Can Hotels Cancel Confirmed Reservations? What Are Your Rights?

I had a situation many years ago when a Marriott property in Brazil was leaving the chain to become an independent property. Marriott said my prepaid reservation would carry over, the property said it wouldn't. In the end, neither side agreed to either honour the reservation or provide a refund, and the credit card dispute sided with the property because it was more than 60 days after the initial transaction. Wound up losing the prepaid stay and having to book elsewhere at short notice too.

Sounds like a typical Brazilian experience.

They'll rob you everywhere using any weapons.

At least you didn't go to the cops. More frustration because cops are prepaid too.

I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the police station when someone tries to explain this situation.

I would agree it’s a negotiation in unusual circumstances especially. About seven years ago I had a reservation at a high end Marriott property in Paris. I had made the reservation (points) many, many months in advance and then four weeks before my stay they email me saying I need to cancel my reservation due to a buyout and that I would need to make other plans. At the time I was Plat, so perhaps that helped knowing walk policies, so I stood firm and insisted they book me at the comparable high end property in the city. They actually did come through, once I saw that reservation was made I cancelled my original booking. I didn’t push further on additional compensation as they followed through on the most significant part of the deal. All worked out in the end, but it paid to be polite and persistent.

This happened to me just this past December at a choice hotel, the edge in tromsø. Two days prior to arrival they sent me a confirmed email. When I arrived they said they were overbooked. I told them my reservation was confirmed 2 days ago. All they could say was well we tried to call you this morning. And I said even had I been able to answer my phone you were just going to tell me don't come here anyway. She even admits, yeah that's true. They walked me to a cheaper choice hotel. That's was going to be it for them. So I wrote to their general manager, told her I intend to put reviews EVERYWHERE and I have a copy of said review. So sure Gabe me a partial refund which really isn't sufficient because of I wanted to stay at a cheaper hotel I would have done so.

My booking at the Hyatt Nice/France was canceled in advance because they close the hotel for renovation. My TA negotiated a two night stay instead at the famous Hotel Negresco (seaview) at the same rate as the original booking.

This is VERY bad advice. Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibit misleading, false, or omission-based business acts that harm consumers.

The contract (which is one sided and you never negotiated) can say anything, such that the hotel may have a right to your first born, yet what's in there doesn't make it legal or enforceable.

I encountered a situation not mentioned above, but luckily caught it in time. I reserved a Wyndham hotel near Laguardia Airport. At the time many hotels were becoming homeless shelters. I booked the hotel before they became a homeless shelter. The hotel nor Wyndham ever notified me of this change. Had I showed up I would have been on the street. Lucky for me I called the hotel two days before arrival to request a room on the top floor and was advised "we are now a homeless shelter and your reservation would not be honored".