To warn you that Travelodge routinely 'overbook'!!

[badger2005]

We had booked to see a show, and ages ago I also booked a travelodge so we'd be right next to the venue. When we turned up ready to book into our travelodge (about 5.45pm) we were told that they had had to move us into a different travelodge in another place - miles from the venue!
This wasn't because of any kind of emergency - they just overbook on purpose apparently and you just get booted out even if you have booked a room in advance.
When we got back home, travelodge sent me an email asking for feedback, and I asked if I could have a refund. That seems to me like the absolute minimum - I booked into a hotel and they reneged on the booking - surely I should get a refund?! But they just blanked me. I don't know if I can get a refund - I'm guessing I will just be talking to a computer about it forever if I try.

I've found out since that not all hotel chains do this. I'm NEVER booking Travelodge again. Just warning you all!

I work for a Tour Operator and I promise you that it's rarer to come across a hotel that doesn't overbook to best manage revenue.

I used to work in a big well regarded UK family hotel and in January time we'd sometimes have dates in August where we were 30+ rooms in the red, but people cancelled, groups reduced, operator and OTA allocations were released and only once in a blue moon did we ever have to outbook anyone.

Just because it's never happened to you doesn't mean the hotels you choose don't do it, they're just doing it well. 999 times out of 1000 it works out by the time everyone arrives, 1 time it doesn't.

It's reputational suicide for any hotel with an ounce of intelligence

On the contrary; it's standard practice in the industry. They all do it.

Then they are thieves, plain and simple. If you have paid upfront for a booking then that room is guaranteed as yours (save if the hotel has a fire or flood or similar). If you don't turn up to use it, that's your problem.

It's no different from committing to buy (and sell) anything else. It doesn't matter if the product is used by the customer or not, it is reserved for them whether they do or don't - and they must pay for it, as agreed, regardless.

I agree with PP that they wouldn't allow it the other way around. I wonder how many people they have charged who didn't turn up - for whatever reason - knowing full well that they had sold their room again and, if they had turned up, there wouldn't have been a room for them anyway.

I remember this being highlighted on Watchdog years ago. It was a family who were leaving on an early flight from Gatwick and had booked (and paid for) a TL very close to the airport for the night before, but they were shunted to the nearest TL that had availability, which turned out to be Grantham, which, iirc, was further away from Gatwick than their own home.

Ever since watching that, if ever we're looking for accommodation somewhere, we ignore TL as though it doesn't exist, as we would book a hotel for the purposes of actually staying there at the agreed and paid-for time - exactly the same as we would ignore a branch of Kwik Fit if we were looking for somewhere that could sell us food.

Did the Travelodge arrange/pay for their transport to the other place?

They literally do. It just so happens that you haven’t been ‘walked.’ IME (30 years hotel reception, various locations) you’re more likely to be booked out if you’ve booked via one of the big online 3rd party providers. It’s better to book direct.

Why do they need 100% occupancy? If you're paying for the room, why does the hotel care if you actually stay there?

Quite.

I'm pretty sure Premier Inn don't do this. I frequently book with them and rooms are often sold out so I find an alternative. So it seems to me the book based on actual numbers. I've also arrived to check in in the middle of the night and my room is always available and ready for us. I'd definitely recommend. I've booked a 2 night family room over Christmas for £84!

@Thehonestbadger I worked for Premier Inn in 2002/2003 and we definitely had an out booking process then.

Do the hotels that do this offer any justification for doing it, when people have already booked and paid for the room?

I mean any proper justification - beyond 'because we are robbing, cheating bastards'?

Why do they need 100% occupancy? If you're paying for the room, why does the hotel care if you actually stay there?

Because flexible rates exist and are appreciated by many travellers. I was due to stay in central London on Sunday night this week. Unforeseen circumstances meant I couldn't travel so I cancelled on Saturday and got a full refund.

This happened to us once, booked an 'accessible' room, turned up to check in and receptionist told me very matter of factly that they were overbooked, so as means of 'compensation' they'd given us a non accessible room but with complimentary towels 😕 I had to take it because there was nothing else available at such short notice, but I'm raging at myself now that I didn't kick up a fuss!

There was a post some time ago from a woman who arrived at a travelodge to discover her room had been overbooked. I seem to remember they either wouldn't put her up anywhere else, or wouldn't get her transport to get to the other place, and she ended up sleeping in reception (or perhaps her car, if it was no other accom offered) I've never booked with travelodge since - and I'm definitely their target market!

@CatamaranViper Do all the big chains do it? Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Ibis, Best Western, Radisson, Novotel, Thistle, Mercure, Days Inn? Because if any of them don’t, I will book with them in preference to the others.

I have stayed in countless travelodges many, many times all over the country and only encountered this once. There was no reason for it to be overbooked (no events, not near anything) and the lady on the desk seemed genuinely confused. She spent an hour on the phone to someone saying she can see two bookings for the same room and how has that happened.

In the end they put us in the disabled room and brought an extra bed from another room... it was a PITA but seemed a genuine mistake and hardly a common experience.

Entirely normal for all hotels. If you call or email Travelodge on the day and let them know you'll be a late arrival they will allocate a room to you so you aren't bumped. Other hotels tend to accept this information earlier than the arrival day.

They definitely did and do. I've received guests who were outbooked by Premier Inn.

Again, I've literally worked for 5* hotels who do this. Many, many people on this thread who work in the industry are telling you it's standard practice.

But thanks for the sly dig about the places I've worked.

Its all down to corporate greed- be it hotel chains or airlines- in many of these cases with hotels (certainly with budget chains) and 100% the case with airlines people have paid upfront - so to be frank it's no skin off the nose if someone doesn't turn up- if I've paid and turn up at 2am- as far as I'm concerned that's my prerogative and no I don't want shipping elsewhere or just refunding back at 2am- and on flights there is no excuse at all- plain greed- bane and shame folks ! Although with travel lodge you are safe-as they would have to pay me- as my son said- it's like staying in a hospital ward and a crap one at that

I've stayed in dozens of places, dp hundreds (work) in the last few years and never experienced this. It's not common practice, it's just the charlatans that do this.

They were driving so didn't need it. But it was miles away - Saturday night in Birmingham and they were given a Travelodge in Wolverhampton.

Ps we often arrive late too, never happens at reputable places

I've worked for most you've listed but add on a couple others yeah they all did it.

I was a duty manager so this was a key part of my training. Like I say, it was rare it ever actually happened but had to be prepared if it did. The weekly managers meeting, the revenue and/or the reservations manager would flag any days with minus rooms.

It absolutely IS common practice from Travelodge to 5* Hotels, but you, like most people, haven't ever experienced it because when it's managed well it all works out the majority of the time.

I tend to prepay, would that be the difference, if they have your money, non refundable it doesn't matter if you turn up!

This happened to us!!

Arrived at Travelodge too early to check in. Left bags behind counter with staff, went out, came back no room!!! (And we had paid in advance)

They managed to find us a double room and husband slept on pillows on the floor. Horrendous. Got all money back but they were useless.

I could kind of get it if we hadn’t been in the building but you’d think one of the members of staff would have gone - who do these bags belong to? From a security perspective if nothing else.

YABU to expect to get a response and refund from an automated feedback email.