ByCan You Get Reimbursed for a Power Outage at Your Hotel?
When you check into a hotel, you are paying for a specific set of services. The price includes more than just a bed and a door that locks. You're also paying for a hot shower, cable and on-demand television, nearby food, and heat/AC. When the power goes out, so too does the value of your hotel room. So the question is, ?
If a significant portion of your night (and amenities) are lost to a power outage, that answer should be "yes". After all, what exactly are you paying for? But if your hotel doesn't immediately offer you a refund, you may have to push. DoNotPay can help you knock on the right doors to get your refund without spending hours on the phone arguing with hotel managers and corporate headquarters for your rightful reimbursement.
Getting Your Hotel Room Value: A Power Outage or a Quick Blip?
Power outages can happen anywhere. A lightning strike, a falling tree branch, and the lights go out. The difference between a good hotel and a crummy one is whether the lights come back on. Hotels offer powered amenities, it's what they're charging for. This means a well-prepared hotel with a quality operation has a backup generator that should kick on anywhere from 30 seconds to an hour after local power drops.
| Outages Under 1 Hour: Perfectly Normal | When the power goes out, your hotel may need a little time to fire up their backup generator - especially if outages aren't an everyday thing in the region. It's perfectly normal for your hotel (during the day) to suggest guests grab dinner and the power will be back when they return. Some even offer vouchers for nearby restaurants.
The AC may be turned down (to extend generator time) but your hotel is doing everything they can to keep you comfortable. They may or may not offer you a few extras or a discount for the slightly reduced experience. |
| Outage 3+ Hours: Ask for a Refund | If a power outage lasts over three hours, and especially all night, you can and absolutely should ask for the hotel to make it right. If you check out, you can and absolutely should . If you put up with all night with no amenities, you should ask for a refund. If you have to book another hotel room on your dime, you should ask for a refund. Extended power outages mean you cannot enjoy the amenities you have paid for. |
What Does It Take to Get a Refund from a Hotel Power Outage?
- Ask the Front Desk
- Talk to the Manager
- Take it to Corporate
- Start an Email Chain
- Work Through a Third Party
Ask the Front Desk Clerk
If you have to check out (or tolerate an all-night outage because you had no options), ask for a refund at the front desk. But remember, your front desk person may not have the training or authority to give refunds, so the answer might be "No" (which is not final) or "I don't know". That's okay, it's important to be nice at this stage, this is likely a teenager who doesn't know how to handle an outage situation.
Insist on Speaking to the Manager
When the front desk can't handle it or says "No", insist on speaking to the manager, and escalate as needed. Let them know that you must check out to seek other lodgings and require a refund - full or partial depending on the timing of the outage. The manager should have the authority to grant you a 25% to 100% refund - or equivalent loyalty points. If they say "No", take it to corporate.
Call the Corporate Office
Next, call the corporate office customer service line. Most hotels have a corporate headquarters that can take greater action and override local managers. Let them know the power outage has lasted too long and you need reimbursement for new lodgings - or were forced to endure a powerless night. They should make it right at this stage. If they don't, start a paper trail.
Email Corporate Customer Service
Email corporate customer service and, if necessary, copy your booking service as well. Outline your situation and insist on a full or partial refund - or equivalent loyalty points for future stays. Make it clear that you didn't pay to stay in a cold (or hot) room with no power, hot water, or services. This should get the ball rolling, especially if you copy several relevant parties. If it doesn't, you'll need a third party to help.
Work Through a Third Party
Some people call their lawyer. Some people call the local news station. However, the key is to get someone who can push on the case for you and make it hard on the hotel corporate office outside of "just one guest". They may think they can short-change one "pushy customer" but they can't put off a professional force ready to hold them to "services rendered" standards.
How to Get Your Power Outage Hotel Refund with DoNotPay
If your hotel and its corporate office won't give you a refund for a cold night with no power, let us be your third party. DoNotPay is an online service, and we specialize in sending official emails and getting forceful with the right people over the phone.
Let us tell corporate that they can't stick you with the bill for services not rendered and amenities not offered. We'll save you the time, stress, and negativity sometimes necessary to get your due from corporate hotel chains so you can get your travel money back fast.
How to Get Compensation for an Outage Using DoNotPay:
If you want to get compensation for an outage but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in these 9 easy steps:
- Go to the Outage Refunds product on DoNotPay.
- Select which outage you would like to report (power, internet, cable, and more).
- Select your energy provider and enter your account number.
- Indicate when the outage started and how long it lasted.
- Verify your account information.
- If you want to be reimbursed for losses related to a power outage, choose whether you want to be reimbursed for personal injuries, damaged property, or both.
- Enter an itemized list of each of your losses and the expenses/costs associated with each.
- Upload documents or photographic evidence that proves your losses. Also add the names of any witnesses who can attest to your losses if possible.
- Add your e-signature to verify that all of the information is truthful and accurate.
DoNotPay Can Help with All Sorts Outage-Based Loss
Our outage reimbursement service can help you with more than just one inconvenient hotel night. If you've been charged a power bill for hours of a power outage or charged for the internet when no internet was available, we can help. If you lost equipment to a power surge or valuable work income to an outage, we can help no matter what company is your provider or where you are in the US.
- Oncor Power Outage
- DTE Power Outages
- PGE Power Outages
- Power Outage Compensation and Claims
- Spectrum Internet
- Internet Outage Reimbursement
What else can DoNotPay do?
DoNotPay has a vast selection of services designed to save you time, stress, and money. Here are a few more ways we can make your life easier:
- Insurance Claims
- Customer Service
- Help with Bills
- Parking Tickets
- File a Complaint
- Robocall Compensation
- Neighbor Complaints
Don't let one outage, elusive bill, or parking ticket ruin your experience. Sign up today!