Hotel in Hanoi refused guests at 2am: Unreasonable behavior!

(Dan Tri) - Regarding the incident where a guest booked a 3-day stay at a hotel and transferred 100% of the payment but still did not receive a room, many accommodation businesses affirmed that this was a basic professional error.

The incident involving a female tourist who booked a room through an app at the Royal Hotel at 19 Hang Chao, O Cho Dua Ward ( Hanoi ) but was refused a room even though the booking was still valid, attracted public attention.

It is known that the girl booked a room for 3 days, from November 7 to November 9, and paid 100% of the money. Due to personal reasons, the guest arrived late to check in at 2am on November 9. Here, the hotel receptionist refused to let the guest into the room because the check-in time was past.

The hotel receptionist refused to let the guest check in, forcing the girl to leave at 2am (Photo cut from video ).

This forced the girl to leave the hotel at 2am, causing public outrage.

Many readers believe that when a guest has paid in full for a room, the hotel is responsible for keeping the room for the duration of the reservation. It is unreasonable for the hotel to sell the room to someone else without being able to contact the guest.

To clarify this issue, Dan Tri reporters exchanged information with a number of hotel representatives in the central area of ​​Hanoi, to learn about the process of handling similar situations.

Proactive contact with customers is the top principle

Sharing with reporters, Ms. H., a representative of a hotel located in Hang Bac Ward (Hanoi) said that in the accommodation service industry, it is not uncommon for guests to check in late. Therefore, hotels often have their own procedures to ensure the rights of both parties.

“When a guest makes a reservation but does not arrive on time, we always proactively try to contact them. If we cannot contact them directly by phone or email, our staff will need to use an intermediary such as a booking app to send a notification to the guest. The goal is to confirm whether the guest has encountered a problem or changed their plans,” he shared.

Many customers have the habit of booking hotel rooms on the app (Screenshot).

The representative also affirmed that the professional principle is not to arbitrarily resell rooms without official notice of guest cancellation or no-show.

“We absolutely do not arbitrarily sell rooms that have been booked and paid for by guests. That is a professional mistake and directly affects the reputation of the accommodation facility. If the guest has paid, the room is still theirs to use for the entire booked period. Unless the guest confirms cancellation or the system confirms no show according to regulations," this person emphasized.

Professional errors and lessons for the accommodation service industry

Similarly, Ms. Hong, manager at Heritage Ham Long Hotel & Spa in Hang Bai Ward (Hanoi) said that the reception staff should handle this situation well. Keeping rooms for guests depends on the booking conditions of each transaction.

Specifically, if a guest books a room but has not paid in advance, and the guest does not show up at check-in time, the hotel has the right to declare a "no show" to reopen the room for sale.

However, if the guest has paid in full, then even if the guest arrives late, even at 2am or with only a few hours left, the hotel must still have a room for the guest.

Many people believe that the hotel has not contacted the guest but has arbitrarily sold the room, which is a violation of business procedures (Photo: Agoda).

Ms. Hong added that online booking channels such as Agoda and Booking.com have a mechanism to automatically send notifications to guests in case of no-show. However, hotels still need to proactively confirm information, especially for transactions where guests have paid in advance.

"Customers pay 100% through the app, the hotel is responsible for reserving the room until the end of the booking period. Reselling the room to someone else when the customer has not canceled is a violation of basic operating procedures.

Even if the guest does not contact in advance, the hotel must still have measures to notify and confirm through an intermediary channel before making a decision to handle the situation," the hotel manager analyzed.

Thus, in the above case, the receptionist of the Royal Hotel where the girl booked a room made a professional mistake.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan, General Director of Flamingo Redtours, said that normally, accommodation establishments only have regulations on the earliest possible check-in time (2:00 p.m.) and the latest possible check-out time (12:00 p.m.). Mr. Hoan has never encountered any establishment that has regulations on the latest possible check-in time.

“If the hotel has this rule, it should be mentioned to the guest when they make a booking. If it is clearly stated but the guest does not read it carefully or forgets, then the fault can be blamed on the guest,” said Mr. Hoan.

Regarding the story that is causing a stir in public opinion about the hotel on Hang Chao Street, Mr. Hoan said that the hotel's behavior was unreasonable, unprofessional, and left a bad image with customers.

In this case, the guest booked the room for 3 days and paid the full amount. The establishment cannot rent the room to someone else because the guest did not check in on the first day.

According to Mr. Hoan, normally, if a guest does not arrive to check in as scheduled, the hotel should proactively contact the guest to find out the reason. In case the room has been “sold” to someone else and the guest has just arrived, a solution can be discussed, prioritizing the guest to have a place to rest as soon as possible.

“Hotels often have spare rooms to prepare for situations where problems arise, such as broken toilets, air conditioners, etc. If the spare room is full, they can help guests find a room in the surrounding area and cover all costs. Guests should not be pushed out onto the street after a tiring journey in the middle of the night,” said Mr. Hoan.

The General Director of Flamingo Redtours said that the incident is a lesson for accommodation establishments, that there should be a process for handling arising situations professionally to avoid incidents that cause negative impacts. "Maybe this is not the hotel's way of handling it, but the staff do not know how to handle it flexibly and civilly," Mr. Hoan commented.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/vu-khach-san-o-ha-noi-tu-choi-khach-luc-2h-hanh-xu-vo-ly-20251111133839456.htm