EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — With the BTS concert at the Sun Bowl next month drawing fans to El Paso, some travelers say their plans are being upended after hotel reservations made months ago were canceled just weeks before the show.
Heather Karp, who traveled from Arizona, said she booked a room at the La Quinta on Remcon in West El Paso on Jan. 23. “On January 23rd, I booked my room at the La Quinta,” Karp said. “For two nights, my total was 187.”
Karp said she received an email on the night of April 9 notifying her that her room had been canceled.
“The night of April 9th, I opened up my email, and there it was, the email saying, ‘ Your room has been canceled for necessary maintenance,” she said.
After that, Karp said she checked online and saw rooms listed again at much higher prices.
“I even saw some at over $500 a night, I mean, it’s honestly, it’s sad and disappointing,” she said.
Karp added, “I’m not paying 500 plus a night. That’s absurd. They’re not gonna exploit me. So I have my tickets up for sale.”
She also said, “It’s upsetting because we had to change our whole trip.”
Destiny Venecia reports on Hotels cancel reservations ahead of BTS concert, leaving fans scrambling for rooms (Credit: KDBC)
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Other viewers have reported similar experiences, including Arizona couple Robert and Diana Figueroa.
Diana Figueroa said they booked directly through Wyndham for La Quinta after getting concert tickets.
“So in January, after we secured the tickets for the concert, I immediately booked directly through Wyndham for La Quinta,” she said.
Figueroa said she also received a cancellation email on April 9. “I received it on April 9th, and I received an email stating that my reservation for both rooms would be canceled due to essential maintenance,” she said.
The couple said when they looked again, rooms were back online for around $500 a night.
Figueroa said the cancellation derailed months of planning. “I think they should be required to honor the reservation since we made it so far in advance and give us some type of alternative accommodation,” she said.
She added, “It’s frustrating ’cause we had everything planned out and we had it planned out in advance and it’s kind of like the rug was pulled from under us.”
The hotel was contacted for comment and said it would provide one, but no response was received.
Local attorney Daniel S. Gonzalez said what consumers can do often depends on the terms and conditions tied to the reservation, whether booked directly or through a third-party site.
“So Yes, they can cancel a contract, which leads you as a consumer to seek damages for breach of a contract and or damages against a third-party provider,” Gonzalez said.
He added, “You have to take a look at your cancellation policy. You have to look at the underlying email, the webpage, because they have a lot of agreements and terminology in their web pages, and say we can cancel certain terms.”
Online booking terms on Hotels.com state that reservations can be changed or canceled by the provider, often with no notice, and fees are not refundable unless otherwise stated during the booking process.
La Quinta’s website also states reservations can be changed or canceled after confirmation of the reservation.
Gonzalez said if cancellations are misleading or used to drive up prices, that could cross a legal line.
“This is considered deceptive trade practices that could be taxes and or a breach of contract,” he said.
Experts recommend consumers document everything, including emails, confirmations and communications, and book directly through hotel websites when possible.
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