It has not happened to me before (well...yet), but I am interested to know the experiences and options that are available should there be a need to cancel a hotel booking that was made on a non-refunable rate. Does having Hilton status help in these situations? Please share your experiences here. Thanks.
Diamond Desk will get you out of one night. They say it is once in a lifetime, but I do not know if that is true.
Actually in my experience the DD will NOT help instances like this. Your best option is to call the hotel directly and speak to somebody in the reservations department and plead your case. I have been successful in all my (about four such) getting pre-paid or past cancellation date bookings charges reversed by doing just that. It helps if you have a plausible excuse but be fore-warned that on one ocasion when my flight was cancelled the hotel did check with the airlines in question before taking action. My most pleasing outcome was once when I had a booking for the London Hilton which forgot to cancel and ended up stayed at the London Conrad (no longer in the HH program) I didnt even remember the booking until the charge showed up on my credit card, called the hotel and they reversed the charge when I faxed the a copy of my Conrad folio.. was for 250 GBP.
I made an error in booking on a non-refundable rate at the Embassy Suites Hotel near DTW. The hotel's reservation office suggested I talk to the hotel's general manager. He was very pleasant about giving me a credit for a future stay at the hotel. Although I am a Diamond level guest and had stayed at that hotel before, I had the feeling that he would have done that for anyone making a civil and reasonable request... he was just a really nice guy. After I used the credit, I thanked him in person for accommodating my mistake. I thinks it's important to recognize people who go the extra mile for us, and it might help pave the way for future travelers in the same predicament.
I wonder how many hotels provide credits for cancelling non-refundable rates. A good way to retain business.
As a betting man I would wager none Under the circumstances I was only too pleased to have the charge refunded to my credit card.
I've also had decent luck when I phoned the hotel directly. Once, when a delayed arrival caused me to miss my flight from NRT to SIN, I phoned the Hilton Singapore and explained what happened. They volunteered to apply my pre-payment to a second upcoming stay I had there. And when the earthquake in Japan delayed my arrival in Seoul by one day, the Millenium Hilton refunded one night of my prepaid stay. On the other hand, the Hilton Hanoi Opera basically said that's not our problem when another missed connection caused me to arrive one day late. Mind you, I completely understand their response, but I see no reason not to ask about what can be done in a situation like this.
Very dangerous proposition if the person subletting your room does damage, steals things, etc. Sent from my iPhone using milepoint
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