Rome Hotel Booking etiquette
 

Message: Hello all,

I made hotel reservations about 10 months ago for the Miramare (Positano) and Mecenate Palace (Rome). Being a rookie traveler, I wanted to make sure I got a good room.

Over the next several months, I found that a more central location in Rome would be better. I see that with 6 weeks before my arrival, there are still many rooms available, and I am thinking about switching to the Albergo del Senato. I can cancel at the Mecenate without penalty.

My question is, while legal, do hotels owners expect this kind of movement ?? Is 6 weeks enough time for the hotel to re-book my room ?? I'd like to her your opinions.

Cancelling 6 weeks ahead is plenty of notice. Your example shows that sometimes you can plan too far ahead!! (Unless of course, you already know from experience exactly which hotel you want.)

It is always a good idea to know the hotels cancallation policy. I am sure you are well within the cancellation period without any cancellation fees. You should be fine, but don't sit around and wait. The closer you get to your check in date the worse it is. Albergo Del Senato cancelled two reservations for me in June and Joly without any problems. Hope you enjoy Rome!

It's their cancellation policy, they must deal with the consequences.

I have no interest whether they have lost money as a result of my cancellation, not my problem.

Yes, hotels "expect" this sort of thing just as TAs do..it is usually called "changing your mind."

You have no obligations to the hotel you've previously booked with. Please remember this is a business arrangement you are dealing with, not a personal one.

Thanks all .... This gives the traveler a lot of flexibility. At the Del Senato, I can cancel within 48 hours of arrival. If I find something better or cheaper at the last minute, I they are out about 1000E.

Yikes, I wouldn't do that, and it seems like if they are reserving a room for me, then I have some kind of commitment to them.

Anyway, thanks for the info. I appreciate you taking the time to help me.

I've booked hotels with a "cancel before 14:00 on day of arrival", and have cancelled around mid-day due to a change of plans. Have no qualms about these things, it's their policy problem, not yours!

It's nothing personal, it's business.

Since I started reading this message board, I have been very surprised to find that many people seem as a matter of routine to book 2 or more alternative hotels, then cancel later on when they've made their minds up. Setting aside the question of fairness to hoteliers, it seems to me that this is unfair to fellow travellers who may find that no rooms appear to be available when trying to book at a chosen hotel, when rooms may in fact be available subsequently - but too late.

My dear travel isn't a nanny state too.

If we worried about everyone else all the time, people wouldn't smoke, buy anything that isn't made from recycled products, buy new clothes until their old ones have worn out, etcetera.

On my last trip I reserved three hotels, and cancelled two of them, I didn't think of others, I thought of my own convenience. Parking at a parking meter for two hours inconveniences others, but people do it. Stop worrying about fairness with something so petty.

To caroline and m_kingdom2--I have noticed that *some* people book two or more hotels and hold the multiple reservations up to the last minute, and I agree that this is a sign of unethical behavior. (BTW mk2, since when did something being a business arrangement suspend the requirement that one behave ethically?) However, I cannot say that I notice it as a general practice among members of this board. Changing one's mind about a hotel is fine if you give the establishment adequate notice. Occasionally it may be end up that one is holding 2 reservations for a very short period (a day or two) while coming to a final decision--and I am referring to reservations that are long into the future so that the hotel has plenty of time to rebook them. I think (and hope) that m_kingdom2 is just being "provocative"--to use a term from my profession--and that he/she is not as callous in his/her dealings w/others as the postings suggest.

If one is cancelling in accordance with the cancellation policy, then one is not doing anything wrong, from a legal sense.

As for morals, and ethics, the hotelier draws up the contract between themselves and the client, not the other way around. I have not the slightest guilt or anything regarding other clients or the hotel itself.

I remember an instance in the UK, after checking in, and being shown to my room (hotel was fully booked so no other room was available), I was not satisfied, so checked out, no fee was incurred. If I'm going to pay for something, I better be happy with it!

I too have walked out of a hotel when I didn't think the room was worth the price (the Art Hotel in Glasgow, in case anyone's wondering); but that's not the same as deliberately holding rooms when you have no intention of using them.

I always book hotels with the intention of checking in, however, with sites such as this at my disposal, I have more time to form an opinion, and if necessary, change my mind.