I just spoke to my father who is on holiday in the Far East, and was just wondering......what is the official procedure on cc pre-authorizations at check-in. What amount does the hotel pre-authorize....or does it vary from property to property, based on nightly room charge, whether it is a pre-paid rate, etc.

It's not something I generally ever think about, however, my father had his wallet stolen and only one card company has so far sent him a replacement card. The credit limit is about £10,000.

My father has only used the card at the hotel he is staying at on a prepaid rate at the present moment. When he went to purchase a piece of medical equipment, we was told that the card was refused. A call to the bank revealed that a large enough portion was blocked by the hotel.

So, I was just wondering if there was an official position on the amount that could be blocked?