Many airlines, hotels, and rental car companies all ‘overbook’ meaning they sell more seats, rooms, and cars than they have. That usually works out just fine. They know some people will cancel or no show, and they want to use up all of their inventory.
Sometimes it doesn’t work out, and too many people show up. They have to turn away some people who have reservations. Jerry Seinfeld famously parodied this with rental cars. Hertz once told me they ‘cannot guarantee any reservation’ though I pushed and they eventually refunded the difference between my reserved price with them and what I paid Avis.
Here’s what to expect if your hotel is overbooked, and how to avoid getting ‘walked’ in the first place.
Hotels Overbook – And You Could Get Caught With No Place To Sleep
Hotels ‘walking’ guests – not honoring a reservation, and moving the guest to another hotel – is the subject of a TikTok video where a woman received a call from the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square asking whether she’d be showing up for her booking. If she didn’t answer, she feared her booking would have been cancelled. What if she’d been on a flight, and couldn’t call?
“They called me not even an hour after check-in (4 pm) to see if I was still coming or they’d give my room away. Excuse me. Like, gimme a sec, bro,” the TikToker continued. “This has literally never happened to me before, and I’ve checked in some places at midnight without letting them know ahead. Since when is this the norm?”
@raegoesglobal i’m gonna be nervous ab hotels forever now #traveltok #traveltiktok #solofemaletraveler #solofemaletravel #travellife #travelersoftiktok #travelquestions #marriott #marriotthotel #hotelroom ♬ Confusion or something else – Ron
The hotel was clearly overbooked and looking for guests who hadn’t checked in yet, to identify any that might not be coming, in order to know how many guests they’d need to walk (if any).
In this case the guest showed up and was given their room. Perhaps the hotel didn’t wind up with more guests than rooms after all. But it does happen, all the time. Usually you can get moved somewhere, though it’s a hassle to waste time going to a hotel you can’t stay at and then going somewhere else. This is especially onerous late at night when you only have a few hours to sleep.
What Happens When You Get Walked
Generally when you’re ‘walked’ by a hotel (declined a room despite a reservation) you’ll be entitled to be put up at another comparable hotel. The hotel you’ve booked won’t charge for the room you did not get, and should cover the cost of the room night they arrange for you somewhere else, plus cover the cost of transportation to that other hotel.
That’s true at most chain hotels. Independent hotels may not handle it the same way, unless they’re luxury properties. And at best Airbnb might give you a $100 credit towards another property for the night.
Once your hotel has rooms available, they’ll expect you to return. If you have a 3 night stay and they’re only overbooked the first night, you get one free night somewhere else not three.
Elite members of a hotel loyalty program who get walked can usually expect points for an additional free night.
Sometimes there simply won’t be any rooms available nearby, or the hotel won’t bother to book you somewhere else (for franchise properties they might just be avoiding the expense) you’re on your own, and will need to complain to the hotel chain after the fact seeking reimbursement.
How To Avoid Being Walked
Whenever I review contracts for events, I always insist on a ‘no walk’ clause in the agreement. We’ll be paying the hotel enough money that – as long as you know to ask – they’ll generally agree to refuse reservations to other guests, and not event guests.
The next best thing to a contract that forbids the hotel to walk you is having elite status with the chain. The hotel then has a contract with the chain itself. They’re usually supposed to avoid walking you, bouncing reservations of non-status guests first (and probably guests booking through third party websites like Expedia). This is backed up by higher costs to the hotel for walking an elite guest, like offering not just a free night elsewhere but also enough points for a free night back at the hotel as well.
You can reduce the likelihood of being walked by checking in online or via the chain’s app. A checked in guest may be less likely to be walked, especially if you get a room assigned and can use mobile key!
Checking in earlier in the day helps avoid being walked. The hotel might plan in advance for being overbooked, and walk non-status guests earlier in the day. But often they don’t know yet just how overbooked they’ll be, and those who check in later when the hotel has given away its rooms face the greatest risk. Earlier in the day the hotel may still have rooms and discretion about whom to walk, so if the front desk clerk is denying you a room, escalate.
I generally stay at Hilton hotels. I use their app to check in as soon as possible.
So far, I’ve never been walked.
WHAT IS ESPECIALLY GALLING IS THAT ALMOST ALL BOOKINGS THEY TAKE NOW HAVE BEEN PAID IN FULL, SO IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO “NOT” STAY. AIRLINES USED TO DO THIS WOULD GOOD REASON: BOOKINGS BOOKED BY TRAVEL AGENCIES (80% OF ALL BOOKINGS) SHOW NO TICKETING INFORMATION, SO THEY DO NOT KNOW IF THE RESERVION IS CONFIRMED OR NOT (A RESERVATION IS ONLY CONFIRMED ONCE A TICKET IS ISSUED FROM IT), AND SO OVERBOOKED BY A STATISTICAL NUMBER THEY’D WORKED OUT (PRETTY ACCURATE, TOO). NOW, HOWEVER, ALL RESERVATIONS ARE TICKETED (THEY NOW HAVE THE TICKETING RECORDS) SO ANY OVERSELLING IS DUE TO GREED AND AVARICE. BUT THAT IS WHAT THE USA IS ALL ABOUT INNIT: THE NEVER ENDING PURSUIT OF JUST ONE MORE DOLLAR BILL
@Derek McGillicuddy — You forgot to include: “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”
@Derek – what hotels do you stay in that have been “paid in full”? I have traveled extensively for over 40 years and spent many thousands of nights in hotels. Even now retired I probably spend 50-75 nights in a hotel. Unless you agree to pay a lower, prepaid fee almost NO HOTEL has been paid before you arrive. Yes some, most common with casino hotels, will take a first night deposit which is applied to the stay and reimbursed if you cancel within the guidelines but they don’t make you pay up front.
Interesting question – do hotels “walk” people with prepaid reservations. I can see your point (even though the all caps is a little off putting) that if you have paid for the night you should have the room regardless of if you show up. Frankly that may be the case since, again, except for people trying to book the cheapest rate and willing to accept a prepaid non-cancellable reservation, the vast majority of people have paid nothing when they show up and would be better candidates to turn away.
Also Gary – I fully understand the benefits of elite status if you are walked but I don’t think there is actually any legal responsibility for a hotel to get you another room and cover the cost. Granted not good PR but, just like rental cars, I believe a hotel can just tell you sorry we don’t have a room and that is it (at least legally).
Agree with Alan. I check-in via the app (I’m a Hilton Diamond) as soon as it’s available. I have no actual basis to say whether this works/does not work but it’s never happened to me thus far.
I usually call the hotel if I’m arriving after 9 pm, especially smaller hotels. And I keep the front desk updated if my arrival will be delayed past midnight (e.g. delayed flight etc.). Smaller hotels may not have someone on duty past midnight.
I’m with @PM1. Even if I have status I’d rather reach out to the hotel than take the chance.
and how about being decent and considerate and taking a minute to contact the hotel direct, possibly the front desk staff, and letting them know something happened and you’ll be arriving at approximately such and such time PLEASE do not give my room away. Thanks. Many times after 9/11 I drove to Toronto always staying at a hotel I loved for years. But sometimes after a late night packing I felt like I needed another nights rest to drive safely. I always called to let them know and it was NEVER a problem. Or if I’d slept later and would be arriving later than anticipated as well. They seemed to get to know it was typical of me, and never disappointed me. (Sheraton Centre Toronto).
Are there any downsides to checking in early on the hotel app? I’m often surprised at how early I get the notification for this.
Yes. If you check in to the hotel online, your flight is canceled, and you can’t arrive that day, the hotel may not be able to modify your reservation. At least at Hilton, I was told that checking in online is equivalent to getting the key and unlocking the room.
@Retired Gambler – no, a hotel can’t just tell you “sorry”!
It’s based on contract law: You have a binding agreement with the hotel for accommodation. If the hotel doesn’t meet their obligations (giving you a room), you as the guest have a choice of refund or alternative, comparable accommodation. If a hotel doesn’t provide you with a room somewhere else, you have the right to book a comparable room yourself and claim reimbursement from the hotel in full, even if it is significantly more expensive than your original booking (because last minute, nothing similar available, etc). If the hotel refuses to reimburse you, you can take them to (small claims) court and will most likely win any reasonable request. The hotels know that – which is why well managed hotels will accommodate you and not let you do it on your own…
Of course, booking a Four Seasons because your Motel 6 didn’t give you a room isn’t “reasonable”. But if your 3* hotel with pool & spa isn’t giving you a room and the only other hotel with pool & spa in the area is a 5* hotel at a higher price – you will likely win.
Granted, not everybody is ready for a lawsuit, but telling the hotel staff at check-in that you know your rights and are prepared to enforce them is usually enough to NOT be told “sorry”… if the front desk staff doesn’t know this, usually the manager or GM does…
My last four times being walked were at hotels where I had repeatedly stayed before and had top-tier status from nights stayed. Three of those four “walked” stays were on award nights, and at least two of those were at hotels where the hotels get paid closer to prevailing rate for the night and not just a fixed reimbursement amount regardless of occupancy level for the night.
And three of those four walks were close to regular check-in time in the middle of the afternoon.
What?? No one has linked this yet?
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/yours-is-a-very-bad-hotel/34583
I haven’t been walked in 25 years (and I usually use cheapest Google hotel option for these days ). So I guess I’m lucky.
The one time I was walked was the night of my wedding at a Marriott that I had called and confirmed with that I was coming but would arrive late… They said not to worry they would hold my room… But gave it away anyway.
Nothing better than arriving at a hotel exhausted on your wedding night at midnight to be turned away and have a taxi to catch to the airport 6 hours later so was going to be a short night anyway.
Got walked by a Marriott for a room I paid for 2 months in advance. All corporate said was “sorry”. I remembered why I liked Hyatt more after that. It took almost a 2 hour phone call just to get the refund. Haven’t used Chase portal since and only did that in the first place to get my $50 credit.