Submitting dates after winning an auction

[YuvalB]

I was winner of a bid for hotel in Paris.
I checked hotel and availability was open on dates I wanted, but I was rejected...

Apparently hotels, as I understand now "do not have to accept your dates as the validity is wide open. June is very busy in Paris..." (this was answer of customer service in Luxury Link).
So -
We have black out dates,
But, then -
We also have busy season dates when hotels would rather keep rooms open for higher paying guests.
Am I the only one who encountered such a problem?

[kyshel]

I was winner of a bid for hotel in Paris.
I checked hotel and availability was open on dates I wanted, but I was rejected...

Apparently hotels, as I understand now "do not have to accept your dates as the validity is wide open. June is very busy in Paris..." (this was answer of customer service in Luxury Link).
So -
We have black out dates,
But, then -
We also have busy season dates when hotels would rather keep rooms open for higher paying guests.
Am I the only one who encountered such a problem?

As with any popular destination, I would contact the hotel PRIOR to bidding on an auction. Other wise, go for the Buy Now with guaranteed date. Yes, if you know anything about travel in Paris, June is very busy season.If you can't be flexible, as the auction terms state, then Buy Now is better for you.
I am currently securing a booking for an auction I purchased LAST Nov (good thru this Nov) and the dates I finally booked were for Nov 1-4. I preferred other dates which were rejected thru the LL concierge initially, but i am flexible, so I will happily accept those terms.
You need to underrstand how things work w/LL auctons and buy nows (read those terms!!) and many of us are vets here, so we can help before you buy. The Concierge Team is usually very helpful. When an auction customer is tied to set timing, that limits their ability to accommodate.
I hope you have a wonderful trip! I think I've bought about 15 auctions from LL--I am currently working on booking our dates for Bali next month and South Africa in November-more to come! Bon voyage!

[jsattapr2]

I, too, have purchased a number of packages from Luxury Link. If I have flexibility in my travel plans, then I try to save as much money as possible by using auctions. If, on the other hand, there are constraints, such as specific air ticket dates, or attempting to cobble a stay with one or more additional destinations, than I will probably opt for Buy Now. For the extra expense, I am willing to know that I am either OK or not with the hotel. If not, it has cost me nothing and I can seek other choices.

[[email protected]]

I never had any trouble booking my dates, although all my packages through LL have been to Latin America so maybe not as tough to book dates as Europe in the summer is. However, I always go to latin america in our winter and that is the peak season in L america so maybe I am just lucky. I always go to the hotel site 1st and check around for dates before I bid

[YuvalB]

I hear the advice - "contact the hotel prior to making the bid" or "go to hotel site to check availability..."
Well, they do...
Its only when you come as a winner of a LL auction that they refuse you.
and that makes a winning bid kind of "stand-by" if its high season (and I dont mean blackout dates)

[[email protected]]

I have been doing auctions on LL since 2007 and have never been refused a date after winning an auction. If you are having problems, call LL

[Mountie]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never experienced any major difficulties in booking auction packages.

I did need to shift my itinerary my first choice date when I went to Peru, but it was only by a couple of days and that didn't really make a difference in the total scope of the trip.

I even used the toll-free number provided by Luxury Link on the auction site to speak with the hotels just to confirm everything.

[bonniejoy03]

Hi M....Interesting point that we haven't discussed for awhile-the toll free numbers listed. I haven't had too much luck with those numbers. Sometimes it just goes back to LL. Did the toll free number you use go directly to the property in Peru?

[kyshel]

I had to use the TF # last year for The Langham Hotel in Hong Kong. I had to time it correctly to get a manager on the phone. Once, they had me on hold for close to 20 minutes, but kept coming back on the line to apologize for the delay.
I must say that the staff in Hong Kong speaks the Queen's English, so it's easy to communicate.
I haven't had to call Thailand or Bali yet--all I can say in Thai is "sa wa dee ka". I guess my accent would switch them to English mode after that!
And I don't speak bahasa! If I do have to call a foreign country, I usually start with "hello" and that's gets me an English speaker. Hopefully, I won't need any verbal assistance until we arrive.