kylemore

Just as a preface, I am not a Hilton Honors Elite. Anyways a colleague of mine booked reservations for him and myself at the Hilton Austin for a conference later this month. Reservations were made months ago.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, he is going to be unable to attend the conference, and today called up the reservation center and tried to have it changed to 1 room. Apparently he talked to someone in what sounded like an Indian call center who inadvertently canceled the entire booking. They then told him that they were unable to re-book any rooms at the same rate, and that the hotel had "sold out" for several nights anyways. He talked to two separate people, who essentially said there was nothing they could do, despite it being the call center's fault.

I tried calling and had no more luck, and am now left booking a rate through travelocity for a nearly week long conference at a several hundred dollars surcharge.

Do you guys have any suggestions? A number where I can talk to someone who actually is empowered and understands requests???Certainly in the future I will be handling all bookings myself!

wanna go now

Try calling the conference organizers instead of the hotel. They may have set aside a few rooms in the conference room block. This worked for me a few years ago when the hotel said it was sold out. Got the conference price, which was, for once, less than anything else I could book.

orca15

Get the confirmation email, call the hotel directly. Might work.

kylemore

Good suggestions, I eventually got to to a manager at the hotel and they were able to book a room for me. *phew*

NDDomer86

Interesting, as nearly every Indian that I have come in contact with either in a call centre, or outside of India, has spoken English just fine. Just because they speak with an accent indiscernible to you does not make it any the less English.

Glad you were able to get things straightened out

orca15

Easy to forget that approach in the era of web sites and call centers. Glad it worked.