How do hotels deal with problems? Common issues and what guests can expect in exchange

The guest has a lot of power compared to before,” and hotels know that, according to Mehmet Erdem, an associate professor of hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “When things go wrong, it’s in the best interest of (the) hotel to take care of the issue, so it doesn’t grow.”

Hotel staff can often address common issues much quicker in person, but if they don’t, there may be reasons for that. From what to expect when hotel hiccups arise to how to avoid problems in the first place, here’s what you should know before your next hotel stay:

Don’t make these travel mistakes! Travel agents sound off on common issues they see

What should hotel guests know before check-in?

Just because a hotel has a certain brand in its name, it doesn’t mean that’s the company that runs it.

“Is it an affiliated hotel? is it an independent hotel? is it an owner-operated hotel?” Erdem said. “It can be owned by somebody, branded by, say, a big name and managed by a second-tier management company.”

All those layers can impact the level of empowerment given to employees in handling issues.

“Depending on who’s managing what, even if the person wants to do something for you, their hands may be tied,” Erdem said. “There’s limitations because they can not go above corporate rules.” And those rules vary by company, unlike airlines, which are all required to offer certain types of compensation by the Department of Transportation when flights are disrupted.

What are the expectations of a hotel?

Guests should expect a reasonable standard of care from any hotel, according to Erdem. “It should be a safe environment. It should be clean. It should be reasonably comfortable.”

When issues arise, he said, “The hotelier’s responsibility is to make sure that they acknowledge the problem and address it as best as they can.”

Higher-end hotels may have more flexibility. Ritz-Carlton, for example, empowers staff with up to$2,000 in discretionary spending per guest, per issue to make things right or simply delight. Other hotels may offer discounted stays, parking fee waivers, or complimentary drinks at the hotel bar.

“It depends on how big the problem is and also what it is that the employee and the manager can do,” Erdem said, referring back to the hotel owner-management structures.

What happens if a hotel loses your reservation?

In this day and age, Erdem says it’s pretty rare for hotels to lose your reservation.

Unlike years ago when reservations were relayed by fax or recorded in hand-written reservation logs, he said, “Everything’s on the cloud … Electronic reservation systems have a lot of checks and balances in place” as well as paper trails, like daily occupancy reports, for backup.

If, for some reason, the hotel isn’t able to access your reservation, be prepared to show a record of it, like a confirmation number or booking receipt. Travelers who book through third parties may receive multiple confirmation numbers and should make sure to have the one for the hotel. Better yet, Erdem recommends calling the hotel before your arrival to confirm the reservation and jot down the name of the person you spoke with on the phone.

What do you do if the hotel is fully booked and there are no rooms available?

“The hotel is almost always booking more rooms than they have,” Erdem said. “This is (a) common practice … because almost always there’s going to be people (who) cancel.”

When more people may show up than expected and there aren’t enough rooms, guests are traditionally walked to other hotels, meaning the hotel finds them somewhere else to stay.

It shouldn’t matter whether guests booked directly through the hotel or travel agency like Expedia or Priceline.

“Ethically speaking, they have to treat everybody equally because they’re paying guests,” Erdem said. “I worked front desk years ago, and you don’t care how the person booked. You just want to take care of the guest.”

What is walking in a hotel?

When a hotel is overbooked, it’s common practice for the hotel to help impacted guests find a comparable place to stay nearby. This is known as walking.

Erdem said, traditionally, that also includes paying for transportation to the new hotel, but with today’s apps and mobile notifications, “You can notify the guests even when they’re at the airport waiting for their ride and say, ‘Hey, sorry, but we will not be able to honor your reservations. We had to move you to this hotel. Please go there.’ They may still call and complain, but at least you’re saving them the time.”

Hotels may also offer other types of compensation like a discount on a future stay, loyalty points, or food credit.

“You do something to show that, yes, we messed up, but we are taking care of you,” Erdem said.