We recently requested that an extra day to be added to our stay in Paris. The hotel replied with a very quick "okay" - didn't repeat the extra day added date, didn't say it would be in a superior room as we have booked, etc. - just "all set". <BR><BR>Three days ago, I emailed them and restated the room reservation numbers with new dates and have not heard back yet. I would like an email response to my email so that I can print it off for our records, hoping to prevent a problem when we arrive. <BR><BR>Question is: How hard do I push for a reply without being a pain in the neck to them? Should I resend my email and request a reply "s'il vous plait" and "merci"?<BR><BR>Thanks for the advice.

Something like that happened to me once a few years ago. I guess I didn't "push" hard enough because my reservation was never changed and I had to get a new hotel for one night! Now, that was a pain in the neck. I'd suggest emailing again and request a response.<BR><BR>What do others think?

I think I hope that it won't be a problem for me!! I've gotten three telephone reservations for an upcoming trip to Belgium/France/England in about 7 days, and have asked for email confirms on all of them. So far, nothing. <BR>Nonetheless, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the phone calls and the VISA card #'s I gave them will be OK..<BR>

I think that since you had a reservation but changed the departure date, I would definitely want to get a confirmation in hand which states the dates of your stay. Otherwise, what proof do you have. Any reputable hotel should understand this and comply. I would ask again.

You didn't say HOW you made your request for the change. Did you call or write? Did you e-mail? If it was anything but a phone call, you already have your written confirmation, even if it's just an "OK." If you called, you should have gotten the name of the person you spoke with, and recorded the date and time you spoke. Obviously, you didn't do that; so it's too late now. If you originally made the request via e-mail, I would think that the hotel would e-mail a confirmation on request from you. Failing that, just be sure YOU send THEM an e-mail that confirms the new reservation dates. If it's a decent hotel, they will honor your change.

Laura, we booked 8 nights at a Paris hotel and then because of a change in travel plans, revised it to 4 nights.<BR><BR>I emailed our hotel asking them to send an email confirmation as soon as they had received my message. They emailed me a reply within 24 hours showing the revised dates. They did not specify the same type of room in this email but they know it should be the same room. We need a triple so we shouldn't be put into anything smaller although you never know. But this hotel is very professional (only a 3 star but good) and since that time I've requested that they make sure that our triple room have a balcony and view. And they have responded favorably.<BR><BR>On the other hand a very prestigious Parisian hotel that I booked reservations with neglected to send me a booking confirmation immediately like in your case. But they did have the reservation listed when I called them. There was some kind of delay in sending confirmations-just don't know why that would not be a priority. <BR><BR>So I'm pretty sure your reservation with changes is there in their records, but you should follow up via email as Wayne suggests. Send your email listing out every detail of your original and revised reservation and that you emailed them but have yet to receive a confirmation. Then state in the email that if they do not reply then your email will be the only record for the reservation. It's true, any reputable and hotel would not ignore you.

Wayne, the request for extension was emailed as was their simple "okay" response - truly just "okay, all set". I guess we were expecting something from them that would re-confirm the dates of our stay including the date of the extra night's stay. Also concerned that we could be moved from one room to another - especially since we requested deluxe rooms and there are fewer of those than standard rooms. <BR><BR>Thanks for your advice.

Laura<BR>I don't blame you, I always want confirmations of my confirmations, because the downside of an error on their part can be unpleasant to say the least.<BR><BR>I would send a fax, confirming the arrangements, and asking for a confirmation by fax or email at their earliest convenience. Be sure to provide your fax and email address.<BR>If they respond by email, print it out and bring it with you.

I would definately push for a confirmation in writing. Last year, we rented an apartment in London thru the internet. We changed our reservations because the rates went down after we made our first reservation. To make a long story short, the manager wanted to charge us the higher room rate because he didn't have any record of us changing our reservations. Luckily,I brought every confirmation and email I had received, and we were charged correctly.<BR><BR>Bottom line-get it in writing!

I had similar experiences not getting neither fax nor email confirmation replies. I always ended up calling in person. So far, voice confirmation has not caused discrepancies, what they said on the phone as to their record was what we found when we actually went there. I always felt it was a lost cause trying to get written reply after few tries. I can see why hotels do not want to send fax, because it cost them international calls, or email, because they need someone who writes English to reply.<BR><BR>Coming from the US, where things not written do not matter, but after experiencing that all the verbal confirmation has been honored "so far", I am now more comfortable travelling this way. Of course, I always go with list of alternate hotels I have researched beforehand in case there is a reservation snafu, so far so good.<BR><BR>This may be a difference in consumer business practice in Europe vs US (presuming that is where you are coming from.) Would like to hear European views.

If you're an American, you wouldn't even ask this question. Stand up for yourself. If they give you a hard time, take your business somewhere else!

Laura: Be careful to get that email confirmation. The great thing is that they are dated. I related a few years ago a problem I had with a non-existing reservation at a hotel in Paris. I had everything printed out with the dates included. They insisted that I had no reservation, but there it was in black and white. They did not have a room, but they did make arrangements for another room at a nearby (and luckily much nicer--Regent's )hotel. Without those papers, I think they would have put us on the street without a raised eyebrow, because the person who took the reservation had not written on their books. They could not argue their own reply with the name on it. Another poster emailed me about the hotel. I told my experience; she decided to try it anyway. Guess what--no reservation when she got there!

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will re-send the email I sent the other day and ask for a confirmation reply.

Laura stop fixating. You've already gotten an e-mail confirmation, calm down. Since you are just adding a day to your stay, remember possession is 9/10 of the law. No one can get you out of the room once you are in it. <BR><BR>Also, if the hotel is going to play "bait and switch" with the room type, then you're in trouble regardless of whether you make a res change. Believe me, you wouldn't be the first person to request a specific type of room and get a different one. Just chill out a bit and enjoy your stay in Paris.<BR>

I sort of agree with hotel manager, and I thought I tended to be a tad anal-retentive. But I've had stuff like that happen and I never even gave it a thought to ask they rewrite the email. I think it is true they can't physically remove you from the hotel, really. <BR><BR>I myself wouldn't worry if the email they sent saying "okay" had a copy at the bottom in quotes of the request you had sent them as that does include the dates, etc. Almost all of the emails I've ever gotten from a hotel have had my message quoted at the bottom, I think they do that on purpose for documentation. If not and they just sent an email with the words "all set", they are obviously busy and don't want to spend the time writing long emails. If so, and you are really worried, I would probably wait until shortly before going and then email or call again to "confirm" the info. It sounds like you might want to do that anyway (I know some people do confirm reservations just before going, although I don't), so I think that would be sufficient. <BR><BR>I would not just send another email and request a "reply" as that's what they've given you and that may confuse them or you'll just get it again. What you really want is a reply with certain phrases and words in it, so if you are going to push for that, I think it would be best to be specific as to what you want them to put in it (ie, please reply with the dates and room you have reserved for me)

Well, I did resend my email specifically naming the dates of reservation for the two deluxe rooms. I asked them to re-confirm stating the dates so that there would be absolutely no confusion regarding the reservation. I did get a response along with my email and it said "reservation is all set for the dates and rooms you have requested". So, I guess that is acceptable as it did have my original email attached. I will definitely print this out to have with me when we check in the the hotel.<BR><BR>Thanks very much for all your help.

I just returned from Paris. I sent numerous emails of confirmation for a "double ensuite room" at a recommended hotel in St. Germain au Pres. When we arrived they said they had "lost" the reservation. I had a copy of the latest email, with my credit card # holding the reservation and a name (very important). They apologized and paid for the taxi to send us to another nearby hotel with a room and reservation at the same price. I was nice but firm and acknowledged that mistakes happen. This isn't the first time, though. Even a few years ago making a reservatin over the telephone had the same results. Like others have said, "get it in writing".

Colleen: But you did have it in writing and it did no good. Just my point. Stuff Happens.

I've got another question. When the hotel that denies your booking puts you up at another hotel, what type of hotel is it? <BR>I mean supposing it's high season, for example like when I'm going in October to Paris, and this happens to me. What kind of a hotel would have rooms available except for a crummy one?

I often book hotels over the phone in England and Germany. I always get a confirmation by FAX - not by e-mail, my impression is that hotels here in Europe don't use e-mail as much as the Americans. Usually I receive the confirmation within an hour after calling. If you do not receive any confirmation, I would call back and say that you want something in writing. Because, as others here have noted, if you do have something in writing they can still screw up your reservation but they will feel obliged to arrange something else (maybe better) for you. A note to the last poster: hotels that still have room in a busy period may also be the most expensive ones...