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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think if you book a hotel room, they should have a room available for you?

62 replies

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 26/10/2018 12:47

Booked a room in the Holiday Inn for one night for a work trip, several days in advance. Turned up 11pm to check in, absolutely knackered, and was told they were fully booked and didn't have a room for me. They claimed their booking system had gone down and my booking was lost (lies...)

An hour later - and only at my insistence - they found me an alternative hotel and put me in a taxi to get there. I suspect that if I was more meek they'd just have left me stranded - tiny town, no car.

After making a complaint, they admitted they routinely overbook their rooms in the same style as RyanAir, barely apologised, claimed other hotels do it and by way of apology gave me some loyalty points to a scheme I don't use on a take it or leave it basis. And then they had the cheek to ask me to remove my 1* TripAdvisor review...!

AIBU to think it's CFery to overbook hotel rooms like this?

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 26/10/2018 12:53

I think this is pretty standard practice. I am not saying it is a good thing but it happens in all hotel chains I believe. If i am planning to arrive late i make sure they know i will be a late check in.

Lazypuppy · 26/10/2018 12:53

Always happens same as planes, check in early!

mummymeister · 26/10/2018 12:55

I think it has become much more common recently to overcome the no shows and the people who cancel and get a full refund and do it last minute. always best to ring and say what time you are arriving. I generally stop around 7/8pm if driving and ring to just remind them that I am coming. rotten thing to happen and you should report to tripadvisor that they have asked you to take down your review because that really isn't on either.

CoachBombay · 26/10/2018 12:57

Hotel Management experience here.

Every hotel does it normally occupancy will sit at -1 or -2. It's easier for hem to turn you away as fully booked than loose revenue. Most hotel expect/hope for one or two no shows so it doesn't crop up often, but when it does it's horrible for the customer.

Most hotels however when sat at minus numbers thanks to reservations will ring round local hotels just incase so they can book out.

If you were to show up to my previous workplace, we would have transported you to the new hotel and paid the new hotel. You would not have been out of pocket but regrettably unconvinced.

Sounds like Holiday Inn are shit at booking out.

RebootYourEngine · 26/10/2018 12:58

This is standard in hotels and planes. They overbook because usually a percentage of people do not turn up so the rooms/seats are not left empty.

florafawna · 26/10/2018 13:15

Horrendous customer service!

They are taking your booking/credit card details under false pretences if they cannot guarantee you a room!

If your review on TripAdvisor was honest, they shouldn't be allowed to remove it. There are loads of other places to leave reviews, including Google and Twitter, so use those to name and shame!!!!!

florafawna · 26/10/2018 13:17

The car reservation.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 26/10/2018 13:24

I knew about planes but I hadn't known about hotels (until a similar thread a few months ago). If they do this, I suppose if you haven't arrived by 11pm, they might consider you a no-show (I ran a B&B, I know about late arrivals Smile).

I do think if you've actually paid, then there's no way you should be dumped - they've still got the money, even if you don't turn up. Likewise with planes. I think it's despicable actually.

But I've learned from your lesson so I would contact them on the day if I were going to be arriving that late.

Spanglybangles · 26/10/2018 13:25

Totally standard practice. I used to work st an airport hotel and during the week when they were most busy with business customers, overbooking was normal. One of my duties each day in late afternoon was to ring round all the other hotels in the area and find out their occupancy level that night so that we had an idea of where we could book out to if need be. Most business customers knew this and would ring ahead to advise if they would be late checking in, ensuring their room was kept for them.

DarlingNikita · 26/10/2018 13:26

That's shite. They should have been up-front about overbooking rather than lying, and they should have jumped to find you an alternative hotel and arranged/paid for a taxi to get there.

And of course leave up your review. Who do they think they are?

If there's a hotel standards body I'd report them to it, for the bare-faced lie if nothing else.

florafawna · 26/10/2018 13:28

I've prepaid for my room (a guaranteed reservation), can a hotel refuse to give me a room?

"If you've prepaid for your room, it is guaranteed and the hotel must give you the room you paid for, even if you show up late. If the hotel does not have a room for you, then it has breached your contract and must provide you with a reasonable substitute. This means that they may end up having to send you to another hotel, even if it is more expensive, and pay for the transportation - even the phone call to let people know you've switched hotels."

consumer.findlaw.com/travel-rules-and-rights/hotel-questions-and-answers.html

Splishsplashbath · 26/10/2018 13:33

This happened to me once. After a flight then two hour drive travelling for work plus being 24 weeks pregnant, arrived at hotel at 10:30pm absolutely shattered.

Ended up sharing a room with someone I didn’t really know, it was either that or another journey to a different hotel.

The difference is, they were really apologetic and upgraded the room for the rest of the stay and left chocolates/luxury toiletries on the bed for me.

I guess it is standard practice but surely they should understand and acknowledge your frustration

PattiStanger · 26/10/2018 13:50

There was a very similar thread a little while ago and the general concensus was that it's the way hotels do it and I see that the comments so far back this up

SeaToSki · 26/10/2018 13:54

Some hotel chains allow you to check in up to 24 hrs in advance on their ap. It saves this hassel. You have to be a member of their loyalty program though.

AlleyG · 26/10/2018 13:55

This happened to me once. I arrived at about midnight and was told there wasn't a room in their 4 hotel but they'd put me up in the 5 down the road for the two nights of my stay.

So I went to the 5 down the road (in a taxi paid for by them) to find the 5 had no standard rooms available so they put me in a penthouse suite and said I could have it for both nights of my stay.

I was meant to be at a work conference but I didn't go to much of it Grin

Bombardier25966 · 26/10/2018 13:56

they routinely overbook their rooms in the same style as RyanAir,

Ryanair are one of the few airlines that don't overbook flights.

Hotel overbooking is the norm. The hotel should have been better prepared with an alternative hotel (and transport) arranged for you.

mastertomsmum · 26/10/2018 14:02

Surely check in is anytime after the earliest check in until the following morning/after midnight. I say this as someone who has travelled all over the world and around UK frequently.

If the system is blamed and you have an email confirmation of booking then you insist they sort you out somewhere to stay. Makes no difference if it is a budget hotel.

I disagree with those who say this is the way they do things, it's not. They might try and get away with it. This only happened once and stopped as soon as I told them I was there to attend a legal conference.

PoisonousSmurf · 26/10/2018 14:07

The only way to stop it happening is to ring up to say you'll be late, otherwise it WILL go to someone else.

dontalltalkatonce · 26/10/2018 14:15

So if you know you'll be arriving late or if your travel plans go awry and make you late, you don't have a place to stay despite paying for it?

CoachBombay · 26/10/2018 14:19

If you pre-pay in full for the rooms, when the receptionists do the "arrivals" you would be pre allocated a room. Therefore not turned away.

It's the people who have pay at hotel reservations that run the risk of being turned away. They have not taken your money so do not have to provide the service. These reservations tend to stay unallocated and it's a first come first serve basis.

Kazzyhoward · 26/10/2018 14:26

It's the people who have pay at hotel reservations that run the risk of being turned away.

No it's not. Only last month I pre-booked and paid for 2 hotel rooms. We arrived there just after 9pm to be told they were full.

CantWaitToRetire · 26/10/2018 14:36

I manage my company's hotel program and this is standard. If your company has negotiated rates at hotels they should ensure the hotels agree to arrange a room at a comparable property in the event they are oversold, provide free transportation to that hotel, and reimburse the cost of a telephone call to your home or office. For you as a traveller, it is good practice to phone ahead and make the hotel aware if you require late check-in.

Having said all that, I think the Holiday Inn in this instance were telling porky pies about the system going down and losing the reservation. I think that's also a pretty standard excuse that gets used when they don't want to fess up to overselling.

kaytee87 · 26/10/2018 14:40

It's ridiculous because presumably even if a guest doesn't turn up they are still charged for the room - so they're not losing any money they're due. Same as airlines, it's a form of theft in my eyes.

CoachBombay · 26/10/2018 14:48

@kazzy I suspect in your case, the hotel had overbooked and every guest was pre-pay. In which case it reverts to first come first served. It does happen generally on weekends.

We've had to turf out pre paid members of a wedding party before because everyone had pre-paid. They were a bridesmaid and didn't turn up till 2am to check in (understandibly) but by that time there was no room left.

So it does happen yes, but most hotels hope a 24 hour/ free cancellation/ pay at hotel booking no shows.

Stringofpearls · 26/10/2018 14:53

Sadly in think this is standard practice, but in my opinion it is completely unfair on the customer. We used to use Cyprus Airways regularly when I was young and they did that all the time, which nearly always resulted in having to beg people not to fly by offering vouchers etc.