Ideally, the moment you book a room, the hotel decreases its vacancies by one. But errors sometimes happen that cause booking conflicts. Especially during big events and peak periods, some hotels take on too many guests. Overbooking is one example why you should always confirm your reservation with a hotel.

How Far in Advance Should I Follow Up?

Calling the hotel on the day of your arrival does not give sufficient time to arrange a backup. After all, if the hotel is over capacity, no receipt can materialize extra space. Most hotels refund in such situations, but this does not help at that moment. To avoid this situation, contact the hotel at least one week before travelling. That said, you should reach out sooner if you booked online.

Always Call the Hotel after Booking with a Third Party

Third-party booking services are sometimes to blame for overbooking (i.e. inaccurate number of vacancies). Worse, a communication mishap with the hotel could leave you stranded.

Even if you receive a confirmation email, call the hotel to make sure they have a reservation. Thankfully, if a problem does arise, you can request another room. This situation is easier to remedy than overbooking. Nevertheless, pack confirmation receipts from both the hotel and third party before travelling.

Note that our recommendations shouldn’t deter you from booking online. In fact, you can discover amazing discounts through affiliate agencies.

Similarly, you needn’t stress about the validity of your reservation. Almost all bookings guarantee a room—this information is just precautionary. In fact, it should extend to all reservation matters. For example, rental vehicles and airfare: always follow up to ensure worry-free travel.