I've noticed a lot of postings lately that say something like "i've made reservations at these 3 places, where should I stay?"

Do you normally make multiple reservations? How far before the trip do you cancel them? Have you ever forgotten to cancel them?

I usually do the research before I reserve.

Anyone who does this and then waits until the last minute to cancel is the poster child for selfishness.

Bordering on unethical in my opinion.
Many hotels and airlines raise rates as bookings approach capacity.
If everyone triple booked, many people would pay unnecessarily inflated prices.
Plus, if hotels are notified just before arrival that reservations are being cancelled, they may not be able to fill such a room on short notice. Indirectly, this cost can be passed on in the end as revenues are diminished.

I respectfully disagree with those who call it unethical and selfish.

If "caveat emptor" (let the buyer beware) exists so should "let the seller beware".

Places that would truly suffer the loss of income should someone cancel, e.g. small inns or B & Bs, usually have strict cancellation policies--little or no refund unless cancelled way ahead of time. At the same time, large hotels may, like the airlines, offer heavily discounted rates in exchange for them being totally non-refundable once booked.

When you shop in a store and buy several items, knowing that you plan to return some of them within the allotted time (which for some stores, like The Gap, is indefinite) theoretically you may be depriving them of the profits for a full priced item which would be on sale by the time you return it. On the other hand, if the items in question were non-refundable from the start, you very well might not have bought any. Same thing for a hotel room. Once you've gone to the effort of booking (and nowadays most hotels seem to take credit card holds for all reservations, even if you can cancel at any time) you are more like to keep a reservation. The hotels know this and are willing to put up with inevitable cancellations as the cost of doing business.

Having said all that, I think while some people may double/triple book to guarantee space and rates at hotels, it is clearly not 'nice' to hold those reservations longer than necessary, i.e. once you've made your decision.

Just my opinion.

The fact that people do this sort of thing is in large part responsible for the fact that many guesthouses and B&B's, particularly in tourist destinations, must charge a 50% deposit in advance. I worked as a waiter years ago and our restaurant was forced to require a deposit for reservations on popular days (e.g. parent's weekend at the nearby university) - many people had begun adopting the pratice of making multiple restaurant reservations and then deciding at the last minute where to eat (and never calling to cancel). Oh well... such is life. KNowing this fact, I never quibble when asked to pay in advance. I just reserved a 3 night motel stay in Saratoga Springs for Jazz Fest weekend and had to pay the full shot in advance but that's the way it goes...

I must really be livin' in a cave, because it has never occurred to me to double or triple reserve anything!
Sounds to me like it could even be considered lying or stealing....
Why would people bother to triple book? Please enlighten me, because I simply don't get it. Just sounds dishonest!
Am I the only person who feels this way? Signed, takin' the high road with one reservation, thank you.

Double and triple-booking is truly selfish.

It's childish and infantile. If you can't make up your mind where you want to stay, stay the hell home.

Double-booking affects more than the hotel owners. It affects other people who are trying to reserve a place only to be told that it is fully booked, when a bunch of the people who hold reservations are actually going to end up cancelling them at the last minute. Though some people think it's old-fashioned to treat others the way you'd like to be treated, as somebody who usually stays at small places that could easily get booked up with these fake reservations, I wouldn't hold two reservations myself.

Double booking is also a reason airlines and hotels "overbook" since they know 5-10% won't show anyway. I bet the same people who make multiple reservations get pissed when the hotel "bumps" them to another property!

We never double-booked on our recent trip to the US, and I'll admit that the people who have disparaged the practice have the high moral ground on their side; but don't go thinking that your ethics are always shared by the motels and the internet booking agencies who take your bookings! One motel in Tucson flatly refused to honour the rate on our digitalcity booking sheet, and, to get our bags, we had to come up with the rate THEY decided we should be charged. We have tried to take this up with digitalcity, but our emails have so far been ignored. Now almost two months have passed, so we're not holding our breath for justice. Worry about "cheating" or "stealing" if you must, but don't think the "other team" are doing the same about their obligations to you!

That is one reason why some hotels in Europe don't like Americans. they have told me that we are the only country who does that.

At the risk of being flamed, I have made several reservations at times. Some places are so busy at certain times that if you snooze you lose. I make a reservation, do the research and then cancel those I don't want, with plenty of time for the hotel to rebook. Of course if it's a smaller inn, the time to cancel is usually at least 30 days and they sometimes keep a "cancellation fee".

I don't do this for several hotels in the same town, but I sometines don't know where I will be for a given time, or exactly the number of days. That's why I do it. I don't think it's selfish, I think it's smart planning. If I'm trying to decide between Napa and Sonoma for instance, and I reserve a hotel in each town for a busy weekend. Then when we've got our intinary nailed down I am assured of a room where I want it. Had I waited, I might be out of luck without any reservation at all. If you think this is selfish because I'm preventing someone else who comes along later from getting a reservation, I say the early bird gets the worm, or room, as the case may be. And I have never cancelled last minute.

I can guess your age by your post nina.
The "me" generation has a certain attitude.

I never make double bookings...just wouldn't think of it. From reading postings, many travellers are looking for good deals. How can those deals be had if we, as a group, are the ones driving up the prices? It seems pretty reasonable to me that I should at least know what city I want to visit before I book.

As for "buy several items, knowing that you plan to return some of them". I never do that either; I just buy what I need (though my husband may argue some of those "needs" are wants!). I'm beginning to think that I am weird for not doing these things!

Klam, you're not weird at all.
I don't buy things that I may later return either. Who has the time???
I personally think people who make double reservations, etc. are rude.

When you buy something at a store and return it, the store has every opportunity to resell that item.

When you book a room and cancel, the hotel may or may not be able to resell. A hotel room, a car rental, a cruise cabin etc. have a limited shelf life. When that ship departs, when that date passes that inventory is gone forever.

If you must double book, please give the hotels at least a month to try to recoop their loses. If double bookers continue this practice we are going to end up hotels charging full payment in advance with no cancellations.

And to the poster with his digitalcity Tucson problems. Perhaps the problem is with digitalcity?

I agree completely with anotheropinion's well-stated post (although I do not purchase clothes knowing that I will take them back -mostly because I hate shopping). I fail to see anything morally or ethically wrong with booking at multiple hotels while you finalize your trip arrangements. It's part of the search for the best available vacation value. Why is it wrong to book a hotel that is currently offering a good rate to ensure that rate, while looking for other better deals?

I usually do make multiple reseravations but this year I will reconsider as I go to Hawaii and they have been hit hard enough but the current travel lag.

Vince, what is your guess? I bet you're wrong. I'm 42.

As far as people claiming hotels, cruiseships etc can't rebook if someone cancels; please! Cruises require 50% deposits which in the case of a family is thousands of dollars of your money which they have months in advance to earn interest on. If you cancel a cruise you must do so 3 months in advance, which allows ample time for the cruiseline to resell your cabin.

I believe I stated that I did not cancel last minute, but clearly that still isn't sufficient for some of you. Maybe I am looking out for myself, by booking early so I don't end up out in the cold, what is wrong with that?

I also don't think there is anything wrong with buying items and returning them. I went shopping today for new bras (ladies you know how much fun this is). Today is the first day I've been out of the house this week as I've been home with a sick child. I did not have time to try on said bras as I had to get back for the school bus(now), so I bought all of the contenders and will try them on tonight and return the rejects next week. The fact that some of you find this wrong is laughable!

Nina, Do we really have to hear about your grand excursion to shop for bras?
Although you have made your point, some stuff is better left unsaid.