Canceling a hotel reservation becomes more difficult at Hilton and Marriott

Two of the world’s largest hotel companies are cracking down on travelers prone to last-minute cancellations.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International will penalize those who cancel reservations within 48 hours of the intended stay, up from 24 hours previously. In most cases, the penalty is the price of one night’s room rental.

Hilton Hotels & Resorts has announced plans to implement a 48-hour cancellation policy for all Hilton-managed hotels in the United States and Canada starting July 31. – political hour.

Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company, has a 48-hour cancellation policy from bookings made on June 15. The Marriott policy applies to all hotels in the United States, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The revised policy allows us to make rooms available to guests who would otherwise be unoccupied due to a last minute cancellation,†Marriott International said in a statement.

The change is intended to discourage guests who cancel their hotel reservations shortly before their stay because they find a better rate when shopping on the internet, said Bjorn Hanson, professor at the Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism. ‘New York University.

The new policy marks a radical change from a few years ago, when many hotels waited until 6 p.m. on the evening of a hotel stay to impose a cancellation penalty, Hanson said.

Based on a sample of hotels in New York City, Hanson said up to 30% of hotel reservations are either canceled or customers fail to show up to claim the room.

“When 30% of a company’s inventory is subject to such changes, it’s understandable that companies want to do something,†said Hanson.

The increased influence of the hospitality industry is also at play in the change due to strong travel demand combined with a supply of hotel rooms that has remained stable, said Carl Winston, program director at the school. San Diego Hospitality and Tourism Management. University.

He noted that travelers turn to online travel agencies to search for the best hotel deals and few are locked into a particular brand based on loyalty programs.

“A dollar is a dollar these days and people shop,†Winston said.

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