Hotel Block Refund Question

sleepyb

I was just reviewing the hotel block contract and have a questions for you ladies:

Is it typical for it to state that if a guest cancels with 30 days they get a 50 refund and no refund if canceling within 14 days of the reservation?

stephie25

My hotel block doesn't actually charge them until they check out. They are charged only if they cancel within 24 hours.

lyndausvi

It really depends on the property.  I find the size of the property (ie.  small independent hotel compared to a large hotel chain) or the time of year (ie.  Off season compared to peak season or a special event weekend) can make a huge difference.

To give you an idea, I work for a small timeshare property that also rents rooms.  This time of year we let you cancel the day of without penalty.    Special weeks like Mardi gras, superbowl weekend, etc if you cancel less than 30 days in advance it's 50% and less than 14 days it's100% of your deposit (which btw superbowl s $1000 per night - ouch).

short answer - it depends on the property, but no it's not unusual.

sleepyb

Thanks ladies. It's a new Holiday Inn right outside of downtown Houston during the weekend of the MS 150 bike ride. Just wanted to get some input before calling to finalize things. And the rooms are less than 100 so it's a fantastic deal for this area which is why I really want to book there.

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_hotel-block-refund-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:ddfd84e0-f73b-49f9-a195-2ddc83136d10Post:fd2a4cf4-6c68-4c23-b794-f2859485a119">Re:Hotel Block Refund Question</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks ladies. It's a new Holiday Inn right outside of downtown Houston during the weekend of the MS 150 bike ride. Just wanted to get some input before calling to finalize things. And the rooms are less than 100 so it's a fantastic deal for this area which is why I really want to book there.
Posted by sleepyb[/QUOTE]

How are you notifying your guests of the room block?  I would just be sure to have info about the cancellation policy along with the rate and booking info.  As a guest, I would not expect a Holiday Inn to have that sort of cancellation policy, although I don't think it would bother me once I knew.

cwaggoner07

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_hotel-block-refund-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:ddfd84e0-f73b-49f9-a195-2ddc83136d10Post:1ba123b2-307c-42bb-a391-58250bab489c">Re:Hotel Block Refund Question</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Hotel Block Refund Question : How are you notifying your guests of the room block?  I would just be sure to have info about the cancellation policy along with the rate and booking info.  As a guest, I would not expect a Holiday Inn to have that sort of cancellation policy, although I don't think it would bother me once I knew.
Posted by jessicabessica[/QUOTE]

All of this. And I don't think it's unusual for a special weekend/event in the area. Also for such a weekend make sure there isn't a 2 night minimum, which can be the case sometimes.