As Covid-19 cases continue to rise throughout the world, hotel companies now are updating their cancellation policies on a regular basis.
Accor guests with existing bookings with non-flexible rates for stays prior to April 30, 2020, may modify their reservation for future travel through Dec. 31, 2020, without penalty by contacting the hotel directly, according to a company spokesperson. Guests traveling to or from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and South Korea through March 31, 2020, will be able to modify or cancel a valid booking without a fee. Guests traveling to Italy through April 3, 2020, will be able to modify or cancel an existing reservation with no fee. Guests who booked and planned a stay between March 10, 2020, and April 22, 2020, to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia can cancel or modify their stay until Sept. 30, 2020, without penalty.
[Update, March 23]: Best Western Hotels & Resorts will allow guests to cancel any global reservation without incurring a fee provided the cancellation occurs at least 24 hours before arrival and before April 30, 2020, according to a company spokesperson. This update applies to all booking channels. A more restrictive cancellation policy may apply to a limited number of high-demand dates at individual hotels. In addition, Best Western Rewards members who booked their stay with points will receive the points refunded to their account when canceling a reservation.
Choice Hotels is providing penalty-free cancellations through April 30, 2020, to guests residing in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy with reservations at Choice Hotels in the United States and Canada, and to guests with reservations at Choice Hotels in China, Japan and Italy, according to a company statement. For travel within the U.S. or Canada, guests with existing individual reservations, including those with non-cancelable, prepaid rates made directly with Choice Hotels, can change or cancel them without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival so long as the change or cancellation is made by April 30, 2020. For guests making new individual reservations directly with Choice Hotels before April 30, 2020, the company will allow those reservations to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before a guest's scheduled arrival date. The company also has paused Choice Privileges points expiration until May 31, 2020.
Hilton Worldwide will continue to waive change fees or offer full refunds in regions affected by government-issued travel restrictions, according to a company statement. Existing reservations, even those described as non-cancelable ("advanced purchase") that are scheduled for arrival before April 30, 2020, can be changed or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival. New reservations booked between today and April 30, 2020, for any future arrival date, can be changed or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival. The company also is pausing the expiration of all Hilton Honors points scheduled to expire before May 31, 2020.
Hyatt Hotels Corp. previously updated its policy.
InterContinental Hotels Group is waiving cancellation fees for existing and new bookings at all IHG hotels globally for stays between now and April 30, 2020, according to a company statement. The company is working with customers to manage changes needed to group and meetings bookings on a case-by-case basis. Organizers should contact the hotel the booking was made with to discuss further.
Langham Hospitality Group will waive cancellation fees for all individual stays booked directly through April 30, 2020, according to a company spokesperson.
Marriott International previously updated its policy.
Peninsula has extended its cancellation waiver to May for all groups and travelers to Peninsula hotels globally. The company also is allowing guests to postpone reservations through May at all hotels to the following 12 months, according to a company spokesperson.
Radisson Hotels Group will allow free modifications or cancellations for all existing and new reservations globally for stays until April 30, 2020, according to a company statement. Note that modifications will be subject to availability and any rate difference. Groups or meetings traveling from China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, Belgium, Spain, France and the U.S. to any of those countries can cancel without a fee through April 30, 2020. This also applies to cancellations resulting from government travel and meeting restrictions for the duration of the restricted measurement. This includes, but is not limited to, the travel suspension from the European Union to the U.S. and the visa suspension for India. In all other instances, the company's hotel teams will work directly with clients to evaluate changes needed on a case-by-case basis. Radisson also has extended its Radisson Rewards expiration policy by six months, effective March 1, 2020, and has extended the elite status of members through February 2022 for those that would have expired in February 2021.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts previously updated its policy.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts will waive cancellation or change penalties for guests traveling to or from Greater China, South Korea or Italy with direct bookings for stays in any of its hotels through March 31, 2020, according to a company statement. Guests who are prohibited from traveling to their booked hotel under applicable law will have their cancellation or change penalties waived on direct bookings. Globally, for existing direct bookings, all Wyndham properties are required to accommodate non-cancelable rate reservation changes if the request is received at least 48 hours prior to arrival and the same number of room nights or more are booked for a future stay. In addition, the company is extending current Wyndham Rewards member status for all gold, platinum and diamond members from the Greater China and the Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim regions through the end of 2021.
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