"Walking a guest" is the hotel industry's term for what happens when a hotel is overbooked and there is no room available for guests who have a reservation. Unexpected maintenance issues, sudden demand for rooms and a hotel's desire to protect itself against guest no-shows contribute to this problem. You can reduce the likelihood it will happen to you by arriving early and confirming your reservation the day you are scheduled to arrive.
Calling your hotel to confirm your reservation is an easy way to make sure they are expecting you. Telephone the hotel directly. Do not contact any online travel sites, even if you used them to make the reservation. Give the reservation agent your name, arrival date and confirmation number if you have one.
Some hotels will allow you to check, modify and cancel your reservations online. For example, you can visit Best Western's website and provide your name and confirmation number to check a reservation. Hotels will often make it easy for you to access reservations online when you belong to their loyalty or rewards program.
