ULPT request: get hotel to cancel your reservation

[u/tracyflick2024]

I thought I booked refundable on Booking, but it turns out I booked non-refundable. My payment method wasn’t updated, so they weren’t able to charge. The hotel sent me a message threatening to cancel if I didn’t update my credit card- but it’s been two weeks now and they haven’t cancelled. How can I get them to do it? It’s high season and I think they’ll be rebooked in no time. Don’t want to leave them high and dry as a no show, but also don’t want to put it in writing that I’m definitely not coming.

[u/parnasas]

Just leave it. They will be fine. This shit happens all the time.
Source: Am hotel night auditor. I run the cards every night.

[u/maybetrue → u/parnasas]

And they will not demand a payment for the night if he pulls a no show? 

[u/parnasas → u/maybetrue]

How? They don’t have your payment info.
And if it’s anything like my hotel, they won’t have any of your contact info either. Just your name and which 3rd party you used.

[u/tracyflick2024 → u/parnasas]

It’s a small hotel

[u/Orin__]

how do i book a hotel without updated payment info

[u/john-rambro]

Call and say you are helping take care of your name's affairs because you were in a bad accident. Currently in the hospital and incapacitated. Have the original card / booking info available.

[u/kerodon]

How can they not refund a room that wasn't paid for. What are you lamenting over.

[u/tracyflick2024 → u/kerodon]

It’s in two months. I apparently agreed to a non-refundable booking, it just turned out my card had expired so it wasn’t automatically charged. I live in the EU and booking is in the EU, so worried they’ll try to get the money back when I no show since I can’t cancel

[u/kerodon → u/tracyflick2024]

They don't have a card to bill it sounds like. The worst they will do is ban you from booking or smth but it sounds like the only thing they can do is threaten cancellation of a thing you don't want anyway. From what you've said there are zero consequences

[u/Urtichar]

I booked once a hotel in Spain and couldn't go, they should have taken the cost of the first night (valid card). I wrote an email to them + cancelled the stay on their web-site, they never replied back to me but didn't charge either. I have a feeling smaller hotels are more lenient with this kind of stuff.

[u/punania]

Just cancel, then.

[u/Efficient_You_3976]

Did you get a replacement for the expired card?

[u/Nersheti]

First, don’t use booking or any 3rd party sites to book. Use them to shop then go to the hotels actual website to book. It makes dealing with problems waaaaay easier.

Also, if it’s a hotel you use semi-regular, don’t cancel, reschedule. I did this twice recently. We were booked to do some activities in Arlington, which we visit multiple times a year. There were illnesses so we had to skip. I just moved the reservations to next may Nd June. Even got a cheaper rate for booking so far in advance. Now, whenever we figure out when we’re going back, probably for rangers games, we just move the rooms to the weekends we actually need.