Ted&June

Is it bad manners to send a second fax request for a room reservation within a couple of days? Sent three, got one immediate response, but don't know if I should try other second choices, or wait a couple of days for the first choices, or what. What do you all suggest?

c

Maybe you should wait about a week.Not "bad manners" but they might be very busy,they will get to you,we had called directly to Florence to book a hotel and they said they would send a confirmation.It took 2 months! Try to give them at least a few days.

Helen Donegan

Hi <BR>Where are these hotels? Some hotels in small towns/resots etc. are closed until Easter.<BR>

Dianne

I read somewhere, maybe here or in a guidebook, that some smaller hotels don't answer if they're full, because it's expensive for them to fax everyone just to say no.

greg

This has been a common experience for me.<BR><BR>I have always interpreted this to mean that the hotel/b&b, etc, rather not send you an additional fax since it costs them money. So I usually end up making a voice call to the place and get the info verbally. Now, at the beginning I had much concerns with this method, since in US, what is not written never exists. The legitimate European businesses I had dealt with always kept verbal commitments. Of course, I call the same place about a week ahead to make sure "verbal" confirmations are still valid.<BR><BR>I know many travel recommendation tells you to get written confirmations, but I have gotten such confirmations from less than half the places I have stayed.

Joe

If you have confirmation that the fax went through, wait a few days. If not, fax again immediately. I have lost a room by waiting. <BR>I know this is bad form, but sometimes in smaller hotels, if they are fully booked, they simply don't respond. Has happened in, e.g., Cinque Terra.

elaine

Hi<BR>I'm too impatient to wait very long, so after a couple of days I either email if I can, or call.<BR>Just be sure to call during the day local time; clerks who have the graveyard shifts don't always speak English in small hotels.<BR>It is also sometimes the case that in a small hotel only one person is empowered to respond to reservation requests,or only one clerk speaks English, and he might either be busy or just out for a day or two.

Christina

I have also had the experience within the last couple of years that smaller hotels just will not respond to a FAX if they are full. I have also had some laid-back hotels respond to a FAX with info for an availability after about 3 days--never longer, anyone that did not respond by that time, if I really wanted to stay there and tracked them down, they had no vacancies. I was surprised at first at this custom, as I thought since I had spent the money to FAX them, they should FAX back as a business cost, but many don't. For that reason, I have changed my tactics now and query by email if I can find one (that is really the hotel, not a booking service) as I am getting much better responses to email as it's free.

John Bermont

This is a familiar story. Before there were fax machines, and long before email, the guidebooks recommended that you send a reservation request by mail and enclose an international postal reply coupon. That way you would get a reply; otherwise no. Since a fax is considered by many to be more expensive than a postal reply, you are not likely to get a return fax either. Prior to one of my trips to Paris years ago I sent a letter to my favorite hotel requesting my dates and enclosed a 100 French franc bank note, and requested a reply. Nothing came. When I showed up at the hotel on the day I had specified, the clerk reached in a drawer and pulled out the envelope in which I had mailed the FF100, and there it was pinned to my letter. They had reserved the room though I didn't know it until I arrived. Nowadays I just phone them. International calling is down to ten cents a minute with 10-10 numbers and virtually everybody at hotel front desks speaks English. But once you are confirmed, write a letter or fax or email mentioning the date, and do it in the international system. Use 9-June-2002 for example and do not write 6/9/02 or they will expect you on September 6.<BR>John Bermont<BR>www.enjoy-europe.com