# Booked hotel, can they legally change rates after booking?



## Bluebean

Hi, 

I booked 2 rooms in a hotel in Dublin last week.  The dates coincide with a big concert that is on near the hotel that weekend.
I looked at the hotel's website today and the rates have more than doubled for those nights.
I noticed that the following line is on my reservation confirmation:   Rates quoted are subject to availability and alteration

Does that mean that they are likely to try & up the rate of my rooms?  Can they legally do this, or are they bound to give me the rooms at the rate I booked them at?

Can anyone advise?


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## Plek Trum

Have you paid for them or just reserved?


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## Ron Burgundy

would this hotel be conntected to a certain coffee company. If so they did the same with a mate of mine who reserved rooms.

He fought his case and paid the price he reserved the room for.


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## Bluebean

I have just reserved them - received email confirmation that the rooms were mine, room rate stated on the email.  Payment on check out.

Yes, the hotel would indeed be connected to a certain tea/coffee company.  So they did try & up the price in your friends situation?  

Seems you're not allowed to be smart & book ahead if they are just going to up the prices regardless 

Would it be worth my while to ring hotel & ask them to take payment in full now, at the rate I was given?


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## Ron Burgundy

Bluebean said:


> I have just reserved them - received email confirmation that the rooms were mine, room rate stated on the email. Payment on check out.
> 
> Yes, the hotel would indeed be connected to a certain tea/coffee company. So they did try & up the price in your friends situation?
> 
> Seems you're not allowed to be smart & book ahead if they are just going to up the prices regardless
> 
> *Would it be worth my while to ring hotel & ask them to take payment in full now, at the rate I was given?*


 
I'd ring the hotel and say i reserved at this price and i expect you to honour it.

Kick up a fuss !!!


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## Bluebean

Well I intend to kick up a fuss IF they do try & pull a fast one & change the rate.  Just wondering if they will do that, if they have past form etc.
Looks like they have


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## theengineer

I presume you had to give them credit card details, which they would use if you did not show up. I would not contact them, just print out the email you have received with price etc. Then go to hotel on the day and work away as normal, on check out pay the agreed fee, 
it has been increased refuse to pay, and ask for managment ,
 have your email copy handy. only authorise payment for the agreed sum, if there is a fuss pay nothing, and point out you are not refusing to pay the agreed sum, dont be aware of any changes unless they are specifically pointed out to you.


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## Sue Ellen

With the clause 'Rates quoted are subject to availability and alteration' they've covered themselves.


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## JoeRoberts

I reserved 3 rooms for 4 nights in the same place last Thursday. Have just checked my confirmations and there is no mention of this clause. Maybe they added it when they saw the rooms booking up.

I thought they had a radio advert running at some stage that their rates are always the same, regardless of any special events in the city.

Hope you get ur tics tommorrow !


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## trustno1

Today I was looking for a hotel in Munich in Sept 09.  I used a well known travel website.  For one hotel the rate charged was €0 (thats right a big fat zero)....obviously an error as I checked the hotel website and it was charging circa €250.  I went ahead and booked it on the travel website, providing my cc details and got a confirm e-mail showing the charge as a big fat zero.  Do you think they will honour the booking when they figure out the mistake.


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## JoeRoberts

trustno1 said:


> Today I was looking for a hotel in Munich in Sept 09. I used a well known travel website. For one hotel the rate charged was €0 (thats right a big fat zero)....obviously an error as I checked the hotel website and it was charging circa €250. I went ahead and booked it on the travel website, providing my cc details and got a confirm e-mail showing the charge as a big fat zero. Do you think they will honour the booking when they figure out the mistake.


 

This is similar to a case with Argos in UK a few yrs back - general principle was that if it was so obvious that the price was a mistake then it could be changed.
Also similar to the Aer Lingus website offer last year but then Joe Duffy was involved in making that a big issue.


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## Bluebean

Hmmm, I might be covered.  It was in the terms & conditions that I thought I saw about reserving the right to change rates, no mention of it on the confirmation email.

When I look at their terms & conditions now, they are coming up as follows, so maybe that means I will only be charged the rate I booked at?:


*Terms & Conditions*

*
Room Prices*

*Rates*
Rates quoted are inclusive of VAT (13.5% in Ireland and 15% in the UK) and b****** Hotels do not add a service charge. Breakfast and other meals, if not included in your rate can be charged to your room bill or paid directly in the hotel restaurant.
_*******Hotels.com_ reserve the right to review advertised room prices from time to time. However once a booking confirmation has been received your rate will be fixed for the duration of your stay at the hotel.


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## Bluebean

Got my tickets 

Am going to ring the hotel over the weekend, just to let them know that I'm not prepared to take any crap over rates.

Consumer power eh?  I hope so!


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## Ron Burgundy

any more news on this ??


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## jwestave

let me know how you get on please... My understanding is that the price what you pay is final, if however it was only a quote then they can change without problem...


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## Bluebean

I haven't actually gotten around to contacting the hotel about this yet, I will keep you posted when I do.


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## Bluebean

Update: Well folks, thankfully there is a good end to this story.  I stayed at the hotel at the weekend and got charged the original price of the booking 
It was fantastic to be so near the gig, and the Boss was just amazing (as always)!!


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