IHG Quietly Changes Cancellation Policy

Shift requires guests to give 24 hour cancellation notice ahead of stay.

Following a recent trend in the hotel industry, InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) is shifting their cancellation windows for travelers – but did not necessarily alert their guests. Travel Weekly reports the hotel chain now requires a 24-hour notice of cancellation for guests who no longer wish to stay at their properties.

Under the policy change effective August 1, 2017, travelers must cancel 24 hours prior to when their stay begins or face penalties for late changes. This is now effective at many of IHG’s most visible brands in the United States and Europe, including Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, InterContinental Hotels and Crowne Plaza locations.

The remaining parts of the world will change to the 24-hour cancellation policy starting in October. China will be exempt from the policy change, as regional customs dictate same-day changes are acceptable.

“IHG’s previous cancellation policy varied by both region and brand,” a spokesperson for IHG told Travel Weekly. “This new change will mean that the majority of the IHG estate will now operate under similar terms.”

However, guests of the hotel brand claim that they were given limited notice of the changes. Some IHG Rewards Club members claimed that they received no advance notice of the changes, only shifting policies at the time of booking. According to IHG, no bookings made before August 1 were affected by the new policy.

The changes match other hotel brands’ shifts that came into effect this summer. Both Hilton Hotels and Marriott International moved their cancellation windows to 48 hours ahead of check-in, with Hilton extending the window out to 72 hours ahead of a stay in some markets. The property claim that disallowing last-minute bookings allow them to serve same-day travelers better.

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