I already have a reservation at a hotel. I discover that through an online site, I can get a slightly better room for about 20.00 less per night. It wouldn't cost me anything to cancel my original reservation.

But I'm wondering how the hotel would take it. I'd have to call and tell them I'm canceling, then they'll see my name pop up on the registration list under the online site booking.

I can't see any, but can anyone think of any downside to such a "switch?" Other than them smirking a bit if they notice the switch I suppose....

Why not call them and tell them you found a cheaper rate online and see if they'll change your existing reservation. If not, then cancel and rebook online. I've done this before. Sometimes they make you cancel and rebook but sometimes they say don't bother they will make the rate change on the original booking.

But don't give up your first booking until you actually have the cheaper one.

Book on the Internet first, then cancel the other. I just did this with Residence Inn ... I"m sure they're just happy to have your business!

Heck, $20 buys a half dozen ProV's. Can't think of a reason not to do it.

If you call and they'll agree to change the rate, make sure you get something in writing from them. Othewise, they'll charge the higher rate upon check-out.

But don't be surprised if you can't do it over the phone. Usually the phone people don't have the internet rates. At least I was told so.

You are the hotel's customer. The customer is always right. It's business. You found a better rate - take it! Just get the cheaper one first before cancelling your initial reservation.

From my personal experience, first I call the hotel and ask if I can change the existing reservation to the new price. If yes, fine, if not then I thank them and hang up. I then go to the other source and book. Usually I do this in my partner's name so there won't be a mixup with the reservations, but if doing it the same name fine. Book the new one, then cancel the other. Trust me, hotels are used to this.

Thanks for the quick responses.

I'll call them and ask first if they would match the online rate.

If not though, wouldn't it cause confusion if I booked it online first then canceled the original, since my name would be on their registration list twice (the original and the new reservation)? I guess I would explain what I just did and make sure they cancel the original one.

Patrick, I guess you answered my question about the possible mixup in the new reservation. I'll use my wife's name just in case.

How successful have you been in just getting them to match the cheaper rate?

T&G, as I said above, I just handled this same situation with Residence Inn. Initially, I called and asked for the lower rate I'd found on the Internet, and the 800-reservations clerk told me that I could only get that lower rate on the Internet, and that I should go ahead and make the reservation on-line, same name, then cancel the old one. There was no problem at all!

Theoretically, there shouldn't be a problem with cancelling the original after you rebook as the 2 reservations will have different confirmation #'s. Give them the original confirmation # and make sure that's the one they cancel.

I once rebooked and cancelled FOUR times for the same stay. The hotel had a habit of decreasing the room rates when they weren't booked, and as the date of my trip approached, it dropped $20 every few days. Hotel reservation systems don't go by names; too much potential for confusion. It's all automated, especially if you book online; nobody is going to "notice."

How successful at getting them to match the rate? Funny, but the times I haven't been successful have been when I've booked direct with a hotel and found the special rate on their own website. That's when they'll sometimes say I have to do it on the internet. But when I quote a rate I've found on another site, I generally have had luck getting them to match it.

Thanks all for the info. Very helpful.

I'm a p/t clerk and this happens ALL the time. If the reservations wasn't made directly with our hotel and it's not the arrival day, then we don't even really see it, unless we were actually looking for it. Not true on all systems, but in all but the smallest hotels staff is too busy to be looking for it. We might worry if we did see multiple ACTIVE reservations for Mr T&G, wondering if you wanted multiple rooms or not, but once something is cancelled, it's "end of story"
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Make sure it's the ORIGINAL