I had hotel reservation problems twice - once called in, and later my reservation disappeared, once the internet reservation didn't go through.

Both times I called a week or 2 before coming. Both times everything got resolved maybe in an hour.

What can you lose by re-confirming? A few cents for a phone call?

I always re-confirm a week after making reservation and a week before vacation.

Also, if I have something in writing - e-mail or print-out - always bring with me. Some hotels are in the habit of changing the price on check-out. And it's never to my advantage

Yes, usually. Lodging and plne reservations. Got burned once and learned my lesson.

"Never leave anything to chance."

--Madonna

Well, in the past, I never confirmed. But when we went to Alaska, for some reason, I decided to do so. Turns out the travel agent had TWO return flights booked for us and had I not checked, when we did not show for the first, we would have been cancelled for the second (which was the one printed on the itinerary). From now on, I will be re-confirming!

'Reconfirm' sounds like a word invented by George Orwell.

In my view, either something is confirmed, or it ain't. (The exception is flight confirmation, which for all intents and purposes is an oxymoron. In a true case of hope triumphing over experience, I always double-check the flight details, even though I know I won't really know till we get to the airport.)

I will contact a hotel and repeat my plans if they ask me to, but I don't otherwise. Given that they have my credit card number, I frankly can't see the point. But anything to keep madame/signor happy.

Hotels..hardly ever, but I do check my airine reservations.. I've had them changed too many times without notification.

We recently enjoyed a 3 week trip to France. Two preventable mistakes were made. Neither were devastating, but did cause initial panic. Double checking our reservations might have caught the errors.

Each mistake involved Etap Hotels. The online service is purely data entry. You do not correspond with an actual person. The first mistake was choosing a location 30 miles outside Rennes, instead of the location next to the train station. The other error was in entering the wrong month for our arrival date. I typed 9 (September) instead of 10 (October). When we arrived and tried to register, the clerk said we were a month late! Naturally my credit card had been charged for the mistake. The real challenge was in finding a room for the night as his hotel was full!

Yes.

Nothing sucks like showing up with your "confirmation" in hand and being told that they have nothing for you.

It happens.

Calling ahead also makes them less likely to shove you out since they KNOW you're coming.

Jules

Some years ago I stopped confirming airplane flights because it seemed like it irritated them to have you call and re-confirm. Then I went to my connecting flight from Kalamazoo to Pittsburgh and found out that that flight no longer existed (and hadn't for a couple of months!) and no one had let me know. I lost 24 hours in Paris because of this and even had to BEG big time to have them get me on the right plane the following day. After that experience, I will never fail to re-confirm an international flight -- no matter how they sound on the phone when I do!

Thanks all, for your input! I have felt like somewhat of a pest with some of the places we are going to stay, and I guess I felt ( in my Minnesotan sort of passive agressiveness....) that it would be an insult to the hotels if I were to question their integrity and/or organizational skills! I think Tiff will "get" this, she lives where I live! Ira, truly, I feel that if I fax the Bonaparte, and ask them to re-confirm my reservation, that I am calling into question their integrity. Tiff - I cannot bring myself to email the Laconda Orseola one more time, they have been so kind. (airlines are altogether a different kettle of fish, I absolutely check back with them on a regular basis...) So I think I have answered my own question. But Ira, Tiff, if you think I should confirm in spite of the fact that I would feel like a ninny, do let me know that.

I wouldn't fax the hotels to reconfirm. I would telephone if I were to do it at all.
For airline flights, the way I reconfirm is to check my airline profile first, and second to do a search for the same flights that I am taking. If these are listed exactly the way I have them on my itinerary, I don't have anything to fear.

One way to 'reconfirm' without seeming to be questioning their integrity/ efficiency would be simply to email the hotel with a question or two, using the reply function on the email they sent as confirmation. Ask about leaving luggage, early check in or some other query. They usually reply, thus reminding them of your reservation and I've usually found they seem more friendly when you check in , almost as if you're old friends. It's worked for me.

Like eigasuki, I just reply to the original confirmation and simply make a statement that I'm reconfirming my reservation below. Usually they reply with a simple "you are confirmed" or "see you then" and its as simple as that.

Tracy

If you reserve and guarantee on a credit card, then along the way you cancel said credit card, this may/will cancel your reservation, too. Happened to me. The hotel 'pings' the card just prior to your arrival to ensure they can collect the cancellation if necessary. If the card is no longer active, neither will be your reservation.

IMO if you are going to take the time to send that "re-confirmation" e-mail make certain you ask the establishment to REPLY otherwise you will never know if they received the message in the first place.

Travelnut makes a good point. And not only does that apply to a new credit card or cancelling the one you made the reservation on, but twice I've had them note than my expiration date had just passed by the time we arrived so they cancelled us. Of course the card had been given a new expiration date, but it was invalid with the old date I had given to them months before going.

Lesson..try never to guarantee a reservation with a CC having an expiration beyond the reservation date; if you have a back-up card with a later exp date, use it even if you aren't going to use it to actually pay after you get there.

Oops.sorry..obviously that should have read an expiration date BEFORE the reservation date...too much trying to think of areas to avoid in European cities for my own good.

I'm with Sue, I never reconfirm hotels. It's an oxymoron to me, I either have a confirmation or I don't. I always check the confirmation to make sure it has the correct details on it when I first get it, and then I don't do anything until I arrive (unless I'm going to be later than 4 pm, then I do call). I've never had a problem in 25 years.

I used to think that reconfirmations were unnecessary until I learned the hard way. I had a printout of my confirmation but was told that the computer must have "lost" my reservation and they were completely booked. Luckily I was able to find a hotel, despite the fact that it was Labor Day weekend here in the US. Live and learn.

Tracy