Tough Hotel Reservations

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Even when hotels claim they're booked, it is still possible to wrangle a reservation, according to former professional hotel reviewer Jeff Kirk. This article was originally published here.A few things:1. They're Never Fully BookedWith *very* few exceptions, a hotel is never "fully booked," regardless of what a website or reservations agent tells you. The managers always save a small number of rooms for VIPs and emergencies.2. Look OnlineHotels oftentimes allot groups of rooms to the major online travel sites that they can promote as "special prices" that are generally lower than found anywhere else, including the hotel's own site. In essence, those rooms have already been sold to the online travel site and can only be booked there. If a hotel's website is showing that they're sold out, rooms may still be available on one of the travel sites out there. I'd suggest doing a Kayak.com search to find them; I once managed to secure several rooms in Cape Town during the busiest time of year (Xmas/New Year's week) that way, and on a European website I'd never even heard of.3. Call The HotelIf every single website is showing no availability, call the hotel. If the receptionist gives you the same no-availability story, ask to talk to the manager. Making up a story -- a plausible story -- can be effective here, but make it personal, not professional (e.g. your travel agent botched up your original reservation and your goddaughter is getting married this weekend and you have nowhere to stay and could you please, please, please try to find a room, any room).4. Go Last-MinuteIf none of the above works, there's always the last-minute reservation. Hotels always have no-shows, due to missed/delayed flights or whatever. Some hotels will hold rooms well into the middle of the night; you don't want those. Find one that only holds rooms till 9 p.m. or so and then just go to the front desk and request a room. Not only should one be available, but you should be able to get it for a substantial discount since it's now "distressed inventory." (Note: This trick could only work for one night's stay.)5. Be Nice In all of the above situations, be nice. I completely disagree about raising hell and all of that. Hotel managers (and I've known quite a few) not only don't respond to a-hole customers, but they'll often go out of their way to make sure they don't get a room, even if one's available. Treat them with kindness and respect, and you're far more likely to get what you want. Continue Reading

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