markcwj

Hi everyone,

Just a quick question - I currently have a booking made on flex rate do you guys know if it is possible to convert it into a prepaid rate (keeping the same rate) at some point? I would like to pay for the hotel online instead of paying it at the property.

Thanks,
Mark

cjd

Yes, you can change the type of rate. You have two options. If you go into your Honors account and click on the reservation details, you are given the option of changing the type of rate. The other option is to first rebook at the new pre-paid rate and then cancel the original reservation.

markcwj

Thanks for the speedy response - the odd situation is this, the AP rate is now higher than the Flex rate (I booked this a while ago) so I would like to keep the price of the flex rate (which is lower).

Do you know if it is possible to email the hotel and ask them to process payment?

SK AAR

Call the hotel and ask them to process the payment. Admittedly, I have never done this, but I assume that the hotel will comply. If not, you really can't force a payment through on a flexible rate.

You could also offer to remit the amount by wire transfer to the bank account of the hotel. The hotel may feel more comfortable doing payment this way (it may seem suspicious to them when a guest calls and ask to make adv.payment when on a flexible rate)

writerguyfl

This sort of thing is hotel-specific, but it certainly wasn't a problem when I was a Revenue Manager. There's nothing odd about wanting to have a trip paid for in advance, especially if it's a leisure traveler.

markcwj

Thanks for the all your inputs everyone! I will try my luck as the date draws nearer!

:D!

Why would it be suspicious?

I would find it more suspcious if someone asked to pay by bank transfer (unless it's a domestic hotel) which would incur all sorts of extra fees and admin work for both parties, when hotels are perfectly set up to receive card payments at any time.

I presume most hotels would also accept a payment in cash, if you happened to be passing by the hotel some time before the actual stay.


I can't understand why someone might want to prepay a flexible rate that would achieve a different outcome from paying the full cost of the stay at check-in, except:

1) poor financial discipline in which case one should consider whether holidays are actually affordable

2) want to speculate that one's home currency will fall significantly against the hotel's currency before the booked stay - but OP's location is written as Singapore and SGD is relatively stable; furthermore, same aim can be achieved by exchanging cash to hotel's currency (won't get ripped off on the rate in Singapore) and paying in cash on check-in.

3) a spend requirement on the card to earn some bonus points or qualify for some offer. In which case, the only thing that can be done is to call the hotel and ask.

writerguyfl

Please consider the fact that not everyone has access to thousands of dollars of credit via credit cards. The reasons for that fact may have absolutely nothing to due with poor financial discipline.

My great aunt grew up during the Depression. When she passed away at age 94, she'd never had a credit card and never used an ATM machine. She had a great distrust of banks. Given the rise of identity theft over the past several decades, that distrust was well-earned in her eyes.

She never suffered from poor financial discipline. (Her last two houses were bought with cash.) When she traveled, everything was paid for in advance.

TerryK

I have a similar situation. I have a flexible booking with a deposit charged yet it is still refundable. I plan to change it to a prepaid booking as my plan is firm and stay is coming up. Would it be better to change it online to prepaid, which has a lower cost than deposit, or cancel for refund then booking separately? I understand Hilton prepaid rates are billed by central reservation but my reservation has a deposit changed by property already. How does prepaid rate work when a deposit higher than prepaid amount has been charged?

:D!

If the prepaid rate is lower than the rate you have currently booked, then it would be easiest to just refund the whole thing and rebook.

Hilton only charges prepaid rates centrally in the US.

wizla

Yep, that was what I was thinking, I sometimes cancel the flex rate the night before and re book with the prepaid if cheaper if I definitely know I’m going.