‘Suit yourselves…’: Hotel refuses to waive cancellation fee for guest during popular eclipse event, resulting in hotel's major money loss

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    "Suit yourselves..."
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    I'll 'eclipse' a hotel out of a whole lot more money over a cancellation fee
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    Finally, I have something to contribute- so next week will be a major eclipse in the US. I booked a hotel almost a year ago with a 'free stay' perk night in a good hotel in the path of totality (I don't think the
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    booking algorithms had accounted for the eclipse at the time). Fast forward to today, where you can't find a room nearby for less than a king's ransom, and EVERYTHING is
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    booked to the max. As it turns out, my plans have changed, and I went to cancel the room, but their cancellation policy is that I'm too late to cancel one week out without being charged a small fee.
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    Called the hotel directly to explain that if they won't charge me the cancellation fee, I'm happy to cancel my reservation and they can certainly make 5X the normal rate for this once-in-
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    a-lifetime event on the room. Turns out their policy is their policy, and they can't waive the cancellation charge. Fine by me. I'll keep the free night reservation and won't
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    cancel after all, but boy, that will be a wasted opportunity for them. I like to think that because of my pettiness in not canceling after all, at least the hotel staff won't have one more
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    room to service, and greedy corporate isn't going to be able to fleece someone with my empty room over the eclipse.
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    TL; DR-The hotel won't waive my cancellation fee; because of this, they will miss out on a lot more money than a stupid fee.
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    Update: I've read from several of you that I should reschedule and then cancel. The truth is I probably could do that, but truthfully, all I'm out is a free night perk, and at this point, I want to be petty ;) I fully intend
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    to check in digitally and get a room assignment. I will not let them call me a 'no show.' TBH, I'm across town anyway, so I might show up to use the facilities and eat the free breakfast, too.
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    jueidu 20 hr. ago Make sure you still check in and check out so they can't consider the room/reservation abandoned
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    • LegoViper OP 17 hr. ago Oh, I have every intention of checking in digitally... I still might even swing through for the free morning breakfast and eat my weight in bacon, too ;)
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    jpeckstl81 17 hr. ago Your housekeeping staff will appreciate an already clean room.
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    CanadianDNeh · 19 hr. ago There was a recent news story. about a family that booked their Niagara Falls hotel stay a year in advance specifically to watch the eclipse and the hotel cancelled their reservation so they could re-sell it at a higher rate. So I'm surprised the hotel wasn't willing to waive your cancellation fee.
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    VictoriaEuphoria99 · 16 hr. ago • edited 15 hr. ago I won't say where because reasons, but I had a hotel booked and then they cancelled my reservation because of a "computer error" But now the same room was available for like $700 So...
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    Me and some friends reserved all their rooms at the higher rate And... The cancellation deadline is the day before. (Hehe) I'm sure they will get some of them rebooked, but we kept reserving rooms until they had no availability.
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    And considering they have been plastered with bad reviews because they have done this to others, I wonder if their business will recover.
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    Angeeeeelika · 20 hr. ago You should probably tell them, that you'll be checking in late, otherwise they might give your room away.
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    JenniferMel13 · 20 hr. ago I'd list the room on Airbnb for 5x.
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    TarzanKitty 18 hr. ago The problem with that is a hotel isn't going to let some random check into the room. That would only work if the hotel will let OP change the name on the reservation. Otherwise, they will need his ID to check in.
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    Sjfjdoajrosnxoan 18 hr. ago. edited 13 hr. ago Check in online and add new person as an approved guest.

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