tomas77

I have upcoming points stay at the Jerusalem Crowne Plaza for the end of August but the hotel is currently closed until October due to COVID19.
I still fully intend to travel over this date.

Is it reasonable to expect IHG/the hotel to rebook me free of charge/difference in an alternative hotel in Jerusalem or in a nearby city in Israel?
Who should I contact? the hotel isn't picking up the call obviously.

I'm IHG Platinum if it makes any difference.

UKtravelbear

It's probbaly best to email the hotel at present rather than call.

Often1

Doubtful that any property will do anything other than offer a refund of any prepaid or deposit amounts. But, you should certainly ask what it is doing for customers. Most closed properties have a fairly standard policy in place so that they can provide a definitive answer (whether satisfactory or not).

If your email is not quickly returned, call and then call reservations.

336

If it is something under control of the hotel, it is reasonable to expect that they offer a solution.

If it is something beyond their control, such as a global pandemic, you can't expect much.

tomas77

Well, considering other CP are open in Israel at the moment I only assume the hotel is closed due to financial reasons and not some sort of government restrictions.

I expect chain hotels to honor the reservation at an alternative hotel without charging a fare difference, just like being rebooked on an airline after a cancellation.

dw

Unfortunately some chains are better at making such accommodations (i.e. Hyatt will go out of their way to make it right sometimes) while others are worse (i.e. Marriott and IHG). Given the circumstances, I am doubtful that the property owner will go out of pocket to reaccumulate those staying on award stays.

Often1

Don't expect anything during the pandemic. Whether the property is closed because the government has ordered it closed or because other restrictions make it infeasible to operate or poor financial circumstances is not going to affect what is or is not done under the circumstances.

One may "expect" anything one wants. But, the reality worldwide is that little if anything is being done. There are countries such as France & Spain where hotels are not even being forced to refund before the end of the year when they are closed.

MSPeconomist

Some hotels are sending guests (sometimes without advanced notification) to their sister properties (same ownership or management) that can be very different categories or locations, trying to consolidate guests in a smaller number of operating hotels to reduce costs. Sometimes you can negotiate in advance the alternative hotel and go directly there, or you might decide to reject the offer and make your own arrangements (with a full refund from the closed hotel or a chargeback if necessary). It can help to do some research and decide what you want.

336

The underlying cause is the same force majeure.

writerguyfl

Hotels have a completely different ownership structure than airlines. Most hotels are franchises with separate owners. I afraid you're not going to get what you want.

The chances that an open hotel will lower their rate just to accommodate the rate of nearby closed hotel is pretty low. Despite the fact that they belong to the same hotel group, they are still competitors. In a time when cash is critical for hotels, they probably aren't going to drop their prices to help a competitor.

I wouldn't expect IHG to step in to pay the difference in "normal" times. It would be remarkable if they opted to do that during a global pandemic when scores of hotels are closed.

I say your only hope is if the closed hotel has set up an arrangement like MSPeconomist described. Otherwise, you're only going to get the refund (if you paid anything) that Often1 mentioned.

pfreet

This does not seem quite correct. Choosing to close and being forced to close are different things. IMO, it would be difficult to argue that the hotel down the street can be open but I cannot because of the pandemic.

Often1

It is neither the case nor relevant to the issue.

All one needs to do is lower one's service standard and one may be able to operate. E.g., it's hard to find staff willing to travel to the property, so one cuts back. Another property, facing the same decision determines that its customer base will not sacrifice service and thus it closes rather than shift to infrequent housekeeping, no room service, no pool or whatever.

More importantly, it does not really matter. The bottom line is that the business is closed, the customer will not be at the hotel and is entitled to a refund if they have paid anything to date. If it troubles the customer that the property does not propose an alternative arrangement, that is simply something to be taken into account of in the future. In the current circumstances, most have determined that they will deal with the future in the future and that it is beyond unlikely that they will be adversely affected by not staffing up to handle rebooking.

daninstl

Update on the Crowne Plaza Jerusalem. It was being used as a quarantine hotel during covid and was closed. Now it is being sold and no longer an IHG hotel. Same with Haifa and Dead Sea locations, sadly.