Safeguard your money on booking

mike4scuba · 17 Oct 20, 08:11 AM

We are going to Orlando for 16 nights in sept 21 and staying at the adventura using hotels.com
If I book the full 16 nights it's Ł1658 and will have paid in full and can only cancel to get my money back 5 days prior to travelling.
It's those 5 days of uncertainty and the thought of losing all that money makes me nervous.
So I thought of a way to lesson the risk.
Book the hotel on 2 different bookings. The first one being the first 6 nights stay and the 2nd one from the 6th night onward for 10 nights
The difference in overall cost is about Ł40
That way if we don't fly on our date I can cancel the 10 night booking as it falls before the 5 days free cancellation period ends
I may get the first part of the booking refunded or moved by the booking company or covered by the insurance.
But for Ł40 it safeguards my money for the 10 night booking or a16 night booking
Is this to much overthinking or a good idea. Anyone else consider doing it

Orlando 2004 · 17 Oct 20, 08:32 AM

We're planning a split stay over 3.5 weeks. I said to DH this would help as we may then only risk the first accommodation depending on what we booked and the cancellation policy. Hadn't thought of splitting an onsite/hotel booking but remaining at the same place. Need to have a look and think over our options.

Donaldfan · 17 Oct 20, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by mike4scuba

We are going to Orlando for 16 nights in sept 21 and staying at the adventura using hotels.com
If I book the full 16 nights it's Ł1658 and will have paid in full and can only cancel to get my money back 5 days prior to travelling.
It's those 5 days of uncertainty and the thought of losing all that money makes me nervous.
So I thought of a way to lesson the risk.
Book the hotel on 2 different bookings. The first one being the first 6 nights stay and the 2nd one from the 6th night onward for 10 nights
The difference in overall cost is about Ł40
That way if we don't fly on our date I can cancel the 10 night booking as it falls before the 5 days free cancellation period ends
I may get the first part of the booking refunded or moved by the booking company or covered by the insurance.
But for Ł40 it safeguards my money for the 10 night booking or a16 night booking
Is this to much overthinking or a good idea. Anyone else consider doing it

I've booked my stay at Sapphire Falls direct with Universal. The deposit is one night's charge and the balance is paid there, it doesn't have to be paid in advance. The deposit is refunded if cancelled 5 days or more before arrival. I did the same for last month's trip too. When BA cancelled my flights I was able to cancel my Sapphire Falls booking on line and my deposit was refunded to my card 2 weeks later.

mike4scuba · 17 Oct 20, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by Donaldfan

I've booked my stay at Sapphire Falls direct with Universal. The deposit is one night's charge and the balance is paid there, it doesn't have to be paid in advance. The deposit is refunded if cancelled 5 days or more before arrival. I did the same for last month's trip too. When BA cancelled my flights I was able to cancel my Sapphire Falls booking on line and my deposit was refunded to my card 2 weeks later.

When going through hotels.com I did see that the first night is payable as a deposit and the rest on arrival.
So would you just loose the first nights deposit and nothing more to pay should you not be able to go

Went through topcashback as there was 11% cashback at the moment