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Marriott International has tightened its cancellation policy for hotels in the Americas region, requiring guests to cancel room reservations at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled stay to avoid a fee.
Marriott previously required guests to give 24 hours’ notice.
The fee is the equivalent to the cost of one night’s stay.
“Hotels whose policy is to allow guests to cancel their room reservations on the day before arrival without incurring a fee are faced with a significant number of unsold rooms due to last-minute cancellations,” said Marriott spokeswoman Allison Sitch.
Sitch said the new requirement would give hotels a better chance to make canceled rooms available to guests seeking last-minute accommodations.
Up until early 2015, Marriott had allowed guests to cancel up to 6 p.m. on the first night of their scheduled stay at no charge. Then the company started requiring 24 hours’ notice.
Also, Marriott had looked to reduce last-minute cancellations by offering discounted, nonrefundable rates for guests who prepay, a common practice in the hotel industry. Nonrefundable rates are generally 10-15% cheaper.
Hilton said cancellation policies vary at hotels, and an online search verified that. Some properties had 24-hour windows and others had 48. And, 72-hour cancellation deadlines are not uncommon in the industry.
Sоurсе: travelweekly.com
