What It Means To Get 'Walked' By A Hotel And The Best Ways To Avoid It

If you're a frequent traveler, chances are you've been bumped at least once. It's almost a rite of passage — especially if you dare to travel on the worst (aka busiest) days of the year. And if you've somehow dodged that bullet, you've definitely heard the horror stories of people getting denied from overbooked flights or maybe even travelers bumped off cruises. But here's what you might not know: bumping isn't just for airlines and cruises — hotels do it, too. Hotel companies play the same game as airlines and cruise lines, overbooking rooms to squeeze out every bit of profit, and if you lose your reservation, they might offer to "walk" you.

In hotel-speak, "walking" means they're sending you to a different hotel — usually one nearby — and footing the bill for your lodging there. While it's not something hotels enjoy doing, as it disrupts their goal of providing top-notch customer service, it's not an arbitrary decision. Rummy Pandit, the executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism at Stockton University in New Jersey, explained to The New York Times that, like airlines, hotels use algorithms to predict which guests will bail. "In the current climate, hotels will overbook by 10 to 15 percent of their room capacity, which will result in more guests being walked," he said. "Properties use revenue management systems that estimate no-shows and cancellations, in additional to several other parameters, but these are only estimates." 

The silver lining? Some hotels will make sure your stay at the new place is as close to what you would've had with your initial reservation. If that's not enough to make up for the inconvenience, book directly with the hotel to avoid being walked.

Sometimes, getting walked from a hotel isn't even about overbooking. With so many ways to book a room these days (think travel agents and online travel agencies), your reservation might not even make it to the hotel's system. You could have a confirmation number in your inbox, but if the hotel's system hasn't caught up, you're out of luck. "Often, computer systems don't match up, so the confirmation number from the site used to book your stay doesn't always match the reservation number issued by the hotel, causing even more confusion," Michael Sheridan, an assistant professor of tourism and hospitality management at Temple University, explained to USA Today.

But unlike airlines, which have clear-cut rules about what they owe you when things go wrong, hotels have no such government-mandated obligations. The good news, however, is most hotels, especially the big chains, tend to offer compensation if they can't honor your reservation. Beyond walking you to another hotel and covering your transportation, they might throw in a little something extra. Free upgrade on your next stay? Sure. Complimentary massage? Why not!

Some hotels even have established rules on how they'll make it up to you. Marriott, for example, offers walked Elite members $200 and 90,000 points — basically an apology in the form of future freebies. Meanwhile, IHG Hotels and Resorts will not only walk you to a "convenient and comparable" property, but they'll also cover your transportation and refund any deposits. They'll even pay for calls to your family to explain where you ended up. So, before you book that room, do a quick check on the hotel's policy for situations like this. That way, if you get walked, you can at least score some perks to soften the blow.

Now, just like you can't guarantee you won't get bumped from a flight, there's no surefire way to ensure your hotel reservation won't fall through. The best you can do is lower your chances of getting walked, and it all starts with booking directly through the hotel. Sure, it might not be as cheap or flashy as your travel agent's deal or that online booking site you love, but at least you'll have the peace of mind knowing your reservation is locked into their system. "Booking directly with the hotel, airline or rental car agency avoids any problems that can occur with a third party or middleman," Michael Sheridan told USA Today.

Additionally, it may also help to show up on time for your check-in and, better yet, reconfirm with the hotel beforehand. Over on the sub-Reddit r/hotels, a hotel worker shared that giving the hotel a heads-up can make all the difference. "Anyone that called the hotel in advance and was nice about it would get a note added to their reservation DO NOT WALK, CALLED TO CONFIRM," they said, adding that paying in advance can also lessen your chances of getting walked. "The other big plus would be if you told them to go ahead and charge your card for room/tax as a prepayment — no one likes to do reversals so that could go a LONG way."

And if you haven't already, sign up for the hotel's loyalty program. Loyalty members often get better treatment, even if they do get walked. And so you might not get the stay you planned, but at least you'll walk away with some bonus points or freebies to make up for it.