The Most Frustrating Hotel Rate Changes

If the deal is fantastic for a stay that I know is incredibly unlikely to change, I'll book a nonrefundable rate. Example from a couple of years ago: prepaid $99 a night to stay at the Conrad in Chicago right before Christmas -- could've prepaid for over Christmas as well, but this was a stop during the middle of other travel.

I'll also do prepaid if I know it's a situation where I need to be in that particular place over very specific dates, like for conventions or for ticketed events like Broadway shows.

Lucky, if I see a room rate lower than what I was quoted for the same benefits and room type, I would ask the front desk agent to change the rate if possible. I know they're not obligated to give you a rate lower than what's already agreed upon, but it doesn't hurt to try.

I find that, though it is not 100%, Starwood Platinum Concierge can often arrange to have the rules broken on nonrefundable rates, and hotels are pretty reasonable if there are things like weather causing flight cancellations and a missed trip, or other similar excuses. "Nonrefundable" is certainly a much less ironclad idea in hotels than it tends to be in airline tickets.

That hotel looks a LOT like SWISS Business Class... 🙂

I book non-refundable rates if the deal is too good. Got a 4-star hotel in Bali for $11 per night thru an OTA promo some weeks back, and snagged the Westin Las Vegas thru another OTA recently for a very good price (price on Westin was showing more than double what I paid to the OTA, and there was no comparable package to file a BRG).

If you are staying multiple nights, could you continue with your primary reservation for the first night, and the cancel the remainder and book with the lower rate for the subsequent nights?

When this occurs, you should be able to call the Diamond line and have the rate adjusted.

If that rate requires 48hrs notice to cancel then booking it as a flexible rate at the last minute is kind of pointless, since it would have already passed the deadline. So the $120 rate is not really "flexible" and therefore not directly equivalent, I would have thought.

I'm checking into that hotel tomorrow. My Elite Rate is $304 though. That's an insanely cheap rate (both are actually). I stayed at the hotel its opening week and it serves it's purpose. The rooms are small but functional and the staff is friendly.

@Ben, if you called Hyatt even outside of your cancellation window they should have been able to adjust your rate downward. I've done that before and it's never involved a cancellation -- Hyatt is usually excellent about honoring the lowest rate for any particular room.

Hi Ben,

This post is very timely. I just saw the rate for our stay at Park Hyatt Vienna go down from 465 Euro to 352 Euro. I want to change to this lower rate, but I have a Suite already confirmed with the original rate using my Diamond Suite upgrade. How do I change to this lower rate?

Thanks.

@John -- This happened to me a few times and each time I was able to call the Diamond line where they courteously agreed to reduce the rate and keep my Diamond Suite Upgrade intact. So I would urge you to call.

@ Sean -- Depends on the hotel/rate rules, I'd think. In this case was only staying for a single night though.

@ John -- Based on the above comments it seems like the Diamond line might be able to do that for you.

@KP
I'm looking at staying in Bali for a couple of weeks in 10 months, and would love to know the details on notice and methods for setting up your hotel stay. Whatever information you could provide would be great.
@Ben
In Chicago, you said that Bali was one of your favorite places and that you'd been there something like 10 times, so if you have any specific suggestions, please don't hesitate to mention any hotel thoughts.

I estimate that 25% of the time I change or cancel a hotel reservation, and another chunk of times the rate drops as it gets closer by either at that hotel or a secondary one. If a hotel has a long cancellation period I simply don't book it (with the only exception of a steal around an event with low probability of cancellstion, which is a rasrity) and find another one.

Just to clarify to everyone reading this thread, having Hyatt honor the lower rate is not a Diamond perk. I'm a lowly Platinum and the Hyatt folks have done this for me twice, now, and I suspect would even if I had no status. It didn't involve canceling a room, merely adjusting the price.

I don't see hotel rates as at all similar to airfares. There is a great deal more negotiation and consumer leverage with a hotel rate, and you should feel free to use a hotel's 1-800 number liberally to honor the best available rate.

Ben, I'm surprised you just accepted the higher rate without even trying to ask for a match!

When requesting an exception, it often pays to call the property directly. The local on-site res agents often have a lot more authority than the central 1-800 res number.