Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Question about American Hotels.....

M

morty192

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 26, 2010
201
5
Hello,

I am travelling to America with a friend this summer and have discovered today that the booking has us for 1 double bed in most hotels, whilst not a major problem would it be possible to change that at no extra cost to 2 single beds? I depart in July so would be giving them roughly 5months notice if i do it now. Or is it something I can just do at the hotel upon arrival for free?

Many Thanks

Morty
 
Most hotels are two doubles, one queen or one king. I've seen very few motels or hotels do one double let alone two twins.

Search the area for the time you're going to see if there are any up coming conferences. I usually do that, 5 months is a far way off so you have some time. That is what will get you is if you try to go and there is some event. For example, in Washington NC there is a bicycle ride so there aren't any hotels available. In DC, as if getting a hotel there isn't sometimes rough, there is a memorial day POW/MIA ride and hotels around there are booked. April in Raleigh NC there is a beer festival and, that's right, hotels are booking up.

Point is, search around and if you want to book now, make sure you'll get the rate they're offering on the day you arrive if it is lower. If higher, you only secured yourself a better deal.
 
coming from the UK hotels have already been booked thats how i know there is 1 double bed do you think it would be possible to change it and no extra cost, i have confirmation numbers etc.... just would prefer 2 queens to 1 double :)
 
morty192 said:
coming from the UK hotels have already been booked thats how i know there is 1 double bed do you think it would be possible to change it and no extra cost, i have confirmation numbers etc.... just would prefer 2 queens to 1 double :)
Click to expand...

not to be a douche, but posting it on a mac forum isn't going to help you or get you the answers.

all you can really do is just call up the hotels you have booked, tell them the situation, and see what they will do.
 
As long as there's availability, you can almost always switch your bed preference at no cost - including right before check-in.

But yeah, just call the hotel and they'll tell you everything you need to know.
 
zioxide said:
not to be a douche, but posting it on a mac forum isn't going to help you or get you the answers.

all you can really do is just call up the hotels you have booked, tell them the situation, and see what they will do.
Click to expand...

and yet you still manage to act douchey, despite purportedly trying not to...:rolleyes:

i mean are you kidding?! did you miss the countless threads about everything from girl trouble to money issues? because, uh, people don't just post about macs here dude. If that bothers you, fair enough, but you're probably better off sticking to forums outside the community section (plus maybe the apple internet and industry forum :p)

enjoy your trip morty, i'm a bit jealous now lol
 
morty192 said:
Hello,

I am travelling to America with a friend this summer and have discovered today that the booking has us for 1 double bed in most hotels, whilst not a major problem would it be possible to change that at no extra cost to 2 single beds? I depart in July so would be giving them roughly 5months notice if i do it now. Or is it something I can just do at the hotel upon arrival for free?

Many Thanks

Morty
Click to expand...

Five-months notice for a hotel is about the same as ten-years' notice, unless that is a very popular hotel in a very popular area of a very popular city when that city is having a large conference.

Like other people have said, your best and only real bet is to call each hotel and see. I travel quite a bit, and have dealt with this sort of situation the other way around on many occasions. It's solely a matter of what they have available, and if the price structure is different for those rooms. If they charge $10 more a night for a double-queen room, I doubt you'll get that upgrade for free. I am pretty sure a room with two queen beds is going to cost more than a room with one double bed.

I would certainly not want a double bed for two people. A queen is already tight if you ask me. My wife and I have had to sleep on a double, and I think we didn't get much sleep that night because we were practically on top of each other.


roisin and mac said:
i mean are you kidding?! did you miss the countless threads about everything from girl trouble to money issues? because, uh, people don't just post about macs here dude. If that bothers you, fair enough, but you're probably better off sticking to forums outside the community section
Click to expand...

Indeed. I always roll my eyes at people who say "this is a mac forum!" in the "Community Discussion" section. That's exactly what the "Community Discussion" section is...non-mac talk!
 
In my considerable experience with American hotels, you will usually be able to get the room configuration you want just by asking at the desk at check in. Unless you're coming in for a conference and everything is booked up the wazoo.

It's usually a room with 2 queens or 2 "fulls" (like a mini-queen), don't think I've ever seen twins in a mainstream hotel.
 
it's pretty unusual to find single beds in American hotels these days. No doubt there are some but I suspect they're pretty down-market hotels.

Since you have so much time, you might start with email inquiries to the hotels. If you wait to ask until you show up for the night, you might find that all the rooms with 2 beds are already taken
 
roisin and mac said:
i mean are you kidding?! did you miss the countless threads about everything from girl trouble to money issues? because, uh, people don't just post about macs here dude. If that bothers you, fair enough, but you're probably better off sticking to forums outside the community section (plus maybe the apple internet and industry forum :p)
Click to expand...

uh yeah, i know what forum i am in. i never even go in to the apple forums anymore because i couldn't care less about most of that crap. thanks for being my forum tour guide though ;)

there's a difference between a thread where the poster can get answers and advice from people on the forum.

nothing against the OP in this thread, but in the time he spent creating this thread he could have just called the hotel he booked and asked them, and the issue would probably already be resolved. there's no possible way for anyone on here to help, because we have no idea what hotels, what room configurations they have, their fees, etc. no two hotels are exactly the same in that respect.

why is everyone so scared of just picking up the telephone these days?
 
Two other pieces of advice....

The closer you get to the room, the more authority has to make changes...
i.e. If you can't get what you want from the the toll-free reservation clerk, it may be because they don't even work for chain - and are limited by their computer script. (That said, you may also find a fantastic reservation system... so explain your situation and see if they can help.

If the toll-free reservation clerk can't help, ask them for the hotel's local contact info and try the hotel directly... they'll have more flexibility to make changes.

Your last line is of course the front desk at check in. You'll want to get there early, before the rooms are occupied.... or "late." Specifically, find out when each hotel starts cancelling un-confirmed reservations. So, for example, if a hotel only guarantees un-confirmed (reservations with no credit card or not pre-paid) until 6pm then you want to arrive shortly after 6pm. They may be able to find a room that had been reserved with two beds that they can cancel. You may need to remind the front-desk clerk to look for un-confirmed reservations, depending on their training.

Try to make your changes early.... July can be busy.

They may want to charge you.... but the same "closer to the room" theory still holds. Tell them the ad was unclear, and that you are unhappy. Be nice. Ask them if they can offer a solution - instead of changing the room rate, perhaps they can comp you a breakfast or parking, or give you a coupon for a local attraction. But keep asking each time you move a level closer to your room.

Enjoy your trip.

Don't forget to visit the nice part of the US - Canada.... :D
 
zioxide said:
i never even go in to the apple forums anymore because i couldn't care less about most of that crap.
Click to expand...

why come here then? If you're not interested in the mac stuff, and when you get to the community posts it's just to act like a mealy mouthed queen bee who goes 'no offense but...' then goes on to say something totally offensive, then why bother? If it's just stirring the s hit you're after, somewhere like 4chan might be more up your alley. except they'll probably eat you alive and spit out the pips there, so there's that to consider lol.

zioxide said:
nothing against the OP in this thread, but in the time he spent creating this thread he could have just called the hotel he booked and asked them, and wah wah wah wah
Click to expand...

are you just pretending not to have noticed he said 'most hotelS'? as in MULTIPLE hotels? or did you really not notice (possibly because you don't think it's worth readin' before bitchin')? Either way, he did say it, so that's why it was worth asking before spending ages on the phone on transatlantic calls, messing around with skype (at best!), possibly having to call in the middle of the night to talk to somebody in California when you're in England, and go through all that hassle flying blind without knowing what you should expect or what the best way is to handle the request for the best chances of success.

snberk103 said:
Two other pieces of advice....

The closer you get to the room, the more authority has to make changes...
i.e. If you can't get what you want from the the toll-free reservation clerk, it may be because they don't even work for chain - and are limited by their computer script. (That said, you may also find a fantastic reservation system... so explain your situation and see if they can help.

If the toll-free reservation clerk can't help, ask them for the hotel's local contact info and try the hotel directly... they'll have more flexibility to make changes.

Your last line is of course the front desk at check in. You'll want to get there early, before the rooms are occupied.... or "late." Specifically, find out when each hotel starts cancelling un-confirmed reservations. So, for example, if a hotel only guarantees un-confirmed (reservations with no credit card or not pre-paid) until 6pm then you want to arrive shortly after 6pm. They may be able to find a room that had been reserved with two beds that they can cancel. You may need to remind the front-desk clerk to look for un-confirmed reservations, depending on their training.

Try to make your changes early.... July can be busy.

They may want to charge you.... but the same "closer to the room" theory still holds. Tell them the ad was unclear, and that you are unhappy. Be nice. Ask them if they can offer a solution - instead of changing the room rate, perhaps they can comp you a breakfast or parking, or give you a coupon for a local attraction. But keep asking each time you move a level closer to your room.

Enjoy your trip.

Don't forget to visit the nice part of the US - Canada.... :D
Click to expand...

I like the way this advice is written. It actually sounds like the person *gasp* gives a damn! what a novel concept! Also good advice and definitely applicable to more than just hotels :)
 
OP, it's usually pretty easy to get two beds instead of one. They'll likely be full size or queen size, rather than single, as other posters have pointed out. It almost always costs the same as a single king bed.

If you're using the hotel's website to book, you can likely make your choice there; otherwise, I'd just call the front desk as you approach your check-in date.
 
My parents own a 56 room hotel in Oklahoma, that is where I work, and despite what people tell you, don't wait until its closer to the arrival date, make the changes now.

You're arriving in July, usually a pretty busy travel month in the US. You want to know what was going on in town a couple Sunday's ago that caused us to get filled up? A funeral.

It doesn't take some convention to fill up rooms, gun shows, state fair, softball tournaments, band competitions, etc. We fill up all the time for stuff that seems small.

Just call the hotel directly, have them look up your reservation, let them tell you what was reserved, if its not what you wanted then let them know what you do want.

Also, the terminology for rooms in the US is stupid, I hear all kinds of names for the same type of room daily. Our rooms with two beds are queen size, we call this room a room with 2 queen beds, simple right? I hear people call it "a double", "two doubles", and "a double double" on a daily basis.

Also, if you did get a room with just one bed there might be a difference in the rate to go to a room with two beds. Better to get that taken care of now in my opinion.
 
morty192 said:
Hello,

I am travelling to America with a friend this summer and have discovered today that the booking has us for 1 double bed in most hotels, whilst not a major problem would it be possible to change that at no extra cost to 2 single beds? I depart in July so would be giving them roughly 5months notice if i do it now. Or is it something I can just do at the hotel upon arrival for free?

Many Thanks

Morty
Click to expand...

it is usually normal to have two doubles... just depends shouldn't cost too much to upgrade if you had to though maybe 10 bucks a night
 
Extended version of advice:
snberk103 said:
Two other pieces of advice....

The closer you get to the room, the more authority has to make changes...
i.e. If you can't get what you want from the the toll-free reservation clerk, it may be because they don't even work for chain - and are limited by their computer script. (That said, you may also find a fantastic reservation system... so explain your situation and see if they can help.

If the toll-free reservation clerk can't help, ask them for the hotel's local contact info and try the hotel directly... they'll have more flexibility to make changes.

Your last line is of course the front desk at check in. You'll want to get there early, before the rooms are occupied.... or "late." Specifically, find out when each hotel starts cancelling un-confirmed reservations. So, for example, if a hotel only guarantees un-confirmed (reservations with no credit card or not pre-paid) until 6pm then you want to arrive shortly after 6pm. They may be able to find a room that had been reserved with two beds that they can cancel. You may need to remind the front-desk clerk to look for un-confirmed reservations, depending on their training.

Try to make your changes early.... July can be busy.

They may want to charge you.... but the same "closer to the room" theory still holds. Tell them the ad was unclear, and that you are unhappy. Be nice. Ask them if they can offer a solution - instead of changing the room rate, perhaps they can comp you a breakfast or parking, or give you a coupon for a local attraction. But keep asking each time you move a level closer to your room.

Enjoy your trip.

Don't forget to visit the nice part of the US - Canada.... :D
Click to expand...

Condensed version of same advice:

zioxide said:
all you can really do is just call up the hotels you have booked, tell them the situation, and see what they will do.
Click to expand...

Whether you prefer the flowery language or not, it boils down to you needing to call the hotels. Unless someone on this forum happens to work in the reservations department of the hotels you are staying at no one in this forum can accurate answer your query.

Lethal
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back