Email Communication with Hotel

My experience is 2-3 day turnaround for email response. Some hotels prefer you contact them through their website form. I had to do this recently and received a response within 2 days. I've never had to call, but per RS advice you may need to call. Also keep in mind that your tour hotel may be booked prior to the tour date. We have had to stay in another nearby hotel or apartment a couple days ahead.

It’s available on Booking.com for a few rooms on that date. I’d book their free cancellation room; if you hear from the hotel, you can cancel the Booking reservation.

Why not just book online using their website? Pretty much every hotel, except for the smallest mom and pops, has a booking engine on their website to facilitate reservations.

Thank you everyone! I'll wait another day or two before I either call or book online.

I emailed my tour hotel for extra nights and they 1. offered me a slightly lower rate than online and 2. stated that if I reserved a nicer room I could keep it during the tour nights. Although, on previous tours I never received a response from the hotels and just booked online. So, I think it is worth a try, but it doesn't always work.

Hi,

I would call up the hotel.

In London and Germany in such a situation as yours, ie changing the arrival date or adding a day(s) to your existing reservation, I don't use the e-mail. Better to talk with them on the phone directly, even better in the local language.

Don't wait more than a week. I've made reservations on the phone in Germany, even called back the next day to change it to see I could prolong the stay.

When we first started doing our tours (9 years ago) we were amazed that people commented how quickly we respond to emails. They still do, as well.

We shouldn't really have been surprised though. For years we had commented that French businesses didn't regard emails as "grown up" and very rarely responded at all. It's not laziness, it's cultural. Although the situation has improved somewhat, most business is still done in person, with personal relationships being very important. If we want something done we use the phone, especially if we don't know the people we are contacting, because that way you become a person.

Over 5 RS tours, I have always emailed the hotels to reserve extra nights before/after the tour. I prefer to ask in writing when dealing with other languages, and it has always worked well, and the hotels have generally answered in a reasonably amount of time.

I have had success with emailing for two tours. Direct contact with the hotel insures any discounts, my pick of room types, and so far, the assurance that I won’t have to change rooms once the tour starts.

I generally just book on the hotel website and add a note that I'm on a RS tour starting XX Date. I don't think I've ever had to change rooms on 9 tours where I was staying in the same hotel. On my first tour I didn't know to go ahead and book the tour hotel right away so waited and the tour hotel was booked.

One time (hotel in Haarlem) the hotel website showed no vacancies but there was on Booking.com. I emailed the hotel in that instance and did book thru them via email. They were surprised the hotel website was showing booked as they had availability.

Have a terrific time on this tour! You will see so much. Unfortunately it will get you hooked on Rick's tours and European travel, lol!!

Thank you, everyone, for all your attention. The SH Hotel Tilsit Etoile did respond and we got a confirmation of reservation for the night prior to the tour. It's expensive, 190 €, which comes to $220. I'm asking them to confirm that that rate includes breakfast. They didn't offer any range of prices for my wife and I. Oh well.

Thank you, everyone, for all your attention. The SH Hotel Tilsit
Etoile did respond and we got a confirmation of reservation for the
night prior to the tour. It's expensive, 190 €, which comes to $220.
I'm asking them to confirm that that rate includes breakfast. They
didn't offer any range of prices for my wife and I. Oh well.

Did you tell them that you are part of a RS tour and that you'll already be staying there as part of that tour? They might offer a less expensive rate because of that. You could always stay somewhere else but you'd prefer to stay with them. You could tell them that and see where that goes. Good luck.

Thank you Continental. They do know that we're part of a Rick Steves tour. Does that cost for a room (for 2) seem high to you? I have never stayed in a hotel in Europe so have no idea.

Yes it does and it is WAY beyond what we could afford to pay. I've also never visited Paris in mid September so I cannot comment if the pricing of that hotel is "normal". For us, it would be a deal breaker! :-)

Actually, compared to their website that rate looks reasonable. It looks like a room for two, free cancellation, for Sept 16 is 250E, with breakfast it's 270E. Booking directly with them looks like it might get you breakfast on the weekend but perhaps they will offer you breakfast for your one morning. If not surely there are places nearby for breakfast.

Since this is your first trip I'd just go for it. It's only one night so to me it's more of a pain to move. September is a very busy month in Paris with lots of trade shows so prices are higher.

To me it's not particularly high based on the single room rates which is what I book. I've stayed in some in this range and stayed in some less expensive. I'm also willing to pay for convenience so you'll have to evaluate what's important to you.