This can be true of mechanical delays as well. I was slated for a YYZ-MUC flight last year where the 333 pulled up lame. Delay, delay, delay, delay, delay. Cancel after midnight.

In the Intl MLL, anyone who was connecting was assigned a room, but passengers originating in YYZ were not. I did manage to get a room eventually, after pleading my case that although I started at Pearson, I live so far from YYZ that my it was going to be $300+ for a taxi home, or pay for an airport hotel myself. The concierge working the desk radioed down to see if there was another room available, and ultimately gave it to me because she was nice, and because I'm an SE.

Had I just been a 35/50/75 or a non-status business class passenger, I suspect I would have been on my own.