Lodging Tip: "Confirm" your reservation

Be sure your reservation is "confirmed", otherwise you may not have a reservation at all. Especially now that everything is so instant with the Internet, it's very possible that you could call or email an establishment about availability, send in your information, dates, etc. and make a few assumptions only to check back to find the room, suite, or cottage you were considering was booked to someone else. If you don't make up your mind on the spot and make a good faith act (credit card, deposit commitment) the lodging establishment is NOT obligated to book the reservation with you. Just because you called or sent an email indicating you want to place a reservation does not mean you HAVE a reservation. Someone else could call or email 10 seconds later and book the vacancy with a CONFIRMATION receipt (while you're still on the fence, or just delayed in your response). Lodging owners are not obligated to divuldge their prospects and inquires they may have ongoing for the same vacancies.

Lodging owners are within their rights
The Better Business Bureau acknowledges that lodging establishments are within their right to book a room or suite to someone else, if in the meantime you are undecided or have not yet responded with all the appropriate information requested by the Lodging owner, or if you have not clearly expressed your intent to book the reservation. The bottom line, if the lodging establishment did not transact a payment (cash or credit) with you, then there is no binding agreement.

This position by lodging owners is understandable, since there are thousands of non-returned calls and 'blow-offs' where people never bother to follow through on a tentative reservation. Many lodging establishments will not 'hold' a room or a suite for the same reasons: Many times people just never call back. Meanwhile the lodging owner would be sitting with a vacancy on an empty promise. They would prefer to leave no ambiguous gray area; accommodations are either reserved with a Confirmation or they are available vacancies. So do yourself a favor and don't insult the lodging establishment by asking them to 'hold' a room for you.

The Confirmation - a binding agreement
Lodging establishments have therefore developed the "Confirmation" to clear away any assumptions by verifying to you that your reservation cannot be booked to someone else, and if for some unfortunate reason it is, then they are obligated to provide you with alternate arrangements. A Confirmation is your binding agreement with the Lodging establishment, and can be subject to revision if you find an error in the dates, discrepancy in your personal information, rate, final balance, type of accommodations, amenities, etc.

Read the fine print
The Confirmation is also the Lodging establishment's ackowledgement that they are satisfied with sufficiency of information collected and terms of payment in order to reserve the unit for you. Read the fine print. Though policies vary from one establishment to another, the Confirmation can also be subject to the lodging establishment's policies on forfeiture, cancellations, upgrades, downgrades, and revocations due to acts of God and/or man made catastrophe. Though infrequently enforced, the lodging establishment is within their right to cancel a reservation after you have arrived if you do not abide by the agreed terms in the Confirmation. Examples, on arrival you decide you want to negotiation down the agreed price of the room, or the room is booked for occupancy of two people, and you bring four. A more likely outcome may be a rate increase or room change. Lodging establishments would prefer to maintain good will with their guests.

Resolve your plans before you book
If part of the reason you are undecided is because of timing with other people's plans, or because you are still 'comparison' shopping, then it's best to hold off on actually placing a reservation until you have the those planning details ironed out. Place your reservation when you've made up your mind, and when everyone in your party can agree on the time and place. The reservation process will go much more quickly, and you will have a CONFIRMATION that secures your getaway spot.

Provide information up front
One last tip, be up front with the lodging owner about the number of persons (Adults & Children) in your party, and if you are requesting a pet friendly or smoking room. Don't make the lodging owner have to dig that information out of you after 5 minutes or so into the conversation. The intial information you provide will enable the lodging owner to immediately advise you on availability based on these criteria. It will make your time on the phone short if the lodging owner can tell you right away if their establishment cannot meet your criteria.

Provided courtesy of the Harbor Country® Lodging Association

Tips from Lake to Lake Bed & Breakfast Association