Too many guests on flex type bookings supply a prepay ytpe CC or expired/switched/invalid CC , then when the guest fails to arrive without canceling hotel can't charge the first night fee.

Whilst i can understand hotels charging non-HH elites without known addresses and HH stays, there is no need or excuse for hotels to charge a night upfront, such charge is not covered by the 'hold CC at checkin' blurb either, though if the cancel deadline has gone, then I would swallow a 1night deposit at that point 24/48 hours before arrival.

I do not want or accept being charged advance 1night deposits on my card on my fullyy flex corp rate nights which are mostly at HH hotels cancelable up until eg 4pm/6pm on day-of-arrival/checkin, and if charged I insist on speaking to a manager when I checkin and point out that no such permission to pre-auth (hold) is given by me at the time I make my room res, and that furthermore such charge is made whilst my room is still cancelable which is doubly unacceptable.

Hilton Rotterdam did that on Carnival weekend for mt 2-rooms, both 300euro++ suites, cancelable until 6pm on day, I emailed and some snotty back office kid in-correctly tried to argue that the standard text, 'hold on CC at checkin' allows such practise. I got a what I thought was actually a sincere apology apology from Rotterdam DM, maybe because i am a regular there and promised it would not occur again.