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Turned away at the Terrace

September 6, 2006

Q: I recently reserved three nights at the Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta through Expedia. My credit card was charged for the room and I received a confirmation through the online travel agency.

However, when I tried to check in, I was told that I didn’t have a reservation and that I needed to call Expedia. A hotel representative said my reservation had been canceled before my arrival because the hotel was overbooked, and that Expedia had been notified.

Expedia offered another room for two nights at a more expensive hotel, but couldn’t find a room for the third night. It offered a $25 coupon as compensation for the third night.

I want Expedia to apologize and compensate me for my terrible ordeal. It did refund my room charge, but I don’t think that’s enough. Please help.

— Anita Nieves, Coconut Creek, Fla.

A: If you received a confirmed reservation from Expedia, then you should also have a hotel room. And if you didn’t get a hotel room, then whoever screwed up should make it up to you.

But whose fault was this?

The Georgian Terrace Hotel claims that it notified Expedia that it was oversold 48 hours before you tried to check in, which would have left your online travel agency with plenty of time to contact you and find other accommodations.

Is a hotel allowed to turn away a guest because it’s oversold? I’ve checked out the applicable Georgia state laws and have found no evidence that the Georgian Terrace Hotel broke any rules by turning you away.

Still, the common hotel industry practice isn’t to show a guest the door when there’s no room, but to find an acceptable alternative hotel (and that’s especially true if you prepaid for your accommodations). According to a hotel spokeswoman, that’s exactly what happened: It offered to put you up in another hotel and pay for your first night. But she said you decided to work directly with Expedia instead.

Expedia’s account differs from the hotel’s. David Dennis, a spokesman for the online agency, said the hotel didn’t notify it of the cancellation. “When the customer contacted us we did everything we could to try to find new accommodations,” he said. “But the city was very full and there were not many options available.” In the end, it could only find you an acceptable room for two of the three nights.

The bottom line is that this was probably a technology glitch. Expedia was sending its reservations to the hotel through a primitive, fax-based system, and your initial booking was probably lost. (Expedia replaced that reservation system with a more secure online version in mid-2006, according to the hotel.)

Next time you make a hotel reservation, remember to call the hotel directly at least a day before you arrive. Things can go wrong with a reservation — even on the Web — so it’s better to check with the hotel before you check in.

In addition to the $25 certificate and refund on your prepaid room, Expedia offered to pay the difference between the amount of your original reservation and the substitute hotel. The Georgian Terrace Hotel also sent you a gift certificate for a free weekend at the hotel.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

7 comments

  • Kathy

    I can only say that I have had problems with the very same hotel. A booking was cancelled. Our travel agency worked with the hotel for one year, could not get the funds refunded nor could they get anyone from hotel management to return the call. Eventually, my travel agency ‘ate’ the cost of the room and refunded the money.

  • Carver

    That’s why I have given up on third party booking sites. I don’t have time or inclination to confirm my bookings before travel. By booking directly with the travel provider, I minimize the likelihood of travel day drama.

  • Preston McKinney

    I loved to hear comments from people who think that they save money by booking on Expedia. Please go to the Expedia website or any other online agency website and print out their disclaimer to see what rights or lack of rights that you have.

  • Jennifer

    My parents had a similar situation, but they did everything right. My mom booked direct with the hotel in Newfoundland. Called before they left Edmonton to advise that they would not be arriving until 2-3 am as that was when their plane landed and then called AGAIN from the Toronto airport to confirm that their reservation was being held.

    They were assured that when they arrived there would be a room there for them.

    They arrive at the hotel at 3am after a VERY long day and are told that there is no room for them. How could that be, they asked, they called earlier to confirm. The hotel manager was sympathetic, but the bottom line was another guest has decided to extend their stay and as my parents well knew there was a conference in town (they were there to attend) and hotel rooms were scarce.

    The hotel put them up in a conference room with a COT, comped their breakfast and the first night stay. They did have a room for them after the first night and the conference room did have a private washroom.

    I must say that my parents took that news better than I would have!!! I would have told the manager that his options were to find me another room in the city or to wake up that other guest and tell them that they would have to find other accomodations as the hotel was booked and they should not have been allowed to extend their stay there. (maybe that’s the wrong attitude…)

    My mom was ok with the solution at the time, but they have been back to the east coast a few times since that incident and they have never stayed at that hotel again. Somehow I have a feeling they never will, I know I won’t.

  • Mike

    Again, an argument for booking directly with travel service providers. Chris’ Troubleshooter articles seem to always begin with “I booked my air/car/hotel through Priceline/Expedia/Cheapseats” then go on to describe some horror. It stands to reason that customers contracting through a third party provider are not accorded the same consideration as the provider’s own customers. Travelers who buy through these services demonstrate that they have no brand loyalty. In the event of a problem, accomodating them will likely not cause them to return as a customer, either of the property or brand.

  • Bob

    Hmmm, paid receipt. No room?

    I would camp out in the lobby and if the hotel called the police (I’v paid for “a room” and can prove it”), I’d call the local t.v. station.

    What do you think?

  • Chicky

    Letting the local media know about these kinds of things is always a good idea. Sometimes, they can apply pressure no one else can. Also inform the city’s convention and visitors bureau and even the Better Business Bureau if you think you really got taken for a ride. When a company’s BBB seal is yanked, it is a huge embarrassment. But save that for emergencies. That’s not an “I wanted blue drapes and got green drapes” kind of issue.

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