Billed for a room reservation I wasn't able to check-in for.
Yep. I did it.
I booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Midland, Texas, and didn't cancel my reservation until 7:30 AM the day of my reservation.
Guilty-as-charged. (and charged, as guilty, for my reservation).
Extenuating circumstances?
A snowstorm in central Texas.
At 6PM (the cutoff time for cancelling my reservation) skies in central Texas were partly cloudy with a chance for light flurries. At 6AM the following day, 4 inches of snow had fallen and most roads were impassible. Central Texas does NOT handle snow well. (and neither did the Camaro SS Avis issued me )
A call to American Airlines and my flights were changed without penalty (to a different departure city).
A call to Avis and my car reservation was changed without penalty (to a different drop-off city). In both cases, simply saying the words 'snowstorm' and 'Texas' was all the explanation that was required. My long-time loyalty earned their loyalty and exceptions were made to "The Policy".
Holiday Inn in Midland, Texas....notsomuch.
"You will be charged for the cancellation."
"Please make an exception. Pretty please? Have you looked outside?"
"It is our policy to charge...."
Okay, okay. I know the policy.
An email to IHG was responded to by saying my concerns had been forwarded to the manager at the Midland HIX.
Today I received an email from the Asst. Manager saying, "It is our policy...."
And so it is your policy. I know. No hard feelings.
Loyalty begets loyalty.
And so, I take my loyalty elsewhere. (except for a couple hundred thousand PC points...I will use those, of course). And the PC Visa card too. Ciao.
An over-reaction on my part? Certainly.
An under-reaction on HIX's part? Probably. Yeah, I think so. Definitely.
But that's the nature of the hospitality industry. It's a customer-service oriented business with lots of very high-quality competition.
Oh, and in my response to the HIX asst. manager, I directed her here to flyertalk. Howdy Tiffany! Welcome to the gathering of some of the world's most loyal travelers. But remember, loyalty isn't free. Sometimes customer loyalty will cost a company $139 plus taxes.
Catch ya'll on the Hyatt boards!!
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Okay, I get it. This topic has been discussed in another thread. Just like every other topic. No need to point it out.
Just submit it to your travel insurance. Why argue w. the property?
Corporate travel, no insurance. It's not even my money. Principle, maybe?
I know I'm over-reacting. It's just one of those things where you think your loyalty would be reciprocated and, when the opportunity arises, it's not.
The customer/company relationship is like dating someone. You're not married, and if you see signs that the relationship's loyalty is a bit one-sided, perhaps it is better to move on.
Is it pure coincidence that my browser is now plastered with Hyatt Visa card ads?
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Okay, I get it. This topic has been discussed in another thread. Just like every other topic. No need to point it out.
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Agree even if they hadn't cancelled fee-free but even offered to allow you to perhaps rearrange for a future date that would have been a good way of showing something for your loyalty.
I remember a couple of years ago I cancelled a reservation with Hilton at 9pm on the night I was due to arrive thanks to the flight being first delayed and then cancelled - I phoned them from the airport to apologise saying I wouldn't be able to make it and they kindly let me cancel without penalty despite being 5h over the deadline.
Agree even if they hadn't cancelled fee-free but even offered to allow you to perhaps rearrange for a future date that would have been a good way of showing something for your loyalty.
I remember a couple of years ago I cancelled a reservation with Hilton at 9pm on the night I was due to arrive thanks to the flight being first delayed and then cancelled - I phoned them from the airport to apologise saying I wouldn't be able to make it and they kindly let me cancel without penalty despite being 5h over the deadline.
Now that you reminded me...
I had the same experience with the IC in Caracas, VZ a few months ago. A mx-cancelled Delta flight from ATL-CCS. I asked the hotel to simply change my reservation (a 5 night stay) forward one day. Nope. I was charged for the missed night and not allowed to cancel the next night's stay. (I wanted to just cancel my IC stay and move it to the Marriott).
I chalked it up to typical Venezuelan customer non-service. But it seems to have infected central Texas and is corporate-driven, rather than cultural.
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Okay, I get it. This topic has been discussed in another thread. Just like every other topic. No need to point it out.
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My experience is to use your leverage if you have any....and make up some if you don't. If you have more than one night at the property, tell them that you will stay there for the other nights if they don't charge you for the first one...if not go elsewhere....AND ACTUALLY GO ELSEWHERE. If I don't, explain that you have multiple trips to the area in the coming days, weeks, months and it will adversely affect those future stays. It helps you have actually have some of those trips booked. If you can, cancel them right when you have them on the phone.
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I had to cancel once, and I called Priority Club, instead of the hotel directly. Everything was taken care of smoothly, I wasn't charged.
Also, I had several occasions where my flights got messed up, and I arrived a day late. No charges posted for the first (missed) night, and reservation was honored. That was all in ICs, though, where I believe they took into account my RA status. And all those occasions I phoned the hotel directly.
So, OP, when the hotel declined you, you should have PHONED ICHG/PCR and have them deal with the hotel.
Corporate travel, no insurance. It's not even my money. Principle, maybe?
I know I'm over-reacting. It's just one of those things where you think your loyalty would be reciprocated and, when the opportunity arises, it's not.
The customer/company relationship is like dating someone. You're not married, and if you see signs that the relationship's loyalty is a bit one-sided, perhaps it is better to move on.
Is it pure coincidence that my browser is now plastered with Hyatt Visa card ads?
Which gets to the bottom line. OP's employer has made a conscious choice not to carry travel insurance. That's probably a good decision. Across an organization, the company will get hit a few times a year and save the premiums.
But, no reason for the property to take the hit. It's just risk apportionment between two businesses. Not a marriage.
It's a reason if they want my future money....and that choice is theirs.
And, you have your answer to that. If they run on a 10% margin (doubtful it's that high) and write off $139 as a gesture of goodwill, they need $1,390 in revenue from you personally and at that property (remember, franchisee) before they are again even.
Corporate travel, no insurance. It's not even my money. Principle, maybe?
Surely the principle is that people are responsible for their own actions?
If choosing to not take out insurance to cover unexpected events, then expect to be responsible for costs arising from doing so
It may be that the company works out better off self insuring than taking out a corporate policy to cover such events and medical expenses should things happen to someone travelling ; the $139 on this trip may be better value for them than properly covering staff
The hotel industry may be a service orientated industry, but even so they offer accommodation at differing costs based on differing policies
One thing asking for them to make an exception, but no reason to expect that they will say no, nor complain if they do
)
Welcome to the gathering of some of the world's most loyal travelers. But remember, loyalty isn't free. Sometimes customer loyalty will cost a company $139 plus taxes.
