Originally Posted by
gegangen27
I booked a 5-star hotel using Chase Ultimate Rewards one week ago and the hotel still doesn't have my reservation yet. I called the hotel the day after I made the reservation and they said they didn't have my reservation. I then contacted Chase Ultimate Rewards and the representative said it could take 24-48 hours for hotel to receive the reservation. I called the hotel again after 2 days and still no reservation. Chase then said it could take 72 hours. I waited and then call again and still no reservation. Chase then said the hotel will get my name 24 hours "before" I check in. She said the booking is there but it just doesn't have my name. This is very unusual for me and I called the hotel reservation office and they said there is no such thing as my name will show up 24 hours before I check in. The Chase representative (she said she is a supervisor) also said that the vendor they use only responds by email and she cannot call them.
I wonder if anyone has experienced something like this. I will go to that hotel in couple days and I'm very worried that they won't have my reservation when I get there. The hotel rep also said that the hotel is almost full already.
Note that I have used Chase Ultimate Rewards to book hotels couple times before and I didn't have the problem.
The booking most likely is made thru consolidator type travel agencies. And the guest's name usually is only sent to the hotels 24 to 48 hours before the stay. I had the similar experiences with booking made with Citi TYPs, as well as bookings made with AA miles.
Of course none of these companies (Chase, Citi, AA or whatever airline programs) would not tell you the truth about how those hotel rooms are booked.
Usually there would be no problem but I fully understand your worry as when I was in similar situation a few years ago, I was very worried due to our arrival would be at the peak of festival time. It was for a hotel booking at Seville, Spain, during the Semana Santa (Easter week) a few years ago. I did not realize we would be in Seville during that period. TYP is the only channel I found there was still room available - actually was a 2 bedroom suite at a hotel very much at the edge of the town, next to a hospital. I had no choice but took a chance to book it. Contacted the hotel which had no record of my name. After a lot of back and forth (including using google translation to facilitate the communication), the hotel finally confirmed there was a booking similar to ours but they did not have guest name yet... At check in there was no problem, apparently my name was finally given to the hotel.
You most likely would be just fine.