Credit Card guarentee at hotels??

This question is in response to another post I just read. I was always under the impression that if you gave the hotel your credit card to hold the room...that you had a room there! How can they give a room away that you have paid for?? If I don%26#39;t show up I know that they would charge me for it, so how can they give a room away?

Comments? Ideas??

Credit Card guarentee at hotels??

Hotels are like airlines. They overbook. It doesn%26#39;t happen often, but it happens. When it does, they should pay for your lodging at a nearby conmporable property.

Other than trying not to be the last people at the desk right after they give the last room away there isn%26#39;t much you can do about it. But is IS pretty rare...

Credit Card guarentee at hotels??

They overbook - sometimes it%26#39;s good - getting a better room at a higher end property; sometimes it%26#39;s bad, an okay room at a location you don%26#39;t care for.

They guarantee you a comparable room, not necessarily at their property.

Sometimes it is just for one night and then you come back to the original hotel to finish your trip and sometimes it%26#39;s for your entire stay.

Usually, in these cases they try to make you feel better by giving you some money off your stay, a free dinner, etc. to make you feel better about the inconvenience.

You%26#39;re guaranteed the hotel will hold a reservation. So if that hotel is overbooked, they have to accomodate you...usually within the same chain (such as MGM or Harrah%26#39;s) but it can also be a comparable hotel nearby based on the agreements between the hotels.