HotelClub bookings now fully refundable

[JohnK]

I only noticed this recently. Was it like this all the time? I seem to recall most bookings were prepaid with no refunds.

I have also noticed it on Agoda bookings. Not sure about any others.

Here is a booking I have on 25/01/2012

Cancellation:

• Fully refundable if canceled before 00:01 on 24/01/12
• AUD49.31 charge if canceled between 00:01 on 24/01/12 and 00:01 on 25/01/12
• Non-refundable if canceled after 00:01 on 25/01/12

 

[anat0l]

What hotel is your booking for?

HotelClub doesn't make it easy to see its blanket conditions (had to do some Googling and still doesn't seem "right"), but in general HotelClub will not charge its own fee for changing / cancelling a booking if the hotel sets its own such fee. Otherwise, sometimes HotelClub will charge its own fee for changing / cancelling a booking, or it will charge its fee on top of a hotel's fee if it needs to do more rigmarole than usual (e.g. a hotel treating a change of date as a cancel and rebook).

I got this info from this page: Booking Conditions

Like all rates and what not, some rates are simply refundable and some are not (i.e. prepay and locked in). And some rates from some hotels (and their associated terms) are already at their cheapest offering with full refundability except for a given timeframe (e.g. 24-48 hours before check-in).


I remember these booking sites (not just hotels, also air travel etc.) having a bit of a "war" with respect to waiving booking fees or refunding booking fees etc. a while back. It sounded really good on paper, but the catch was that they were simply stopping / withholding the levying of their own fees (i.e. "in-house"), whereas any fees that a hotel/airline/other company charged was still applicable (e.g. change fees on hotel rates if applicable, or change fees charged by an airline for a particular fare type, etc.)


This is all guessing, BTW.

 

[JohnK]

I got a real cheap rate of AUD49/night in Pattaya for 2 persons including breakfast.

You may be right in that there are no blanket conditions but rather individual conditions. It is just I never remember these websites offering fully refundable rates.

I just checked my bookings for Fragrance Crystal, Fragrance Emerald and Fragrance Sapphire in Singapore end of this week and as long as I give 3 days notice they are full refundable as well.

 

[Mal]

Hotelclub does have some refundable bookings, and some that have a small penalty fee. Usually though they are completely prepaid and not changeable. Depends on the policies of the hotel.

 

[JohnK]

Usually though they are completely prepaid and not changeable.

That is what I thought. And I have made 5 bookings in the last couple of months and all are fully refundable.

What triggered all of this was a friend made a booking on Agoda and his booking was also fully refundable. I clearly remember my bookings on Agoda in the past were never fully refundable.

 

[RB]

My booking for Feb 2012 is showing as following
Cancellation:

• Fully refundable if canceled before 00:01 on 21/02/12
• Non-refundable if canceled between 00:01 on 21/02/12 and 00:01 on 27/02/12
• Non-refundable if canceled after 00:01 on 27/02/12
• All times are local hotel time. If you need to change or cancel this hotel reservation, please do so through HotelClub rather than through the hotel directly.

There is a highlighted note-Avoid unexpected charges and restrictions by reading these hotel policies.

Also Deposit-Deposit received. Your stay is confirmed.

I am with you on this JohnK, seems different to my previous experiences