Junpski

Was looking for a room for a convention attendee in a Midwest USA city when I noticed something odd. If I searched the exact days of the convention, his preferred hotel was showing sold out but if he extended his stayed an extra day there was availability.
This leads to a few questions.
1. Would there be any issue with booking the extended reservation and then, upon, arrival, cancel the last day in person at the hotel?
2. Is the hotel really sold out for those days?

MichaelA380

Yes, there will most certainly be. Two considerations come to my mind:
- you cannot cancel the last day only, a cancellation will cause the entire reservation to be foregone and even if the hotel were to agree to let you stay for the reduced number of days spanning the conference only, that would be at the walk-in best flexible rate, would would likely be prohibitively high
- if you want to leave before your reservation ends, the hotel will apply an early check-out fee, make yourself acquainted how much this is, given the situation you are describing it may as well be higher than the cost of spending an additional night

None of us can tell you for sure. It is possible that the hotel agreed with a third party on a block reservation for a large share of its capacity and thus nothing shows as free. If the third party committed to pay the block in bulk, then that capacity will never be released for outside-of-the-block bookings. Alternatively, if the block has an expiration date, the capacity will re-enter the reservation pool after the expiry has materialised. Another possibility is that the hotel has imposed a minimum length of stay that is longer than the duration of the conference. But I am purely speculating here (based on my own past experience) - if this is so important to you, contact the hotel directly and inquire.

diesteldorf

Assuming the hotel is in the US, couldn't you just leave early, keep the do not disturb sign on the door, and checkout the next day online to avoid any fee?

Baze

If book the extra day and want to leave early, you need to look at your rate. Some rates require you stay the entire reservation or pay a penalty, could be some set rate or pay for the night not staying anyways. Some let you check out early with or without a fee. All depends on booking rate terms.

Bartolo

I concur with the post above that recommends calling the hotel directly.

I have a booking for July (ES) property that ostensibly had no room for an individual night but did have room if it was a 2 night res.

the810

This seems to me as a minimum stay requirement rather than being sold out per se. It sometimes happens during large events.

The Road Goes On Forever

This situation is very common. It means that a property has a hump or bubble in their inventory. Is the hotel literally sold out? Possible, but not likely. It just means that they're forecasting/are comfortable that they will be and are trying to sell rooms for the shoulder days around the period of high demand.

Junpski

Ok, thanks for your answers. The last two years I've stayed at 2 different Hamptons while attending a conference in Louisville. Both times, plans have changed during my stay and I've cancelled the last day (changed my 5 night stay to a 4 night) and there haven't been any penalties that I can recall. Maybe some of this is hotel specific?

JJeffrey

Yes, a lot is going to be hotel specific.

Checking out a day early at your local Hampton Inn typically is never an issue IME. But the same can't be said for big city Hilton's or Conrad's etc. Completely YMMV.