Update, Jan. 24: Additional Hotel Cos. Relax Cancellation Policies for Greater China
InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt Hotels Corp., in response to the growing concern about the coronavirus outbreak in Asia, will allow guests at hotels in China to change or cancel stays without penalty, as reported by Reuters. The outbreak, which began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed at least 18 people so far and infected more than 600, according to The New York Times.
Guests who planned to stay at IHG hotels located in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or the Taiwan region between Jan. 23 and Feb. 3, 2020, will be able to cancel a valid reservation without financial penalty for bookings made directly with the hotel, through IHG.com, the IHG app or IHG's central reservations center, the company said in a statement. "For bookings made by a travel agent or online booking platform, we are advising guests to contact their agent."
IHG currently has 443 open hotels in Greater China, according to its website.
Reuters also reported that Hyatt guests who had booked stays through its official channels and are canceling due to the coronavirus flu or are Chinese guests outbound to its Asia/Pacific hotels can cancel stays or change dates free of charge. The policy applies to Hyatt's hotels in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but not the three in Sanya, according to Reuters. Hyatt operates 100 hotels in greater China, according to its website. No specific travel dates were given, and Hyatt did not respond to a request for comment and confirmation as of press time.