Will I still be charged a cancellation fee from a hotel if I've already paid for my night in full?
I booked a night at a hotel on booking.com and have already paid the reservation in full which is £153. I can't make it anymore due to a family emergency. The booking.com email said that I will have to pay a cancellation fee of £153 paid if there is a no show or I cancel. Does that apply if I have already paid for the hotel? It seems strange to pay the full amount of the hotel as cancellation fees if I have already paid for it.
Best Answer
Most likely what you have paid is a "deposit", which in this case happens to be for the full amount of the stay.
If you were to check-in, they would deduct the deposit you've paid from the room cost, and thus you would end up not having to pay anything as you've in effect already paid for the room.
If you cancel, or if you fail to check-in, then they will do basically the same thing - they will charge you the cancel fee, deduct that from the deposit, and then either refund or charge you any difference between the two (which in this case would seemingly be nothing).
Despite the room having a cancellation fee, it's always an idea to call the hotel and see if they are willing to do something for you - perhaps move the stay to a different date that works better for you, or possibly even give a partial refund. Worst case they will say no and you've lost nothing further.
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Can hotels charge cancellation fees?
Hotels, resorts and inns typically charge a fee if you cancel your reservations within a certain time period, typically between 24 and 48 hours before the check-in date. Each hotel has its own policy that specifies when a fee is charged and how much you will pay.How can I get out of paying my hotel cancellation fee?
Turns out, many have:Can you cancel a hotel reservation for free?
Reservation changes and cancellations IHG offers various flexible booking policies. If you book your reservation directly with IHG, you can change your reservation free of charge as long as you do so before the cancellation deadline listed in your booking confirmation.Can you cancel a hotel after booking?
For most hotels, you can cancel up to a certain time on the day of your arrival, usually 6 p.m., without penalty. But when conventions are in town, or during holidays and other peak travel periods, cancellation rules are typically more severe.How to cancel or modify a hotel reservation without paying penalty fees
More answers regarding will I still be charged a cancellation fee from a hotel if I've already paid for my night in full?
Answer 2
The cancellation fee is taken out of the prepayment you made. This is pretty standard. In this particular case the cancellation fee and the prepayment amount are the same, so end of story.
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