Hotel Overbooking: Don’t Let It Happen To You

Have you ever arrived at your hotel only to be told that you didn’t really book a room there? If so, you might have thought that you were getting forgetful, thinking that you’d secured your room when really you hadn’t. The truth may be something else entirely. You might be a victim of hotel overbooking.

What is hotel overbooking?

Many hotels allow their rooms to get overbooked. What this means is that they allow more people to book rooms than the number of rooms that they actually have available. If the actual number of people who books rooms shows up to claim those rooms, some of them aren’t available. The hotel may try to turn you away. This is overbooking.

Why would hotels do this?

Hotels choose to overbook for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it’s rare that everyone who books a room is going to show up. The hotel assumes that a few people will cancel and that they won’t end up having a problem accommodating everyone who shows up for a room. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the hotel can maximize its profits this way. If people do cancel then the hotel charges them a cancellation fee for a room that they’d already planned to give to another paying customer, effectively getting paid twice for one room. In fact, this practice can be so profitable to hotels that there are entire educational courses devoted to teaching hotel management how to do it!

Signs that you’re a victim of hotel overbooking

A hotel is not actually very likely to own up to the fact that it overbooked the rooms. This would be bad for business. Instead, hotels will use a series of excuses to make it seem as though it’s not really their fault that you aren’t going to get the room that you had planned on getting. Here are some signs that you are a victim of overbooking:

• The hotel tries to tell you that it’s your fault that you’re not getting a room. Common excuses hotels will use when turning you away due to overbooking include saying that there’s no room booked under your name, that you must have accidentally booked the room at another location, that your credit card was denied or that you canceled or never confirmed your room. If you’re sure that you booked the room properly then you’ve probably become a victim of overbooking.
• The hotel tries to tell you that they canceled the room. They may say that they sent you an email or left you a voice mail message letting you know in advance that there was a problem with the room and that they would be canceling your stay. If you didn’t really receive a message then there’s a good chance that they just overbooked you.
• The hotel says that there are last minute problems with your room. They tell you that the building recently flooded or that they just had a major power outage in half of the building. Of course, this is sometimes true. However, it may also be an excuse that the hotel is using because they overbooked you.

How to avoid becoming a victim of overbooking

There are a few simple tips that you can follow that will limit the likelihood that you will become a victim of overbooking. These tips include:

• Print out all confirmation receipts showing that you booked the room. When you have a piece of paper with a confirmation number showing the exact booking information, a hotel is going to be less capable of turning you away with a flimsy excuse.
• Call the hotel the day before you are set to arrive. Ask to confirm your reservation. Request a confirmation number or the name of the person who confirmed your reservation.
• Arrive as close to check-in time as possible. If the hotel has overbooked it will be the people who arrive later in the day who get walked away from the hotel. Getting there early helps to guarantee that you’ll get your room.
• Notify the hotel if you will be checking in late. Calling that day, especially if you are unexpectedly delayed by late transportation, to let the hotel know what time to expect you will help to secure your room.
• Join a hotel rewards program that offers hotel overbooking protection. That’s right, some rewards programs actually offer protections that help you to avoid this problem or to be financially compensated if it occurs.

What to do if the hotel sends you away

What if you do all of these things and you are still a victim of hotel overbooking? There are a few things that you can do if a hotel sends you away:

• Stand up for yourself. Before you leave the hotel, make sure that you’ve done all that you can to get the room that you booked. Speak to a manager. Ask for a phone number to speak to the regional manager. Clearly express that you are concerned that you are being walked from the hotel due to overbooking and that you’re not happy about the situation.
• Ask for assistance with locating new accommodations. The hotel should help you to find another hotel in the area that has lodging available for you. In fact, the hotel should make it easy for you to get to the other hotel and should actually even pay for your first night’s stay.
• Request a voucher to stay at the hotel in the future. If the hotel overbooked you then they are profiting. Don’t let them profit off of you. Let them know that you are concerned about overbooking and that you want a show of good faith in the form of a voucher for a future stay.
• Write a letter. If you do get sent away from a hotel due to overbooking then you should make sure to let the management know through a letter that you’re not pleased with the situation.
• Add comments to community review sites. It’s worth it to add your two cents and experience to sites like Yelp. Hotels that get frequent complaints about overbooking will stop having people book with them and they will have to fix their ways.
• You can sue the hotel. If the hotel does not help to remedy the situation and you have to pay out of pocket for new lodging then you may be able to get your money back by filing a claim in small claims court. Your agreement to get a room is a legally binding contract that the hotel must be held to.

Wild Education at Gulf of Farallones Visitors’ Center

San Francisco visitors often aren’t aware of the opportunity to visit the Gulf of Farallones Visitors’ Center, which is located in the Presidio neighborhood of the city. To be honest, many of the residents of San Francisco aren’t even familiar with this wonderful educational niche next to the bay. This is unfortunate because it’s a terrific little museum where you can spend a few splendid hours learning a lot about the region’s marine life and natural offerings as well as enjoying the beautiful surrounding area.

What is the Gulf of Farallones Visitors’ Center?

The Gulf of Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center is a small, free museum filled with interpretive displays that provide information about the nature of the area. Specifically, this visitors’ center is intended to provide information about the National Marine Sanctuaries that are located just outside of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors and residents alike can learn a lot of new information about the wildlife and plant life of the surrounding area from spending time at this museum. It’s a great way to gain information about the other species that live near us in San Francisco.

Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (FMSA)

This visitors’ center is one of several visitor centers associated with the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association (FMSA). This is a group that is dedicated to protecting the wildlife and habitats of the area surrounding the Farallon Islands located close to Golden Gate Bridge. This association was founded back in the late nineteenth century as a way to conserve the natural beauty and wildlife of this area. There are approximately 3 dozen species of marine mammals that have been observed in this area including many endangered species that are being saved in part by the work that this association does. This is one of the most extensive ocean-based animal networks in the world and its preservation relies on education. That education can be obtained in a fun way through the educational information shared at the visitors’ center museum.

What can you do at the Gulf of Farallones Visitors Center?

Some of the activities that people of all ages can enjoy at this little museum include:

• Learn more about the Farallon Islands, the FMSA and the marine mammals living in this great area. This is what the work of the organization is all about and you can come here to get a great sense about what they are doing.
• Indulge in the intense sensory experiences available at the interactive touch tank in the museum. This museum is designed to interest people of all ages so it’s highly interactive and entertaining.
• Enjoy and photograph the amazing fifteen-foot-tall murals of the ocean and ocean life that adorn the walls of this museum. This art definitely adds to the immense beauty of the museum itself.
• Gain information about why it is important to protect the natural life of the Bay Area and what you can do to help as a volunteer if you are so inclined.
• Check with the visitors’ center to find out if any upcoming events are planned. Marine Life fairs, organic food festivals and fun family days are sometimes planned at this museum.

Remember that visiting this small museum is always free so it’s definitely worth it to stop in! Allow 30 minutes to one hour for enjoying the museum and plan for some additional time to enjoy the nearby beach.

Location of Gulf of Farallones Visitors’ Center

This nature museum is located in San Francisco’s Presidio neighborhood at Crissy Field. Just outside of the museum is the beach of the San Francisco Bay. On a sunny day, families crowd around on the sane to enjoy the beach or gather for picnics on the grassy hillside to play there while looking out at a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the water surrounding it. Crissy Field is a local park that’s been restored over time to create a wonderful little rest-and-play area for the Bay Area.

Located Nearby

There are many wonderful things located nearby that you can enjoy during your trip to this visitors’ center. Those things include:

• Dog-friendly and bike-friendly walking trails along the water. Get out and enjoy nature right in San Francisco’s back yard.
• Path to Golden Gate Bridge. There’s no better way to enjoy the bridge than to walk there from Crissy Field.
• Fort Point. Plan your trip to the museum so that you can also visit Fort Point, a historic military fort located within walking distance.
• Various historic landmarks near Crissy Field. Once part of the military life of the city, this area includes historic landmarks and information about the area’s past.
• Bayside beach for swimming, picnicking and other sunny day activities. This is a popular family beach in the city.
• Watch the many people who come out to this area to fly kites. This is a favorite activity on windy days.

Final Facts and Information about the Gulf of Farallones Visitors’ Center

The basic things that you might want to know about this place if you plan to visit include:

Hours of operation: Wednesday through Sunday from 10-4. Official Site

Location: Near the intersection of Mason Street and Fort Point at West Crissy Field in the Presidio. It can be reached via car or by using the MUNI bus system.

Phone number for additional information: 415-561-6625.

California’s High Speed Train Arriving Soon?

The drive between San Francisco and Los Angeles can be draining. The drive can take anywhere from 5-9 hours depending on what type of traffic you hit along the way (and where in Los Angeles you’re heading). For the most part, the scenery along this drive is boring. Sure, there are some pretty hills but five or more hours is a long time to look at the same hills. You do have the option of taking the scenic route along the coastline but then you double the amount of time that it takes you to get between these two great cities. Imagine if you could make this trip in less than three hours without having to drive yourself. And what if it would cost you less than it costs to fly or drive between the two cities? That’s exactly what could happen in the future with the development of the new High Speed Rail connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Overview of the California High Speed Rail Authority Project

The project that is going to make this happen is called the California High Speed Rail Authority Project (CHSRA). It is a project that has received billions of dollars in funding so far with the purpose to be building a high-speed train that would connect the San Francisco Bay Area with the city of Los Angeles. Currently the project is in the planning stage. However, construction is expected to begin in 2011. It is believed that the project will take about 8-11 years to complete before it becomes a functional train that riders can use. Once in place, the train ride between the two cities should last approximately two-and-a-half hours and should cost approximately $40 – $55, which is less than the cost of driving in many vehicles.

Reasons People Love this Project

Many people are very excited about the development of the high speed train option. Some of the reasons that people love this project include:

• Quick commute between the two cities. The biggest benefit of the high speed train is that it would make the trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco much faster. This would be a great benefit to residents of either city who would be able to easily visit the other city for the weekend or even the day. People who are interested in living in one city but commuting to the other would potentially have that option whereas they don’t have that choice now.
• Better tourism. The fact that the commute between these two cities would be so short also has the potential to improve tourism in both areas. Many people would love to visit both cities but don’t want to take the time to travel from one to the other and back again during their vacation. The high speed train would be a fun, quick, affordable option, which means that people visiting one area would also likely visit the other.
• Enjoying the scenery. As mentioned before, the scenery between Los Angeles and San Francisco consists of pretty hills but they’re not too fun to enjoy for hours and hours in a car. In contrast, you could look out a high speed train window for a couple of hours and really enjoy this view.
• Green choice. Many people are excited about this project because it’s a green travel option for people who want to go between these two cities. It’s obviously a lot better for the earth for people to all be on a single train together than to be in their separate cars commuting between these two large cities. High speed trains are also more energy-efficient than planes.
• It’s what many other cities offer. High speed trains are used in Asia and Europe. In fact, a recent project will connect these two long-distance areas by high speed train. Adding a high speed train to the United States between these two major California cities would help to put us on par with international travel standards.
• The project creates jobs. In addition to the benefits for travelers, the project will benefit California residents by creating over 150,000 construction jobs over the next ten years. The project will also create long-term jobs.
• The people want it. Finally, people are supportive of this project because their friends and neighbors are supportive of it. In 2008, California voters agreed through Prop 1A that they wanted to spend nearly $10 billion in state money on this project.

Complaints People Have About this Project

Not everyone is supportive of this project. Even people who do like the idea of it have some concerns and complaints about the way that it’s been planned. Some of the complaints that people have about this project include:

• It’s very expensive. A 2008 report called The California High Speed Rail Proposal: A Due Diligence Report estimates that this project could cost more than $80 billion! That’s a lot of money. The project may cost less than this but it will still cost many billions of dollars, which will be paid in large part by the taxpayers. Not everyone is supportive of the project for this reason even though it does have the potential to increase tourism income in the state. One argument against this concern is that we have to do something to handle the influx of traffic in the state and this option isn’t any more expensive (and may even be more profitable) than building new airports or highways.
• Concerns that people won’t ride it. Many people are concerned that the train won’t get the type of use out of it that it needs to justify its cost. The Rail Authority has predicted that over 60 million people will use it annually by 2030 but the same Due Diligence report says it may only be a third of that.
• The train isn’t ready yet. There is currently no high speed train in existence that reaches the speed of 220 mph that is the project’s goal and yet also meet’s the safety standards of the project. Many people are concerned that this just isn’t going to be a reality.
• Some people are afraid of high speed trains. Although these trains are used in other parts of the world, not all U.S. residents are used to them. The idea of being on a train that travels at over 200 mph still frightens some people. In actuality, it is probably a lot safer to travel in a high speed train than in a car on California highways but this fear does still deter people from considering this to be a viable option for traveling between cities.

Imagining the Future

This high speed train between San Francisco and Los Angeles is in the works. Construction should begin next year. Although the ten or so years that it takes for the project to be completed sounds like a really long time, it’s going to go by in the blink of an eye. When it is ready, this high speed train is going to provide a cost-effective, green transportation option for people who wish to travel between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Imagine getting on the train in San Francisco, reading a book or taking a nap or checking out the scenery for a couple of hours and then arriving in Los Angeles. That is going to be our future!

Are Yelp Reviews Real? I want to buy a review.

As a publisher of San Francisco hotel reviews for many years, we found recent news stories pelting Yelp including San Francisco’s East Bay Express to be very interesting. News outlets including the New York Times and LA Times are considering whether there is any relationship between being a Yelp.com advertiser and getting great reviews on the site. We’ve generally found Yelp recommendations to be better than a “blind walk in”, but always view review sites with a jaunted eye. Several San Francisco businesses reported troubling incidents between the advertising sales staff of Yelp.com and what reviews they might / might not receive. Many reports of the connection of advertising sales with reviews continue in San Jose at this news link.

We’ll be clear – accurate, real reviews are what make the Internet so valuable. Whether the Yelp stories are true or not – it only emphasizes how important it is to separate editorial content and business sales operations for web publishers.

Led Zepplin San Francisco

A new company is offering amazing and unique zepplin rides over San Francisco. Yup, you heard right – the 1930’s type zepplins are now modernized and sailing over the San Francisco skyline for around $500 per ride (varies based on time / events). You can even fly the zepplin yourself with some basic training. What an amazing / unique idea and something we never would have expected. You can learn more about the San Francisco Zepplin airship here.

Traveling with Allergies? Avoid California.

Recent articles on travel trends indicate that travelers are looking for more personal customization in their room stays.   One company – Pure Rooms – is featuring rooms in specific major hotel chains – in specific cities – that are certified with the maximum cleanliness and allergy free state.  

Pure Rooms have the following special features:

• All surfaces are treated to avoid the allergy issues of conventional hotel rooms.
• Over 1,500 hotel rooms are currently available with the Pure Room system. 
• The company’s own techs handle the room cleaning and replacement of special filtration equipment for the air. 

It all sounds great – except in December 2007 - we were unable to find a single hotel room for San Francisco – or even anywhere in California. 

With our family’s allergies – this type of hotel room would be a welcome change – and we are hoping that it can be provided soon for the San Francisco area.  Kimpton Hotels operates many hotels around San Francisco – and does special cleaning after pets are in a room.  But this type of cleaning – post-pet – is a fraction of what Pure rooms would be. 

Consider this post to be an open invitation to the San Francisco hotel community to offer this level of allergy protection – for at least a fraction of rooms in San Francisco.  We’re sure it is coming soon, but we need it sooner.