Booked a new Candlewood Suites months ago that isn't open
Oct 17, 2016, 11:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 10
Booked a new Candlewood Suites months ago that isn't open
It's for the first weekend in November. I booked this back around last December or January. Four rooms.
Problem is it's in Baton Rouge for the weekend of the Alabama/LSU game. So pretty much no way they can just move me to a different hotel in the area. Everything is booked solid.
This ever happen to anyone else? I'm a Spire Elite member. If they can't move me somewhere comparable, can I expect to be compensated for the extreme inconvenience with points or free nights? Wondering what I should aim for here.
Thanks for any tips!
Problem is it's in Baton Rouge for the weekend of the Alabama/LSU game. So pretty much no way they can just move me to a different hotel in the area. Everything is booked solid.
This ever happen to anyone else? I'm a Spire Elite member. If they can't move me somewhere comparable, can I expect to be compensated for the extreme inconvenience with points or free nights? Wondering what I should aim for here.
Thanks for any tips!
Oct 17, 2016, 11:55 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: FRA
Programs: MileagePlus Premier Silver, IHG Spire Elite, HHonors Silver, RapidRewards
Posts: 382
I'm no lawyer but I'm thinking something like that would be considered Force Majeure.
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
Oct 18, 2016, 8:55 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
I was in a similar boat with you (F1 weekend, Austin TX, delayed hotel opening) but got it resolved. I realized my hotel won't open by time but there were no rooms nearby or the price was too high. I was lucky because as F1 approaches, many hotels released rooms. I've got a call from the hotel (roughly one month before my stay) and asked to cancel my reservation (it was a refundable rate, booked directly at ihg website) and make another one at a nearby ihg property which was cheaper.
But even before that, I called ihg and found that they tried to move me to any other ihg hotel that has vacancy and honor the rate I reserved. I simply didn't want it because parking and breakfast weren't free to the other hotel they tried to move me. You can keep searching and if any nearby one releases rooms even at a sky high rate, call ihg and seek for help. Good luck and arrange plan B at 30 mins or even an hour distance... I realized that it's extremely rare that a hotel opens at a planned date. They delay a lot.
But even before that, I called ihg and found that they tried to move me to any other ihg hotel that has vacancy and honor the rate I reserved. I simply didn't want it because parking and breakfast weren't free to the other hotel they tried to move me. You can keep searching and if any nearby one releases rooms even at a sky high rate, call ihg and seek for help. Good luck and arrange plan B at 30 mins or even an hour distance... I realized that it's extremely rare that a hotel opens at a planned date. They delay a lot.
Oct 18, 2016, 9:09 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 10
I'm no lawyer but I'm thinking something like that would be considered Force Majeure.
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
Oct 18, 2016, 4:30 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
Happened to me last year at a HIX in Anaheim. Unsolicited, they compensated me with 35k or 40k points.
Oct 18, 2016, 10:13 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
My only experience was at the IC Saigon. Hotel was not open yet. They contacted me, booked a suite at the nearby Hyatt, sent a letter with an apology and offered a tour of the unfinished hotel.
Oct 19, 2016, 11:38 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,256
Oct 23, 2016, 9:14 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,383
in case people aren't aware of the policy
at minimum, one night should be covered (if you attempt to get corporate to resolve it).
If you decide to find lodging elsewhere and cancel (aka don't trust corporate to fix this properly, or think they'll move to 40 miles away to another hotel), you can negotiate for some points
https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...q/reservations
at minimum, one night should be covered (if you attempt to get corporate to resolve it).
If you decide to find lodging elsewhere and cancel (aka don't trust corporate to fix this properly, or think they'll move to 40 miles away to another hotel), you can negotiate for some points
https://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/cus...q/reservations
Why do we require a credit card for Internet reservations?
By securing your online reservation with a credit card, you are eligible for our Reservations Guarantee. If your reservation cannot be honored, the host hotel will provide a room at, and transportation to, another convenient and comparable hotel, and pay for telephone calls to notify family of the lodging change. The host hotel will also pay the full cost of the first night's lodging rate, plus tax. Any advance deposit will be refunded.
By securing your online reservation with a credit card, you are eligible for our Reservations Guarantee. If your reservation cannot be honored, the host hotel will provide a room at, and transportation to, another convenient and comparable hotel, and pay for telephone calls to notify family of the lodging change. The host hotel will also pay the full cost of the first night's lodging rate, plus tax. Any advance deposit will be refunded.
Oct 23, 2016, 11:49 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PARIS (France)
Programs: AF/KLM Club 2000 | InterContinental Diamond RA |AMEX Plat | Visa Infinite |Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 10,963
Oct 24, 2016, 10:59 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,167
I'm no lawyer but I'm thinking something like that would be considered Force Majeure.
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
I'd think with an event like that, where you know (or should know) that hotels will be full, that you'd be holding multiple reservations, especially if you knew ahead of time that the property might not be open.
Question - was it a prepaid rate or were you just holding the rooms under a Best Flexible or other refundable rate?
Oct 24, 2016, 11:45 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: FRA
Programs: MileagePlus Premier Silver, IHG Spire Elite, HHonors Silver, RapidRewards
Posts: 382
"Unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract."
I said I'm not a lawyer. Rather than be an ..., you could take this opportunity to educate someone with a degree in a different field.
Oct 25, 2016, 3:23 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,167
You know, I googled the term before posting, and this was the first definition:
"Unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract."
I said I'm not a lawyer. Rather than be an ..., you could take this opportunity to educate someone with a degree in a different field.
"Unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract."
I said I'm not a lawyer. Rather than be an ..., you could take this opportunity to educate someone with a degree in a different field.
