Everything you need to know about hotel cancellations

When booking a hotel, for leisure or business purposes, always check their cancellation policy. It all depends on the frequency of your plan coming to fruition for determining whether you want a non-refundable room or a refundable one.

We all know non-refundable rooms always come at lower prices. It really depends on what exactly you need. Is it cheaper price for a room or the flexibility to change or cancel your booking with a full or partial refund! With Covid-19 in the picture, no one’s plans are really set in stone these days. Of late, the hotel chains have also revised their cancellation policies to manage their losses.

Given that every hotel chain has a different cancellation policy, we think a better understanding of how cancellation works would really help you to get the best deal!

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind before booking a hotel.

Get the best cancellation policy with an online hotel booking

Okay, so what do we mean by online booking? When you book a hotel from their website directly at regular rates, the chances of you getting a better cancellation policy are higher.

For most cases, you will be eligible for a full refund if you cancel your booking 24-48 hours prior to your stay. Sometimes, if you have a genuine reason, you can directly call up the hotel and explain your situation to get a full or partial refund within 24 hours of your stay.

The refund policy depends on the parent hotel’s policy and the property’s individual policy. Remember to go through both before making a booking.

Other than the refund policy, here are some more factors to consider before proceeding with hotel booking:

The room rates

Most of the hotels offer the same room at different room rates. For example, you can book a room for a regular rate, a prepaid rate, or a member rate. Now you must be thinking how does it relate to the hotel’s cancellation policy? Well, every room rate has its own cancellation and refund policy.

Often people see a different room rate and end up booking for another room rate. Given that the policies for both differ, you might have to bid adieu to your refund amount in case of cancellation.

If you think there can be even the slightest possibility of cancellation, you should book your room at the regular or member rate. Even though you might have to pay extra, the cancellation policy will be the most flexible.

The hotel’s cancellation policy also depends on time of the year that you are booking the hotel for! For instance, if it’s New Year’s or any other holiday season, the policy of cancellation will be stringent. It is best to call up the hotel and understand all the terms and conditions beforehand.

The Property types

Either you are booking a room in a big chain’s hotel, or a specific property of that hotel, or even a timeshare, the cancellation policy might differ.

Therefore, don’t go with the standard cancellation policy provided by the parent hotel chain. Contact the specific property you want to book to know their individual cancellation policy.

What happens when you book hotel using a third-party app or travel agency?

When you book a hotel using third party apps or a travel agency, the hotel cancellation policy also depends on the same.

Here, the room rates or hotel chains don’t really matter. The third-party app’s refund policy is applicable in this case. So, you need to read up on their app or website to understand the cancellation policy.

Many users prefer MakeMyTrip to book hotel, thanks to their generous cancellation and refund policy.

Current hotel policies for big hotel chains

As mentioned above, the hotel chains have made their cancellation policies quite strict. Let’s take a look at some of these changes:

Marriott

Cancellation window moved from 24 hours to 48 hours

Hyatt

48 hours

Hilton

48 hours and 72 hours for busy cities

Note: The cancellation window is not standard for all brands and all locations belonging to a particular hotel chain. Remember to check with the hotel directly or third-party applications to know more about the cancellation and refund policies.

The best way to avoid cancellation charges is to understand your travel preferences and read the fine print to decipher the terms and conditions better.