Well get this... I contacted the main reservation line and was transferred to the Guest Services dept. The guy at that dept said that I did get a full refund! He was going to fax me the refund receipt.. I'll believe it when I see it coz my credit card still doesn't reflect the refund. The hotel gave me the full refund March 24, but it's already May 7... How come the CC doesn't see this credit?

I know we jumped an hour ahead over the weekend, but it looks like you did a whole month
Hope it did workout for you, but this is a good lesson for others, ALWAYS read the CXL policy, before you commit, and if there is something you don't understand, ASK!

The hotels need to make sure they are more explicit on their cancellation policies. Like I have said before, it could have meant 14 days prior to arrival or 14 dayas after reservation.

Two other things I learned from this whole experience is not to cancel any trips. AND never be the one to make reservations for your group of friends. I ended up being the one going (and still am going to go thru it coz I haven't seen my $$$$$$) through this ordeal...

Provence,
The website clearly states the cancellation policy. Even if you dispute with the cc, they will come back to you eventually.

Face it, you lost.

That's Jazz Fest weekend here in NO...as with most special events here, there is a minimum stay and a pretty tight cancellation policy. Rooms are tough to get...hotels don't want last minute cancellations that they could have sold. If you did get a refund, consider yourself very lucky!!

"Cxl within 14 days" clearly means "within 14 days OF YOUR ARRIVAL." I've never, ever heard of a hotel reservation cancellation being tied to the time you actually booked it.

Regardless, I'm sure any CC company will stand by you if you show documented proof you attempted to cancel your reservation within 14 days of your arrival. I would call someone higher up at customer service at La Quinta and explain that you will be disputing the charge unless they take it off - so either they can deal with you now or deal with the company later. If that doesn't work, I'd go as far as sending a registered letter to the hotel itself stating your desire to cancel. Then you have documented proof you tried to cancel before 14 days of arrival. (though you'd better make sure it arrives by April 11). Or, call your CC company once more and ask them what is required of you.

Shoot, if that's Jazz Festival weekend and hard to get a room, they could probably sell your room, especially this far in advance. Perhaps hotel business is slow in NO as everywhere else and they are trying to take advantage of you.

Andrew

I'm with those who recommend dealing with your credit card provider and submitting all your documentation along with your written dispute. Usually, if your documentation seems to be in your favor (the cancellation policy was unclear, not stated, etc. when your reservation is confirmed and/or stated prior to booking), your card will be credited and the establishment must successfully argue otherwise to have the dispute reversed. And, you can appeal that, if it happens.

I booked a room on Nantucket once. No mention was made of the cancellation policy when I booked (this was before I had learned to make careful note of cancellation policies when booking), though they did require one night in advance to reserve. We had to cancel. Not only did they resist refunding the one night, they had the audacity to charge us for the other two nights reserved, after I phoned to cancel, but before our scheduled arrival date. My credit card company reversed all the charges with the explanation that the inn in question could not "document" that I had been advised of the cancellation policy. Curiously, the inn, in their response, stated that their "cancellation policy is clearly stated in our brochure", yet I never did receive a brochure, even with the confirmation, though I did request it (so as to have a driving map to the place).

But, everything depends upon who can better document their argument.

Andrew: That doesn't make sense...within 14 days of arrival? That implies 14 days or less would be acceptable. Dick has it right: "within 14 days" means within 14 days from making res. They would've said "at least 14 days" if they were referring to arrival date.

The bottom line is, they can and will resell her room if it truly is a special event week - it's still a few weeks away. And therefore, they should definitely return Provence's deposit (even though they aren't required to)! After all, she cancelled over a month in advance. Good luck, Provence! And be sure to check cancellation requirements next time, OK?

You need to give this some time to make it through the system. It takes time to process this at both the hotels end and the credit card company. It can take time for a credit to appear on your statement.

You cancelled March 21 and it is only April 8. Credits can sometimes take over one billing cycle to appear.

Not sure why Leona is so negative. In any event, it looks like provence is going to get the money back and for good reasons:
1. The cancellation policy is at best ambiguous. Typically a 14-day cancellation policy means 14 days before arrival.
2. La Quinta will probably be able to re-book the room. "Double-dipping" is not favored.
3. La Quinta is a reputable company and wants to avoid disputes where possible. Provence is right to seek assistance from someone at corporate HQ.
It does take time for the credit to go through. Your credit card company should allow you to deduct the charge while there is still a dispute.

Cancel within 14 days is clear.

La Quinta may, solely at its option, give a "goodwill credit".

When you dispute a bill, the CC comapny is required by law to to temporarily deduct the amount from you current bill. They may , of course, add it back in later.

In my experience, the only reason that it takes a while for the credit to show up, is that the credit wasn't put through in a timely manner. Call you CC company to see(or go obnline) and see if the credit has been posted.

If I were you ..and wanted to "pressure" them into a refund( to which you really aren't entitled)..I'd tell La Quinta corporate that I had posted the situration to a travel BB( don't tell them which one). Then I'd tell them how many people are waiting to hear how La Quinta handles it.

While they may not care about an individual who is upset because they didn't understand the cancellation policy....they may do something knowing a larger audience will be watching to see how they handle it.

Just an FYI for those that like to patronize customer friendly hotels. I made a similar mistake recently when booking at the downtown Radisson hotel in St Louis. I booked the room, and although I knew that they were charging my credit card at the time of booking, I did not realize that there was a no refund/cancellation policy. When our travel plans changed and I attempted to cancel the room I was upset to see the cancellation fee! So, I called the corporate customer service and explained that I was unaware at time of booking of any cancellation fee, the rep promptly called the hotel and all charges were dismissed. I then told the rep that I would not hesitate to make a reservation w/ Radisson in the future knowing how understanding they are and considerate to their customers.

I honestly think the key was being civil and explaining my confusion. I plan on keeping my word and am looking at Radisson in Memphis, just because I thought this WAS going to be a battle!