GUWonder

That is assuming hotels engaging in overbooking results in actual rate reductions for customers. I would assume no such outcome is guaranteed from a hotel changing from a "never overbooking" policy to a "sometimes overbooking" policy.

Analogies between airlines and hotels don't hold, even when there is a common sort of issue with spoilage of inventory.

ntr91

Overbooking may not result in rate reductions, but you can be certain that the lack thereof will result in rate increases.

Kacee

Yup. We will pay for empty rooms one way or another.

Besides which this is a typically academic (trans: pointless) FT debate, because the industry standard is not going to change.

I do appreciate OP's report, because it's good to know which properties handles this poorly when it happens.

My sole overbooking experience was handled so well, it actually created loyalty to the property (Boston Harbour Hotel) which did it to me.

notquiteaff

Does the room rate impact the selection of the traveler given the boot?

E.g., if I prepaid for the room, do I have a greater right to get what I already paid for?

pinniped

If a hotel walks a guest on a prepaid rate, are they required to refund the rate plus interest? If so, how is the interest calculated? (If not, that just sounds illegal, although I'm not sure exactly what law would cover it. IANAL.)

synd

you know sometimes can't check in on your phone! not hard to understand that some people have a long flight, coming from abroad, etc.... and you don't have a choice in when or the matter in which you checkin!

pinniped

While this is true - you can still book some major-chain hotels that don't have OLCI, or you could be in the midst of a 30-hour journey on aircraft with no wifi - I do think OLCI probably *helps*. (Again, I don't think it's a foolproof way to not get walked.)

On 99% of my hotel stays, I know I *can* OLCI. They're in a Hyatt/Hilton/Starwood/Marriott where the function exists. (Digital Key might not.) Therefore, I do it if I'm at all concerned about a sold out hotel, even though at Hilton I'm pretty sure it throws me out of the upgrade pool. My crap Hyatt status means I don't have to worry about an upgrade.

So it's definitely advice I'd give to others here. In a non-condescending manner, of course. If you are somewhere with connectivity, take the few seconds to open the app and OLCI. It can't hurt.

notquiteaff

Of course, if everyone follows that advice, it isn't going to help.

MSPeconomist

I'm always afraid that checking in to a hotel in advance will mean that I miss suite upgrades.

notquiteaff

I don't. To lose that fear, become an Explorist.

MSPeconomist

No thank you. At least for now, I'm a Glob.

Bfhause

Yes, typically the room rate and booking channel are factored in. Most often the 1st candidates for walking are 1 night, OTA (Expedia, Travelocity, etc) reservations.

While hotels do indeed purposely overbook in anticipation on no-shows, cancellations, etc., the 48 hr reservation guarantee for Globalists (or any top tier elite) doesn't help the situation. If the hotel was already sold out 2 days out and several Globalists pushed through reservations making them oversold, their options could be limited. Just a thought...

The post regarding having hotels ask for volunteers bring up an excellent point. It really would solve lots of headaches for both the hotel and the guest arriving late after a days worth of travel.

MSPeconomist

I've seen hotels ask for volunteers a few times. The one I remember most clearly was announced with a sign beside the registration desks starting in the early afternoon of the day a big convention was arriving. The deal was to spend the first night at a much better hotel about ten blocks away for free the first night, and then move back to the convention property the following afternoon. IIRC they were also paying for taxis to and from the other hotel. It would have been very tempting to stay at that better hotel, but sometimes it's much more convenient to stay on site. [I didn't notice people rushing to volunteer, but I didn't hear tales of lots of people being involuntarily walked when they arrived later that day either.] I don't know why they had such a significant oversale for that night, but I suspect it was some sports event in town....or it might have been people who just refused to leave after NYE.

pinniped

But if only 95% of people follow the advice, it will.

steveholt

Back to the OP's original case, it's frustrating (but not unimaginable) for the HH to walk someone. It's downright inexcusable for them to send you to a hotel which was also sold out, and that should result in some extra compensation.