Reserving a hotel room with your Visa card? Here are our top
tips.
Reserving a hotel room anywhere in the world
with your Visa card gives you extra protection:
- Reserving a hotel room anywhere in the world with your Visa
card means the hotel guarantees the room for you. If they don’t
have the room available when you arrive, they must provide you with
comparable accommodation at their establishment or
another hotel, which they have to transport you to. They also have
to forward all messages and calls at their cost and let you make a
three-minute telephone call.
- The hotel must post, fax or email you a copy
of your reservation confirmation. This must contain all your
reservation details, including a confirmation code, room rate,
cancellation options and no-show fees.
- If you provide your e-mail address when making
a hotel reservation, the hotel will be able to send their contact
details which could be very useful.
- If you cancel a hotel reservation, always get a
cancellation code from the hotel or its agent. If you have
used an agent, they must inform the hotel of your cancellation. You
don’t have to do this.
- If the hotel charges your Visa card even though you have a
cancellation code, contact your bank or card
issuer, who may be able to reverse the charge from the
hotel.
- If you do not cancel your hotel reservation by the specified
time in the hotel’s terms and conditions, they may
charge you for one night’s accommodation plus taxes, or the full
cost of your stay, depending on their terms.
- If the hotel credits your Visa card, this will appear on
your card statement. In the case of any
discrepancies, contact your bank or card issuer.
- Any services you use at the hotel on the day
of checkout may appear on your account a few days later.
- The hotel may charge you after you have checked out, for
example room service or mini bar charges. If you
have any queries about these charges, contact the hotel directly.
If you cannot clarify the charges with the hotel, contact your bank
or card issuer.
- Some hotels offer Visa cardholders access to
cash on their Visa cards.