So I had booked 2 award nights here and one paid just in case my annual free night doesn't come in time and space is sold out. This is for November travel and I get a phone call from a European number (french obviously) today and its someone from the hotel telling me that my card is not going through. I asked why they would be charging anything so early since I booked a fully refundable night and he said that its just their random pre-authorizing to make sure its a valid credit card.

I have never heard of this and plus I used my IHG card so i KNOW its valid.

I told him if there was a way I can change it online (as I am not abut to read off my CC over the phone) and he said yes , i said great ill do it that way as I am not sure why the card won't go through since its your hotel card.

Has anybody had this happen to them? I want to think its a false call but really he had the last 4 of my card and read me my reservation dates. Its the IHG card and i know it works as I just used it this afternoon. Could it be because they are trying to charge it in a foreign country?

I was just going to let it go and see if they call again but I would hate to loose my reservation just in case.

Anybody else had any issues here?