InterContinental Hotels Group is waiving cancellation fees for existing and new bookings at all IHG hotels globally for stays through April 30, 2020, according to a company spokesperson. This is an extension of the company's prior cancellation fee waivers implemented as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
In addition, Choice Hotels has extended penalty-free cancellations through March 31, 2020, for guests residing in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy with reservations at Choice hotels in the United States and Canada, and for guests with reservations at Choice hotels in China, Japan and Italy, according to a company statement. In addition, for travel within the U.S. and Canada, Choice is extending special exceptions for all Advance Purchase Rate nonrefundable reservations made directly with Choice Hotels on or before March 10, 2020, for travel through April 30, 2020. Guests holding these prepaid reservations who choose not to travel may opt to receive Choice Privileges points for future travel. To receive points, guests must contact the Choice Hotels call center at (877) 770-6800 more than 48 hours in advance of their stay.
Hilton Worldwide has modified cancellation waivers in place for the following regions: guests traveling to, through or from Italy with stays through April 30; and for guests traveling to, through or from China, Israel, South Korea or Saudi Arabia with stays through March 31, according to a company statement. Hilton Honors members living in mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong or Taiwan whose membership tiers would be otherwise downgraded by March 31, 2020, due to failure to meet elite membership qualifications in 2019 will have those memberships extended until March 31, 2021. Members from those destinations who qualified in 2019 for an upgrade to or to maintain their current elite membership status in 2020 will have their elite membership status extended to March 31, 2022. And for members in those four destinations, no Hilton Honors points will expire through Dec. 31, 2020.
Marriott International also revised its cancellation policy on March 11. The company is waiving individual cancellation fees for hotel stays through March 31, 2020, for guests traveling to or from the following locations: mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, French Polynesia, the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa, as well as Italy. Marriott also is waiving cancellation fees for reservations from the following countries into Saudi Arabia: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Singapore, India, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt.
Information on cancellation policies from additional hotel companies can be found here. The companies are continuing to monitor the Covid-19 outbreak and will provide updates to their policies as the situation changes.
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