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

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

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?

You’re not going to tell them your boss deliby overbooked, the T&C are if you don’t ring ahead we can move you to another hotel

Yes, you are.

But how would you explain it so you don’t have an angry customer shouting at you and you keep your boss happy

'Hello [customer] and welcome. We do have an overbooking policy like many hotels and in this instance we're going to need to give you a different hotel. It's very nearby, a higher star rating than this one and we've called you a taxi, all on us of course. And I hope you'll accept these [restaurant vouchers/luxury bath products/nice chocolates/whatever] as a further token of apology and recognition for the inconvenience.'

Something like that perhaps? Rather than lying about the booking system being down?

Darling, it’s bad enough having to explain to a customer that arrives after 6pm the hotel is fully booked and you will have to call a taxi to take them to a hotel a few miles away ( upto 30 one night)

I can assure you that your method would not calm the process. To tell a customer that it was done on purpose would be lighting the fuse and not standing back

See the customer would hear the first part and be digesting that whilst the rest of it was explained.

Miss the explanation and offer voucher would be my preferred option, then tell them there staying in another hotel and I’ve booked a taxi and a return for the morning. Whilst the taxis is being booked their spending the voucher in their head

But holiday inn is cheap and cheerful so the boss doesn’t give away vouchers (Marriott is the place to get this type of treatment) so unless the receptionist is going to fork out for the gift or voucher that’s not going to happen. So the op has been left with lie as the receptionist is frightened of escalation of the situation.

This is quite common, I travel a lot for work and will often travel on a Sunday evening rather than first thing rush hour on a Monday, but it means I arrive late. I always call ahead around lunch time to check in by phone and to inform them I'll be arriving later to avoid this happening

Yes it's common and that's why I arrive at check in time because it's a first come first serve basis.

I can assure you that your method would not calm the process. To tell a customer that it was done on purpose would be lighting the fuse and not standing back

Personally, I find lies and evasion more annoying. I'd rather have the truth any day - at least you can then put it behind you and move on. Often when it's lies and half truths, you just end up being strung along. It's is policy to over-sell, and therefore a good idea to ring ahead, then I'd far rather know that, than be fed a lie about a dodgy booking system - in the former case, I'd know for next time, in the latter case, it would probably keep recurring.

I agree hazzy- I would rather truth. But many people on hearing they don’t have a room start on a tirade if abuse and at that point telling them anything ignites things further...

It's crap and I doubt phoning ahead of a late arrival would save a room.
I guess someone else has booked too so they are hardly going to turn away the other person checking in earlier because what if you still don't turn up??

That's why they haveciverboojed to ensure the room is filled and paid for.
Basically anyone checking in late has a good chance if being fucked over!!
It's just shit.

Thats a really rubbish experience. As an aside, my experience of reporting to Trip Advisor is that they aren't interested. I had a really aggressive personal message, plus a phone call to my home, from a unhinged disgruntled restauranter after a perfectly balance but less than favourable review. I reported it, twice, and have yet to hear from TA. No more reviews from me!

I didn't know that hotels do this routinely but I do let them know if I am going to be late in case they decide to give my room to someone else.

For example I went to Dublin a few weeks ago and was arriving around 9pm so I let them know I'd be late. I hadn't prepaid though.

We recently visited Israel and on arrival was told they had overbooked, the only room available was the duplex penthouse suite which they immediately offered! I would have been incandescent had they refused us a room.