Can you direct to me to one of those sites where you actually see a rate that says ‘non refundable’? I have looked on Starwood and Hilton and cannot see that specified anywhere. If you are talking about some special deal (like to Hawaii) that is non-refundable, is that what Matt is talking about as well?

Internet rates are not the same as non-refundable bookings – even Expedia allows you to cancel a pre-paid room up to 24 hours prior to check in. I have scoured Intercontinental (Holiday Inns et al), Choice Hotels (Clarion, Quality Inns etc) Wyndham (Travelodge, days Inn, Super 8) and no where was I able to find a rate that said non-refundable. I’d be interested in seeing the hotel’s corporate URL that actually shows a non refundable reservation (assuming it is not within 24 hours of arrival – which was NOT Matt’s case either).

I guess my question is who do you talk with at Days Inn ” Head Quarters” to get some type of responce or correction?

I scrambled to escape that pitch without getting hooked and in the process was not able to return to my reservation sequence. I ended up calling the reservation number to see for sure if my reservation had registered (it had). Until I called I did not have a confirmation number.

I had to ask for a confirming e-mail so I’d have something to show if need be.

It sounds like you’re just projecting frustration. “The guest” as you referred to him checked his credit card and the Day’s Inn Retrieve a Reservation function before booking a new room. Sounds like Mr. Holly did his due diligence before rebooking to me.

Also, I always receive some sort of “Thank you for Booking with us!” email when I book via the web. I can’t think of a single time when I have not.

And Wrona is also correct about the Starwood and Marriott, I’ve also seen is when booking Hilton rooms as well.

For example, in the past when I’ve search for reservations at a Starwood hotel (usually a Sheraton or a Westin) I have usually been given the option to book an Internet Only Rate which requires payment in full at time of booking OR booking a fully refundable rate. And this has been an option on their website since at least 2005 as I booked one of those internet only rates at that time.

I work in a hotel chain and what is NOT being said here is revealing.

Firstly, most chain hotels do NOT send confirmation emails. When you book an online reservation, you will get a confirmation number immediately. There is no need for a ‘confirming’ email. If the party here saw a statement that said he would get a confirming email, he should have written down the confirmation number and when no email was received, could call the 800 number for Days Inn and follow up. I’m guessing this party simply ‘expected’ a confirmation when one was never promised. Or perhaps it was put in the SPAM folder automatically – something hotels cannot control. (I’ve answered MANY direct emails to our hotel and when we sent a confirmation (as we state we will for email requests), we were BLOCKED BY THE RECIPIENT because we were not on their approved list to receive emails!)

Secondly, hotels do not pre-charge for rooms as a general policy. Only Third Party discount sites charge your card when reservations are made and they tell you that up front. Again, if this guest says the reservation was declared as pre-paid and had a legitimate expectation of a charge to his C/C, I stand corrected but I am guessing that is NOT the case. I suspect he ‘assumed’ it was pre-paid.

I know no one will feel sorry for hotels (especially after Chris’s lead in) but this is NOT about any ‘policy’ to increase earnings. No respectable hotel OR chain would gouge the public nowadays – not with forums like this and Tripadvisor at the ready to be-head you at the first hint of overcharging. What this is about is protecting YOU – the public.

Because every person who (by design or inadvertently) books duplicate reservations and then sticks the hotel with an empty room by claiming it was the web sites fault is costing YOU money to cover these events. If people are afraid of booking a hotel on line, we all still have 800 numbers where you can leave the inputting to professionals AND get the same lower internet rate. Hotels would MUCH prefer people do this than show up with 3 rooms reserved and tell you they only need one. I know – it happens a few times a year at our hotel and hotels are victims as well as we do not know if someone legitimately needs 3 rooms or they are possible ‘dupes’. Now, our hotel is one that allows people to cancel dupes without charging them but we may be the exception here (apparently).

I disagree with Days Inn for not immediately refunding the money. Mistakes happen and they should allow for the benefit of the doubt. The response by Days Inn sounds like a ‘canned’ response and is also inexcusable given the complaint but Days Inn are franchises and it is actually up to the impacted hotel to refund any charge – not Days Inn corporate. In the end, it will cost you the consumer for errors like this as well as the hotel so in all honesty, you all should be annoyed as much with the guest and not the hotel because it sure sounds to me a lot like the guest ‘assumed’ things that are not reality. Again, I will stand corrected if any of these ‘assumptions’ were clearly indicated in print and the guest was justified in their expectation. It just isn’t the policy with most franchised hotels.

Chris, I’m curious…. Could Matt have avoided this problem if he had called Days Inn when he noticed that his reservation wasn’t there? (rather than booking a second one and trying to contact the hotel then?)

I’m very paranoid about where my credit card number goes. If I had given it out and not received a confirmation, I would be worried about a scam.