RollAnotherFatOne

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Artemio

Rule number 1 if you book a non-refundable rate: never go back checking the rates.

Some hotel chains and some OTA have a 24h price match policy, maybe there is something you can do about this.

Otherwise, I would call the hotel and explain the situation. If you're nice, lucky and have booked directly on the hotel's website, you may get a refund. If not, I would try to make some arrangement with the hotel about having the hotel get/keep the full amount, but it uses the actuel rate and that you would use the difference on different hotel spendings (lunch, dinner, minibar, ....).

RollAnotherFatOne

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LondonElite

So the position at the moment is that you have cancelled rooms but have paid the price?

GeezerCouple

It sounds like you had a "non-refundable" rate that you paid, but then expected a refund?
If that is the case, there was no "scam"; they simply enforced the "non-refundable" term of what you chose and reserved.

The best outcome might be to contact the hotel and ask them to reinstate your reservation as it was when you booked that non-refundable rate. "No harm, no foul", if they'll do that.

And in the future, be very careful about non-refundable rates, for (now?) obvious reasons. They are what they are called...

We tend to book REFUNDABLE rates, and then keep watching to see if there is some last minute very low non-refundable rate, and then cancel the REFUNDABLE)rate, and take the lower non-refundable rate.
The risk here, of course, is that a lower non-refundable rate at the same time as we booked the refundable rate might never appear again.

We've very rarely had success contacting a hotel directly and asking them if they would lower our (non-refundable) rate to a new rate now on their website. But we do *not* "cancel" anything, so we wouldn't lose any money if they say "no".

GC

xenole

I haven't seen cheaper rates nearer the day for years now.
Used to quite often book with Hilton, IHG etc. and rebook up to 3 times with penalty if the price lowered.
Since the "non-cancelable after 48hrs before check-in" rule was introduced, everything seems to creep up by a few Ł/$ a day.

Been caught out once or twice due to change of plans (usually airline cancellations), but generally saving a bit compared to a flexible booking works for me.

Same thing with airline fares. If you think you've got a good deal and are happy with it, don't look again. Always a kick in the teeth when it's Ł200 cheaper two days later.

Often1

OP needs to change the thread title. According to his own post, he chose a non-refundable rate and is now upset that he cannot change the rate.

How was the room booked? Through the hotel, through the hotel's chain, through some third-party vendor, a travel agent? The more detail, the better help OP will get here.

Lomapaseo

Don't agree that the thread title is a problem. It caught my eye to read and I re-inforced a lesson learned at no cost to me. The OP did not name the hotel in the thread title so no real damage done

Often1

Clickbait.

Annalisa12

I booked a $350 non refundable room for 1 night. Got my days mixed up and booked it a day early. Had to pay for the next night again as 1st night not refundable. Can'thave our cake and eat it too.

84fiero

I'm trying to understand why you canceled a non-refundable booking and didn't expect to be out the whole amount? That's the meaning of "non-refundable". If you hadn't canceled then you might have had some luck if the property had a price match guarantee or something, as mentioned above. Having canceled it, though you have removed any potential and now you've paid for a room that you no longer have.

I suppose you could try and call the hotel and plead your case, maybe there's a very slim chance they would reinstate the booking? Worst they can say is no. But I don't see where this is any sort of scam. Rates change. As another poster mentioned, my rule is never to go back and re-check prices after I've made a non-refundable booking. There's no good that come from it, just frustration.

DCAFly

I feel very sorry for people who can't have their cake AND eat it too. What do they do on their birthday? Poor souls.

However, I do not feel sorry for people who book a non-refundable hotel room and then expect it to be refunded for their convenience.

Efrem

Presumably, the non-refundable rate was cheaper, at the time you booked it, than refundable rates were at the same time. You chose a guaranteed saving then over the possibility that a lower rate might become available later. More often, as you get closer to the day, rates tend to go up, so this is usually a winning strategy. In this case, it wasn't, but that's one of the risks you take with non-refundable rates.

I'd call the hotel, tell them you made a mistake in cancelling, and ask them to reinstate your original reservation exactly as it was.

And I agree with those who feel the thread title is misleading. In no way did the hotel scam you. They made the reasonable assumption that you understood what you were buying, and did exactly what they said they would do and that you agreed to. If anyone is trying to scam anyone here, you are trying to scam the hotel by cancelling a non-refundable reservation, for no reason except that rates have gone down as they are known to do once in a while, and trying to get a refund while booking at the new rate.

:D!

In this sort of situation I would expect most hotels to be understanding and switch the booking for free - provided that rooms are still being sold at that price on both dates; or one contacts the hotel immediately after booking and noticing the mistake.

I have never understood the origin of that saying. What is the purpose of "having" a cake other than to eat it? It will grow mouldy or stale.

There are somewhat unethical things one can do to mitigate the risk of making mistakes, such as using fake CC numbers etc. Also, if booking a non-refundable reservation direct with IHG, if the hotel has not yet charged the card provided, you can change the reservation online to a different date and in most cases the hotel won't notice - if they do notice and decide to charge both reservations then you haven't lost anything beyond what you already thought you would lose.

craigthemif

Not really. The OP was trying to scam the hotel by booking a non-refundable rate and then changing it as if it were flexible.