Booking a brand new hotel

[RoxMonster]

How do you feel about booking a stay at a brand new hotel? Any personal experiences?

We are IHG members, so I searched for hotels in that family in Denver for our trip next summer and noticed a brand new Staybridge Suites is opening up downtown with a great rate. However, they are accepting reservations starting July 13 and we plan to arrive July 21 or 22. I mean, wouldn't there be a chance they have to push back their opening and aren't open in time? Or do hotels build in a "buffer" before they start accepting reservations.

I would love to stay at a brand new hotel that is reasonably priced and where we earn points. But the start date being so close to our arrival makes me a bit nervous, plus not having any reviews to read beforehand (I stalk TA reviews for weeks before booking a hotel usually!) Any experience with doing this before?

[miso]

We were supposed to stay at the Andaz in Maui a few years ago, but it still wasn't ready for our booked dates.

They refunded our money in full and put us at the Grand Wailea. For free.

WINNING.

[kicks]

Since it's a brand/chain then I'd be fine with it.
Most hotels I stay at are boutique type hotels internationally and no I wouldn't book one that was brand new.
But getting points sounds worth it in your case. You could always book somewhere else that has free cancellation as back up.

[RoxMonster]

I typically like to stay at boutique hotels or at least local places when we travel, but nothing downtown Denver that is boutique is really coming up in our budget. We are still a ways out and I may have extra CC points leftover after booking flights that I could put towards a hotel, so if I have some, I will try to stay somewhere like The Oxford or Magnolia Hotel. But so far the price listed for Staybridge is so much cheaper than everything else, it is hard to pass up!

I can also try and contact them and see what their policy would be if it wasn't ready in time. Maybe we'd luck out like Miso and get put up for free somewhere else fab!

[prettypitties]

Lurker who works for a hotel management company chiming in - IHG and all major brands have an inspection process in place that determines hotel opening dates, so I think you'll be fine. You may even be the first person to stay in your room! 

[azalea]

We unintentionally stayed in a brand new hotel a few years ago. We booked the morning of and arrived that evening - didn't realize it had just opened that week. We had a room with a mini-kitchen and the appliances hadn't been hooked up yet... and we planned to use it to cook. We changed rooms to one that was fully functional and all was fine. It was kinda cool being the first ones to stay there.

[livinitup]

Could it already be a hotel that's been bought with plans for upgrades and a new opening? We did that for a short overnight by an airport when we had an early flight. No issues with rooms or being open - because they already were a hotel. The price was low so we booked it. No problem.

[luckyno7]

I wouldn't. Projects are usually delayed. Your hotel may not be available.

ETA: if you do decide to book if ask what there contingency is if the opening is delayed.

[orval]

I would book. I would make another reservation elsewhere if you are worried about the opening. Just call a week out to find out if it is open. Cancel the reservation that you don't need. I do this all of the time. Sometimes I make 4 reservations for the same place and check prices - they can go down before you arrive. Then I make a new one and cancel the others. Just make sure you know their cancellation policies and make a calendar note to cancel by that date.

[lilafowler]

I only stay at the finest boutique organic locally sourced establishments. So fine I can't even use the base word of "hotel" to describe them.

[pagas]

We booked a new IHG hotel by Disneyland. It wasn't ready in time, they called to let me know and rebooked me in a comparable hotel at the same rate.