hotel has a clear, fully refundable cancellation policy up to 7 days prior to check-in, but unfortunately the hotel I booked isn't clear. It simply doesn't say one way or another. I should have been more careful when booking. My fault.