What can you do if your hotel cancels your reservation in advance?
When hotels cancel with warning, it can be trickier for guests to obtain any compensation. Most hotel guidelines apply only in cases where guests are walked on the day. However, you can take steps to recoup some of your losses and make up for the inconvenience.If you can be flexible, ask the hotel to honor your booking at a future date. However, be sure to total up any other expenses for changing your arrangements and outline these to hotel staff. Hotels should cover these costs as a gesture of goodwill for your understanding. If you are a loyalty club member, ask for a few thousand bonus points to be added to your account as well to cover the inconvenience of having to rebook your plans.If you cannot change the dates of your trip, be sure to let the hotel know the extent of your travel plans and the expenses you will incur for this cancellation. If you are satisfied staying at a comparable hotel, do some research before speaking to the hotel manager so you can suggest your own alternative. Hotels will typically pick a replacement of a slightly lower standard, so this way, you can make your case for a more appropriate consolation.If a different hotel has a higher rate than your initial booking, ask your original accommodation to cover the additional costs. If your new lodgings come with a lower price tag, ask the hotel to cover an upgrade to a room type that at least matches the price of your initial room or reimbursement for the difference. Alternatively, if the booking is with a large chain, you could ask for a voucher for a free night's stay to cover the inconvenience.Most reputable hotels will gladly agree with these terms, especially if you're a loyalty points member. If the hotel refuses to offer compensation, ask for the phone number for customer relations and be sure to get the names of the front desk staff.