Fee for changing a reservation date?
 

I have an e-certificate which I would like to use for a free hotel in Los Angeles. The problem is Ill be taking a cross-country train trip to LA. This trip has a 50% chance of being delayed 1 or even 2 days . Is there a fee to change a reservation by 1-2 days? Does it make a difference that I will be using my free e-certificate for the room?

Alternately is it better to book the room the day before I am scheduled to arrive in LA? I will have wireless internet access so can do it from the train.

Any "fee" would depend on the cancellation policy of the particular hotel.

Some let you cancel up to 6pm day of arrival, some 14 days or more.

You may get some sympathy since you are changing-not cancelling, but nothing is guaranteed.

Is there any rule of thumb on this? I suppose I can call each hotel before I make the booking. If a hotel has availability the next day, my guess is there would be no charge for moving one's date ahead?

The only thing I can tell you is that the resorts tend to be longer cancellation periods.

However, the policy can vary within the hotel depending on the rate selected. You really do need to check the hotel. I suspect you won't have trouble moving ahead a day, but they could give you a hard time if its past the cancellation date.

I have been able to delay checkin by a day (at same rate) when I called to say my flight had been delayed, even when I called after the cancellation time for that day. But it might depend on how booked the hotel is, and how late you call.

If you make a reservation online, the cancellation policy for each hotel is clearly listed on the bottom. Also, if you've received a confirmation e-mail, the cancellation policy should also be on there. Most full-service (not resort) Marriotts that I've seen have 6pm day-of policies, but it behooves you to check the individual property.

Also, please add a "?" to your title. It was a bit misleading and I was expecting to read about you actually being charged a fee instead of a question.