Cancellation fee booking hotel with Avios?
 

If I book a hotel using Avios points and later cancel, is there a fee to redeposit the points into my account? If so, how much?

Thinking of pulling the trigger on some awaard flights--where there would be a large cancellation/redeposit fee--but am not sure about lodging. It would be nice to hold some hotel nights with Avios while I do more research; unless there's a huge fee / penalty for doing so if I need to cancel.

Saw somewhere in the online T&Cs that it would be a fee of 25 British pounds to cancel a hotel reservation--plus any penalty levied the by the hotel. That gets me a little further.

Anyone with real-world experience cancelling hotel reservations booked with Avios want to share any info? e.g. what's typically the case.

Anyone booked a hotel with Avios points and had to cancel?
 

Anyone booked a hotel with Avios points and had to cancel?

I had booked to spend New Year 2012/13 at the Loews Coronado Resort in San Diego using Avios.

We changed to go visit my brother in the Californian mountains instead. Cancellation fee was just the £25.

Thanks zafiragirl. Not too terribly bad.

Yes, £25 fee. Only problem was that they forgot to tell the hotel ....

Do they charge the fee even if there was no booking fee?

Remember that all Avios does when it books you a hotel is that Avios books the hotel for cash and then doesn't charge you any money, deducting your points balance instead.

You are therefore tied to the underlying cancellation policy of the room and hotel you book. Some hotels don't have 'advance purchase, non-refundable' rates and some do. It is totally dependant on the property you book.

The £25 is an Avios charge to cover their time in booking and then cancelling the hotel.

I cancelled and did not have to pay a cancellation fee. I originally booked only with Avios I did not pay any cash........maybe if you pay part cash then they deduct £25!?

Thanks Raffles.

walking away from booking (no other charges?)
 

I booked the Paddington Hilton with Avios and unfortunately will not be traveling on the trip. The total was 42,850 for one night. I called and was told there was a 35 pound cancellation fee. I asked what would happen if I just did not show up. The agent on the Gold line told me there would be no additional charges but I was concerned they (The Hilton) might come after me for the night's charge?

I would rather walk away from the Avios then pay the 35 pounds (I have 700,000 Avios now and can't use them) But I would pay the 35 pounds to avoid a night's charge from the hotel.

Any advice if the hotel could come back for a charge with a no-show?

It shouldn't cost you anything if you do not show up.

Anyways I would pay the £35 fee to get the avios back. That amount of Avios is enough for you and 4 others to do a trip to europe from London.

Thanks for the reply. As I am based in the US and 99% of my travel is business based and paid for, the Avios are for the once in a blue moon trip for personal use. Mrs ARTCRT hates to fly so its a rare occasion. Mostly used for AA redemptions here in the States.

Haha I see.

Remember you can use Avios in lots of ways: car rental, hotels and experiences too!

Indeed - if it wasn't against the rules, I'd happily pay the £35 fee for you if you were to give me the 43,000 Avios.