Hotels.com - cancellation policy & 30% off sale

My Uncle was searching for a hotel this week in Los Angeles. I told him that Hotels.com had a spring sale with 30% off and that I’ve enjoyed staying at the Hotel Angeleno in L.A.

He said that he didn’t like using Hotels.com in case he needed to make last-minute changes. I was surprised that my uncle would know specific details about a cancellation policy, so I went to find out exactly what the policy entailed. Was his concern valid?

In short, Hotels.com doesn’t charge a cancellation fee, but individual hotels may charge a fee depending on the time of the cancellation. This makes it very important to read the fine print of each hotel before you book it.

Have you found it easy or difficult to cancel a reservation on Hotels.com?

Hotels.com cancellation policy: Here is the cancellation policy as stated in the FAQ section of Hotels.com:

What is the cancellation policy on my reservation?
“When you are completing the Secure Reservation Form, the Cancellation Policy will be provided in red or there will be a link to read the cancellation policy. You can also view the property information page to find the cancellation policy. These policies will vary from hotel to hotel, so you must read each one carefully. In general, the standard increments are that you must cancel the room(s) by 4 or 6 PM on the arrival date, or 24, 48, or 72 hours prior to your specified arrival; however, these are just general guidelines and the specific policy of the property will prevail. If you cancel before the deadline, generally you will not be charged a penalty. Canceling after the stated period will result in a cancellation penalty fee. Some reservations are non-refundable and cannot be cancelled after booking.

Reservations of “Special Internet Rates” will apply a cancellation fee regardless of the timeframe of cancellation. If the cancellation is outside of the time allotted, you may be charged for one night’s stay including tax recovery charges and service fees. Please read the specific cancellation policy provided for each property on the site and in any emails regarding your reservation.”

Deals: In addition to the “Spring Sale” and Easter hotel discounts, check out Hotels.com’s “Deals & Specials” section. They have a deal of the day worth keeping an eye on. I found a deal with 70% off a four-star hotel in San Francisco.

Contact: Hotels.com, (800) 346-8357 (3HOTELS)
— Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel Deal Blogger

[Image: Hotels.com]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 6:07 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under Business Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.