Non-refundable hotel question

[DizMe]

Sorry, I know this is off-topic, but I'm hoping someone here can help.

My sister and I made arrangements to go to our cousin's wedding in NY this week. I booked the air and she booked the hotel (rooms were held by the family for out of town guests). Unfortunately, my sister got a non-refundable Priceline rate.

I'm in the north state where we are experiencing a horrendous fire. I'm simply unable to fly to NY right now and my sister can't go without me. My sister called Priceline but they are sticking to the hotel rate being non-refundable.

Is there any work-around for this? Thank you!

 

[ParkHopper1]

This is why I NEVER book through a third party site even if it is a few bucks cheaper...booking direct almost always has a much more liberal cancellation policy, especially in the Disneyland Resort area.

 

[DizMe]

This is why I NEVER book through a third party site even if it is a few bucks cheaper...booking direct almost always has a much more liberal cancellation policy, especially in the Disneyland Resort area.

Absolutely agree. I wish I'd made the hotel arrangements! I'm well aware of the hazards of non-refundable rates, especially from 3rd party sites, but my sister thought she was saving us money. I guess it's a live-and-learn situation and on the flip side, we seem to have been spared from the fire this time.

And for those who look to sites like Priceline when planning their Disney trip, be sure to read the fine print. It appears that they also added on extra junk fees so that "deal" wasn't a deal at all, in more ways than one!

Edited to add: thank you so much for your response, ParkHopper1!

 

[Aspencreek]

Have you called Priceline about it yet? We had a similar instance recently with a hotel booked through Hotels.com. Wasn't paying attention and booked the non-refund rate (don't usually ever do this) and then of course had a family emergency that made it impossible to use the reservation. Called hotels.com, told them what happened, and the agent said he would see what he could do. He called the hotel and was able to get them to okay a full refund on the cancellation since it was still a few days out. Wasn't expecting that but was super happy about the service from both the hotel and hotels.com.

 

[starry_solo]

Is there anyone you can give the hotel room too? Change the name to one of the guests who is still going?

 

[DizMe]

Have you called Priceline about it yet?

Yes, and I got what I think was an AI agent, which went nowhere. I'm going to try calling tomorrow but I think most of their staff is located overseas and the standard answer is likely to be 'no,' but I'm going to try.

My sister called the hotel and was told they'd cancel but it isn't up to them since it was booked 3rd party. If I'm able to get Priceline to call the hotel and ok a cancellation, that would be great (this is what I've read has worked for some people), but I don't hold out much hope that they will do that.

 

[DizMe]

Just read that someone was able to get through to a real agent via text, but I'm unclear how you text Priceline!

 

[DizMe]

Is there anyone you can give the hotel room too? Change the name to one of the guests who is still going?

I doubt it at this late date, but it's worth looking into. The wedding is next Sat. with pre-wedding activities on Th and Fri.

 

[Lisa24jks]

Unfortunately, because it was booked through a third party, it is 100% up to the third party as to what to do for you - if anything - in case of cancellation.

That said, the ONLY way the hotel itself may work with you on this is to either see if you can change the room to another guest's name. Or, change the room to another date. The latter may not be practical if you don't plan on visiting that area in the foreseeable future, but I have known hotels to allow a date change in these situations. It certainly would not hurt to plead your case to them, because you may get a sympathetic manager, but it is never a guaranteed.

(I work in travel, so I have seen it happen, but it's rare. If the hotel can't work with you and Priceline gives you any crap, I would just try pushing the matter higher up the chain at Priceline to see if they can at least give you some sort of credit to use on a future trip or something like that. You're being held back by an act of God essentially, so maybe someone will have some sympathy!)

 

[LAS2AMS]

This is why I NEVER book through a third party site even if it is a few bucks cheaper...booking direct almost always has a much more liberal cancellation policy, especially in the Disneyland Resort area.

In recent years, most hotels have made their lowest rates restrictive — either non-refundable or at least one nights’ penalty (sometimes the penalty is waived if cancelled days or weeks in advance). This applies whether you booked direct or through a third party.

The trade off typically is a significantly lower rate, not just a “few bucks.” Really no different than how most airlines since the pandemic will now allow you to refund the fare for a nominal fee. In both the hotel and airfare scenarios, it’s de facto insurance you’re paying for when you book a refundable rate.

 

[DizMe]

Just for perspective, this is what we've been seeing near our property. Fire was within a few miles.

Unfortunately, because it was booked through a third party, it is 100% up to the third party as to what to do for you - if anything - in case of cancellation.

That said, the ONLY way the hotel itself may work with you on this is to either see if you can change the room to another guest's name. Or, change the room to another date. The latter may not be practical if you don't plan on visiting that area in the foreseeable future, but I have known hotels to allow a date change in these situations. It certainly would not hurt to plead your case to them, because you may get a sympathetic manager, but it is never a guaranteed.

(I work in travel, so I have seen it happen, but it's rare. If the hotel can't work with you and Priceline gives you any crap, I would just try pushing the matter higher up the chain at Priceline to see if they can at least give you some sort of credit to use on a future trip or something like that. You're being held back by an act of God essentially, so maybe someone will have some sympathy!)

Thank you so much for the suggestions!! The fire is only 12% contained (360,000 acres have burned) and I just can't fly off to NY. We're ready to evacuate if it comes to it but we have pets etc and plan to stay as long as we can, though at this point it is headed away from us now. Things can change so quickly depending on the wind, temps, etc. It has been eerie going to bed knowing the fire is raging a few miles away.

Edited to add that if I can't get the hotel refunded, it's just $700. I'd rather lose $700 than my home.

This isn't my picture but is what we have been looking at from our house.

 

[irlandaise]

Here's the firewatch camera closest to the Park Fire:

https://ops.alertcalifornia.org/cam-console/15548

DizMe, I hope the fire does continue to move away from your home and other populated areas. And that it doesn't destroy the historic buildings in (now closed) Lassen Volcanic National Park.

I also hope you can convince the Priceline folks to refund your deposit--or maybe give you a credit for a future trip??

 

[DizMe]

I haven't been able to get in touch with anyone at the hotel today for some reason, but I'll try again tomorrow. My sister called Priceline but didn't get anywhere. I'm not going to give up just yet, though!

Thank you SO MUCH for your words of support and for the link as well. It really helps.

 

[Pluto468]

Sorry, I know this is off-topic, but I'm hoping someone here can help.

My sister and I made arrangements to go to our cousin's wedding in NY this week. I booked the air and she booked the hotel (rooms were held by the family for out of town guests). Unfortunately, my sister got a non-refundable Priceline rate.

I'm in the north state where we are experiencing a horrendous fire. I'm simply unable to fly to NY right now and my sister can't go without me. My sister called Priceline but they are sticking to the hotel rate being non-refundable.

Is there any work-around for this? Thank you!

I'm sorry you're near the fire! My niece lives very close to it, too.

I would call priceline and/ or the hotel and explain. It's a natural disaster and maybe they will help you out. It never hurts to ask.

Take care

 

[Tinkaboo]

Just keep hammering away at them, Diz! Keep escalating up the ladder..you may spend hours on the phone but don’t give up! I think eventually you will find someone who can actually help. Had a similar situation for some eclipse reservations we had made. It took about three hours on phone, talking to about four different people and being put on hold a lot but eventually I found someone who understood what I was saying.

Praying for you and everyone up there to be safe! That photo is horrendous.

 

[DizMe]

It appears that Priceline charged my sister's card the full amount for the 2-night stay. Does that mean that the entire stay was non-refundable and not just the first night?

Never mind! I just googled it and it applies to the entire stay.

 

[Lisa24jks]

I can definitely see why you're not able to travel! Hope you stay safe and best of luck with your hotel battles!

 

[maleficent55]

I’m sorry you’re dealing with these awful fires!
So many in CA!

In my experience when I’ve run into issues with things or places that I’ve booked that are nonrefundable is, I’ve been able to get a credit which is much better than lost money. Hopefully you can do something like that if you could get a hold of a live person!

 

[Anna131517]

See if you can change the date. You won’t get your money back but maybe you could go another time? This is what we’ve done in the past with a non-refundable rate, but we had booked directly through the hotel not a third party website. So I’m not sure if it will work with Priceline or not?

Also check to see if the credit card she used offers trip insurance. This is why we generally book travel with our American Express card.

 

[DizMe]

Well, the good news is that our property is fine and we made it through another fire. It's getting scary these days because there is the threat of disaster almost anywhere you go. I feel sorry for those who have lost so much and have to figure out whether to rebuild or relocate, because there are huge downsides to either choice.

On the hotel front, I talked to someone from Priceline (not AI) and she seemed very helpful. She told me she would check with her bosses to see if they were ok with cancelling the reservation or moving the date and put me on hold. She returned to say that they (Priceline boss) agreed to cancel but that she'd have to call the hotel and get permission to do so from their manager and she would call me back. When she called back, she said that the hotel manager said no, no refund. I thanked her and called the hotel myself. I got the same guy she had spoken with and he said no, no refund and no moving the date. Since I'm not one to throw in the towel too soon, I plan to call again later and see if I get a different hotel manager/staffer who might give me a different answer. If not, at least I tried. It was a little weird that the hotel manager told me he was glad my house hadn't burned down. It gave me the impression, from the way he said it, that he thought I was lying. I guess I can see why someone might be suspicious.