Two couples booked a hotel at the Omni Frisco hotel in preparation for attending the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, only to find their reservations had been changed.
Four months later, both couples were contacted by Omni and notified that the reservations had been changed to its sister property, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, which is 10 miles from the original hotel booked and has yet to open.
Omni cited unforeseen circumstances as the reason for the change.
“The award show is in May. We are worried that the hotel may not be open at the point just because you never know what could happen,” said Chad Thompson, one of the individuals who had his reservation moved.
Crystal Cunningham, another Dallas resident who had her reservation changed, said she wanted to be on-site near the award show.
“We wanted to be right there on-site. It makes it a lot easier. Anybody that’s gone to something where there are a ton of people knows the in and out is not the fun part of the night,” Cunningham said.
Though these consumers did not lose money on the reservations, they wanted to know why they were changed.
“To provide clarification, the Academy of Country Music [ACM] had a contract to book the hotel and somehow announced the location before the contract was finalized, creating the overbooking situation,” Omni told NBC 5.
“Due to security concerns/requirements, and with deference to the safety of the ACM performers, the hotel will not be allowed to host anyone not affiliated with the ACMS,” the hotelier explained.
To soften the blow, Omni offered guests planning to attend the ACMs roundtrip transfers to Omni Frisco Hotel and a hosted reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Omni PGA Frisco on May 11, the night of the awards ceremony.
The Texas Hotel and Lodging Association said a hotel reservation is a contract between the guest and the hotel. If the hotel breaks the agreement, the guest is “entitled to be made whole,” which generally means offering a stay at another hotel and covering any room rate differences. Hotels sometimes offer free nights or reward points.
Dr. Kim Williams, chair for the hospitality and tourism department at the University of North Texas, told NBC 5 that “walking a guest,” as it is known when a room booked is not offered to a guest, allows room for negotiation, sometimes in the form of free massages and meals.
While the airline industry has clear guidelines to follow when a flight is overbooked, no government regulations cover oversold hotel rooms, according to The Points Guy.
The outlet said hotels can and do cancel confirmed reservations at their discretion.
The Academy of Country Music Awards is scheduled for May 11 at 7:00 p.m.
