Why Overbooking Hotels Is a Nightmare (and Not Just for Jet-Lagged Guests)
What’s worse than a canceled flight? How about finally landing after a 12-hour haul from Tokyo, shuffling up to your hotel at midnight, and being told, “Sorry, we’re full”? For one unlucky traveler—and the night-shift employee caught in the crossfire—this wasn’t just a hypothetical nightmare. It was business as (un)usual at a hotel where overbooking was not just the airline’s domain, but management’s new “best practice.”
Welcome to the wild world of hotel front desks, where the phrase “we had to walk a guest” doesn’t mean a pleasant stroll but a desperate dash to find someone, anyone, a bed for the night. Let’s dive into a Reddit tale that exposes the chaos and ethical dilemmas behind the check-in counter.
Overbooking: An Airline Idea That Doesn’t Fly in Hotels
The hospitality industry is famous for its customer service, but sometimes, the real action happens behind the reception desk. Inspired by airlines’ notorious habit of overbooking flights, one hotel manager decided her team should do the same—despite having a finite number of beds and a clientele that includes international travelers with zero patience for surprises.
The manager’s plan? Sell more rooms than actually available, banking on the idea that someone would inevitably cancel, miss their flight, or fall victim to a last-minute change in plans. It’s a gamble with real stakes: if everyone shows up, someone’s out on the curb (and not just for fresh air).
The Reservation Roulette
Hotels typically operate with two main types of reservations: the “6pm hold”—no credit card required, no obligations after 6pm—and the “guaranteed reservation,” which comes with a credit card and the promise (or threat) of a no-show charge. In the Reddit story, the new manager hated charging no-shows (perhaps out of misplaced empathy or sheer avoidance of confrontation), so she encouraged the staff to ignore the numbers and keep selling.
This logic might work in a spreadsheet, but reality has a way of defying expectations. When everyone showed up, the night-shift employee faced the unenviable task of telling exhausted guests, “Sorry, we’re full… but thanks for booking!” The euphemism for this disaster? “Walking” a guest—except, instead of a pleasant promenade, it means desperately trying to find another hotel room for your guest, arranging transportation, and hoping they don’t leave a scathing review on every travel site known to humankind.
Ethics, Empathy, and Epic Manager Meltdowns
Is overbooking ethical? Airlines justify it with stats about no-shows and compensation policies, but for hotels, the calculus is messier. A flight can bump a passenger and get them on another in a few hours. A hotel with no rooms at midnight? That’s a recipe for rage, jet lag, and ruined first impressions.
The Reddit author, u/daydaynono, raises a valid point: Is it fair to sell a guaranteed reservation and then fail to guarantee, well, anything? Most front desk staffers agree: It’s not just bad business, it feels rotten. Especially when it’s the night shift—never the manager—who has to break the news and deal with the fallout.
And as if that weren’t enough, the manager’s reaction to “bad news” was to simply… not hear it. When the front desk reported, “No, we didn’t sell out,” she demanded the answer twice, as if repetition might conjure more rooms out of thin air. Reality, alas, is not so accommodating.
A Cautionary Tale (and a Plea for Sanity)
So, should hotels overbook like airlines? The answer from the front desk trenches is a resounding “No way!” Unlike a seat on a plane, a hotel room can’t be doubled up or replaced in an hour. Overbooking isn’t just a numbers game; it’s a gamble with real people’s sleep, sanity, and sometimes, their safety.
If you’re a hotel manager reading this: Please, don’t make your night staff play roulette with guests’ reservations. And if you’re a traveler, always double-check your booking—and maybe call ahead, especially if you’re flying in from halfway around the globe.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Have you ever been “walked” from a hotel, or worked behind the front desk during an overbooking fiasco? What’s your take: business savvy, or customer service sabotage? Share your stories and thoughts below—let’s hear what really happens when the reservation system goes off the rails!
In the world of hotels, the only thing worse than a no-show… is everyone showing up.
Original Reddit Post: The airlines overbook so why can’t we?