Overbooking

Overbooking is when a hotel accepts MORE reservations than rooms it has, banking on some guests not showing up or canceling at the last minute. Standard practice across the industry, with hotels typically overbooking by 2-8% based on historical no-show rates. When it works (which is most of the time), the hotel fills more rooms and earns more revenue. When it fails (everyone shows up), the hotel must "walk" you to another hotel, meaning they pay for your room at a comparable (or better) property nearby, arrange transportation, and often offer compensation. If this happens to you: stay calm, insist on a clearly upgraded property (it's industry standard), request a full refund of your original booking, and get any compensation in writing (free future stays, points, cash).