No One Night Stay?
Dec 28, 2018, 6:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
No One Night Stay?
I am trying to book a one night stay in March at a nearby Hampton Inn. When I try to search availability online, it says there is no availability, however, if I make the reservation two nights and extend the checkout to the next day, there is plenty of availability. Is there a way to book a one night stay knowing full well there's availability at the hotel the night I want?
Dec 28, 2018, 6:26 am
#2
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
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Presumably there's a special event that means that the hotel is enforcing a 2-night minimum stay.
Dec 28, 2018, 8:36 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
Hmm that sounds possible but this hotel is basically in the middle of nowhere (western NJ) so it seems kind of odd that's the case. The reason I asked is because the other time I ran into this problem with Hilton hotels was when I was trying to book a one night stay in Detroit when I traveled for a football game. Was just trying to figure out if this is a Hilton thing they commonly do and/or if there was any way to get around the limitation since it save me a 30 minute drive to/from my destination given this Hampton Inn is only a few blocks away.
Dec 28, 2018, 9:34 am
#4
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Minimum stays greater than 1-night is a common revenue management technique not specific to Hilton. You might think the property is middle of nowhere and yet it could get most of its weekly revenue from 3 or 4-night stays by commuting workers, for example.
Dec 28, 2018, 9:41 am
#5
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I am trying to book a one night stay in March at a nearby Hampton Inn. When I try to search availability online, it says there is no availability, however, if I make the reservation two nights and extend the checkout to the next day, there is plenty of availability. Is there a way to book a one night stay knowing full well there's availability at the hotel the night I want?
1) book a two night stay and then try modifying the rez to one, or
2) book a two night stay and then call the hotel to see if they will change it for you.
MLOSs work both ways, minimum and maximum length of stays. When I was on the road all the time, any multi-night bookings started by researching the total stay and any/all combination of nights. Sometimes I found substantial rate reductions that making a couple of reservations saved me money. Most times the property would keep me in the same room, but then I always tried to book the same room type.
Dec 28, 2018, 11:22 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: UA GS, Avis CHM, Marriott & SPG & PC Plat., Hyatt & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,547
Best if booking this on phone with a Hilton rep. First ask them to book two nights. If that doesn’t work then book two nights, then cancel the second night. It’s good to make it on phone since they can preserv the rate, in case that changes.
Dec 28, 2018, 12:40 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist, Hertz Five Star, HH Gold, BW Platinum, M Life Gold
Posts: 38
Two tricks come to mind:
1) book a two night stay and then try modifying the rez to one, or
2) book a two night stay and then call the hotel to see if they will change it for you.
MLOSs work both ways, minimum and maximum length of stays. When I was on the road all the time, any multi-night bookings started by researching the total stay and any/all combination of nights. Sometimes I found substantial rate reductions that making a couple of reservations saved me money. Most times the property would keep me in the same room, but then I always tried to book the same room type.
1) book a two night stay and then try modifying the rez to one, or
2) book a two night stay and then call the hotel to see if they will change it for you.
MLOSs work both ways, minimum and maximum length of stays. When I was on the road all the time, any multi-night bookings started by researching the total stay and any/all combination of nights. Sometimes I found substantial rate reductions that making a couple of reservations saved me money. Most times the property would keep me in the same room, but then I always tried to book the same room type.
Agree with 1) book a two night stay and then try modifying the rez to one
Dec 28, 2018, 12:57 pm
#8
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Best option is to call the property directly, not the toll-free line which just gets you to Hilton's central system. Don't book and then call. Better to call first and see what you can get.
If the property won't do it, chances are the res people won't, but you may still try.
My guess on an out-of-the-way property 3-4 months in advance is that the property sets the 2-night min for business regulars. Later, it may drop this. Or not.
If the property won't do it, chances are the res people won't, but you may still try.
My guess on an out-of-the-way property 3-4 months in advance is that the property sets the 2-night min for business regulars. Later, it may drop this. Or not.
Dec 30, 2018, 9:35 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
I ended up calling central reservations and booked two nights with the agent putting a note on the reservation (and the comments appeared in my reservation confirmation email) that I could check in and inform the front desk I would only be staying the one night and checking out early with no penalty.
If this sounds like I could be in for trouble when I get to the hotel, please let me know. I'll be watching out for price drops on the reservation anyway so I'm likely going to be calling back at some point before my stay in March.
Dec 30, 2018, 12:22 pm
#12
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This is out at the Hampton Inn in Flemington, so quite a ride from the venues for NCAA.
I ended up calling central reservations and booked two nights with the agent putting a note on the reservation (and the comments appeared in my reservation confirmation email) that I could check in and inform the front desk I would only be staying the one night and checking out early with no penalty.
If this sounds like I could be in for trouble when I get to the hotel, please let me know. I'll be watching out for price drops on the reservation anyway so I'm likely going to be calling back at some point before my stay in March.
I ended up calling central reservations and booked two nights with the agent putting a note on the reservation (and the comments appeared in my reservation confirmation email) that I could check in and inform the front desk I would only be staying the one night and checking out early with no penalty.
If this sounds like I could be in for trouble when I get to the hotel, please let me know. I'll be watching out for price drops on the reservation anyway so I'm likely going to be calling back at some point before my stay in March.
Dec 30, 2018, 12:43 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,862
This is out at the Hampton Inn in Flemington, so quite a ride from the venues for NCAA.
I ended up calling central reservations and booked two nights with the agent putting a note on the reservation (and the comments appeared in my reservation confirmation email) that I could check in and inform the front desk I would only be staying the one night and checking out early with no penalty.
If this sounds like I could be in for trouble when I get to the hotel, please let me know. I'll be watching out for price drops on the reservation anyway so I'm likely going to be calling back at some point before my stay in March.
I ended up calling central reservations and booked two nights with the agent putting a note on the reservation (and the comments appeared in my reservation confirmation email) that I could check in and inform the front desk I would only be staying the one night and checking out early with no penalty.
If this sounds like I could be in for trouble when I get to the hotel, please let me know. I'll be watching out for price drops on the reservation anyway so I'm likely going to be calling back at some point before my stay in March.
Dec 30, 2018, 12:49 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 411
Maybe I am overly cautious, but I would be worried about this as well. I would be looking to contact the hotel by email to get something in writing directly from them that they won't charge you for leaving early, or better still that they will amend to a one night stay.
Dec 30, 2018, 2:27 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
Are you a member of AAA or AARP? If so, try searching for one of those rates on the Hilton site as well - I sometimes find they don't have minimum night requirements, and most often the rate is a few dollars cheaper too.
