Booking FAQ

How do I change or cancel a reservation?

In order to change a reservation, you must cancel your existing reservation and book a new one. To cancel your reservation, call our Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-776-9783 and a member of our team would be happy to assist you.

What is your cancellation policy?

Cancellation policies vary by hotel; in most cases you can cancel your reservation up to 24 hours before the time of check-in without incurring a penalty fee, but some hotels require more advanced noticed. If you're not sure what the policy is for your specific hotel, call our Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-776-9783 and a member of our team would be happy to look it up for you.

When will my card be charged for the reservation?

For prepaid reservations your card will be charged at the time of booking, but you can still cancel the reservation within the cancellation period designated by the hotel. If a reservation is not prepaid, then the hotel will charge your card at the end of your stay.

How do I confirm my reservation?

Once you've completed the booking process, a confirmation email will be sent to the address that you entered during check-out.

Can I book a hotel by phone?

Yes, our Customer Care Center would be happy to assist you. Please call 1-888-776-9783 to speak with one of our team members.

What if the name on my reservation is misspelled?

We're sorry for the inconvenience! Please call our Customer Care Center at 1-888-776-9783 and one of our team members will correct the mistake.

Do hotels have a minimum age requirement for booking a room?

Yes, most hotels require a minimum age of 18 in order to book a room and some require the guest to be 21. If you contact our Customer Care Center by calling 1-888-776-9783 or using this form, one of our team members would be happy to look into the requirements for your specific hotel.

Can I make a reservation using a coupon or promotion code from another site?

No, customers are not currently able to use coupon or promotion codes from other sites to book on Oyster.

How many rooms can I reserve at once, and how many people can stay in them?

Currently, you can only book one room at a time. The maximum occupancy varies from room to room, and is dependent on bed configuration and availability of roll-away beds.

Why did the hotel's rate change right before I booked?

We always do a final check at the end of the booking process to ensure that the hotel rate is accurate, which may cause some slight changes right before you complete your reservation. We do this in order to store information and make our site as fast as possible, so we apologize for any confusion it may cause. If this happens to you, please report the scenario here or call our Customer Care Center at 1-888-776-9783 so that we can continue to make Oyster better for everyone!

I book a room with meals included at an all-inclusive resort, how many people are included on the meal plan?

Oyster's all-inclusive rates include two meal plans. The max capacity of guests varies from room to room, but fees for extra guests may apply. Oyster Customer Care is happy to contact the hotel on your behalf to learn the specific extra costs of bringing additional guests.

How do I choose what bed type I want?

The available bed type for each room category will be detailed on the Rooms & Rates page. Some hotels do not guarantee a bed type at the time of booking, and you will see more than one bed type listed for a room. If you continue to the payment page, you will be able to select your bed preference. Bed preferences are not guaranteed, but most of the time, the hotel can accommodate.

What are my payment options?

We accept all major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Why is Oyster unable to process my payment?

Please contact your bank or financial institution if your credit/debit card can't be processed. In the meantime, you can try booking on a different card.

Is it safe to use my credit card?

Yes, reserving hotels on Oyster is completely safe. Every credit card purchase on Oyster is covered by our Oyster Credit Card Guarantee.

What is the Oyster Credit Card Guarantee?

Your credit card is protected whenever you make a reservation on Oyster. The Fair Credit Billing Act ensures that your bank cannot hold you liable for more that $50.00 of charges that result from credit card fraud. If your bank does charge you for unauthorized transactions resulting from a reservation on Oyster, we will cover the liability for you up to the full $50.00. Oyster will only cover this liability if the unauthorized use of your credit card resulted through no fault of your own from reservations made at Oyster while using our secure server.

In the event of unauthorized use of your credit card, you must notify your credit card provider in accordance with its reporting rules and procedures.

Why is Oyster so safe?

Our secure socket layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions. It encrypts your credit card number so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet. Any form on our site that involves credit card or personal information is encrypted so that your data stays out of malicious hands.

What are the additional taxes and fees?

These are fees imposed by the different cities, states, providers and federal agencies that are associated with your hotel.

What documentation/forms of ID do I need when checking in?

You will need some form of photo identification, such as a driver's license, state ID card or passport.

I canceled my reservation. When will I be credited?

There should be a credit on your next billing cycle or statement within 30 days of the request for credit.

How do I get a receipt for my hotel room?

You will receive a receipt from the hotel when you check out of your room. If you prepaid for the hotel or a portion of the stay, a confirmation email/receipt should have already been sent to the email address you submitted during check-out. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please call our Customer Care Center at 1-888-776-9783 and a team member will assist you in locating it.

I deleted my confirmation email by mistake - can you send me another one?

Yes, please call our Customer Care Center at 1-888-776-9783 and a team member would be happy to assist you.

Why doesn’t the hotel have a record of my booking?

The hotel does not process the booking immediately; please allow a minimum of 48 hours after receiving your confirmation e-mail for it to appear in their system. Some hotels will process bookings more quickly than others.

I tried to book a room, but I didn’t receive a confirmation e-mail. Did the booking go through?

If you did not receive a confirmation e-mail, it is likely that your order wasn't processed. Please call Oyster Customer Care at 888-776-9783 to confirm.

Where can I find the contact information for the individual hotels?

It can be found on each hotel's review page, under the "Hotel Information" heading in the right-hand rail. We provide each property's location and street address.

Where can I find a map of my hotel and the surrounding area?

There is a Map tab at the top of every review page. Clicking on this tab will take you to a map of your hotel and the surrounding location.

I can't find the hotel that I'm looking for. Where is it?

We'd love to help you find the hotel you're looking for - please call our Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-776-9783 and a member of our team would be happy to assist you.

How do I report outdated content that I found in one of the reviews?

Thank you for finding! We're always striving to keep our information as up-to-date as possible. Please use our Contact Us form to submit the updated information or call our Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-776-9783 to report it to one of our team members.

Why aren't there any pictures of the room type I want?

While Oyster reporters try to photograph every room type available, this is not always possible given the undercover nature of their hotel stay. If you have any questions regarding your room accommodations, please call our Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-776-9783 and one of our team members would be happy to assist you.