PlateMan

So I have a weekend trip booked to DC staying at a Hilton Garden Inn and booked on that weekend deal that is strictly non-refundable. My stay starts Thursday.

All weather forecasts now indicate, and the National Weather Service agrees, that a major snowstorm will hit DC starting Friday mid-day with possible accumulations of 20 inches plus.

So sadly it looks like I need to postpone my trip as I would never be able to get around and never get home either.

Will Hilton issue a travel waiver as the airports will shut like the December storm? When would do they do that?

So, do I have any chance of rebooking yet? Should I wait until right up to departure when the storm comes barreling in?

Any help please. This is my first time dealing with this.

Thanks.

Brian

cordelli

You can try calling the hotel directly and explain to them that you can not make it will they allow you to switch to another date, but they will probably say no.

Non refundable fares are generally that, you don't get a refund as long as the hotel is open.

The question comes up quite a bit here, if you search just this forum for non refundable you should find a few posts about it.

But in general, no you will lose the money.

Notenut

You will need to plead your case with the Advanced Purchase Dept, not the hotel, at 1-800-445-8667. Let us know how it turns out- I don't think a weather related cancellation has been mentioned before.

rbrackenfl

Thanks for the heads up - I've been in Houston all week oblivious to the fact a major snowstorm is heading our way to the Northeast.

I see you are from the NY area - what transportation were you planning on?

I've stayed at that Hilton Garden Inn in DC - it's very nice and has a fantastic breakfast. It's also walking distance to most of the major sights. I was in DC staying at that facility 3 weeks ago when they were anticipating 4 - 6 inches and it ended up being a light dusting in the early morning. If you could get there, I'd say consider still taking your trip because you would get some fantastic views/photos of the national sites covered in snow. I know DC is not as operational as NYC during a blizzard but probably more so within the city center than in the suburbs, and the quiet beauty that comes over a large metropolitian area during heavy snow is in itself a sight to see.

Rambuster

One of the reasons I no longer book pre-paid or non-cancelable rooms.

vindesante

Just called Hilton advance purchase @ 1-800-236-7113. If, on day of travel, there is a National Weather Service "warning", Hilton considers this an "act of God" and they will refund your money. Hope this helps, especially for traveling @ this time of year. I have often not booked these rates, for fear that in all conditions, the rate really was non-refundable.

mnredfox

Good to hear some leniency.

Roger Lococco

Limited data points, but I've always been able to get out of non-refundable stays when I needed to ...

PlateMan

Thanks so much to all for the helpful, quick responses. FlyerTalkers are great.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the storm blows over, but that looks highly unlikely, so I'll call tomorrow and report back.

Thanks, I thought I had to call them, rather then the hotel

I have AA Eagle flights booked, working to see if they follow UA's lead and issue waivers. I've been in touch with them via twitter and they are 'waiting to see ground conditions'
The HGI I was looking at is actually in Arlington. I lived in DC for 4 years, so been there for the snow, its a pain.

thanks so much for calling in advance, will hope the warning is issued soon then

Again thanks so much all, FlyerTalker's are great!

For our DC friends, enjoy the snow.

Brian

BobH

I've had good luck canceling reservations when flights have been canceled and I haven't been able to use the room.

It's always worth asking.

With 20 inches coming, nothing will be moving in DC for days.

Bob H

dwcatty

Well we've got a winter storm warning here in Asheville, now, and it's heading your way.

PlateMan

To UPDATE:

Called Hilton advance purcahse desk this morning and after a little bit on hold, explained what was going on.

The Hilton rep was very nice but hesitant given they had no policy in place yet. I explained to her what was going on and told her about the e-mail Arlington County (site of the hotel) sent urging people to prepare to shelter in place for 3-5 days.

She kept putting me on hold for 10mins at a time and finally realized this was getting insane. She, without me prompting, offered to call me back when she had an answer. I also e-mailed her -as proof- the county e-mail.

She called me back and said refund taken care of.

All in all a great experience, thanks Hilton for understanding. I wish AA would follow suit. see my post in that forum.

John Q. Public

Good for you! Was the proper thing for Hilton to do. Frontier is posting "Weather advisory posted for DCA, EWR, LGA, PHL &PIT. Details & check flight staus here" and United "If you can change plans, visit united.com and get ahead of the weekend storm;" Good luck with AA.

tex1899

^^ to HH for the refund. That being said, it should be a no-brainer to either refund or allow for the reservation to be honored within the next 365 days when an Act of God occurs.

Y'all have fun this weekend up that way...I'll be in Tampa, unfortunately only getting points 1 night.

mikeef

Nothing moving in DC? Not exactly a new thing for that city.

Mike