Asking to switch hotel dates - acceptable?

[Rogue Synapse]

---

Members don't see this ad.

My fiancee and I are couples matching (Family Med and Neurology) and will be on interviews in the same city. Both of our programs are providing a hotel room for the Thursday (with the interview on Friday). We've found that we won't be able to get a flight back until Saturday morning, so we will need a hotel room Friday night. My gut instinct is no, but does anybody feel it's even marginally acceptable to ask one of our programs to switch the hotel reservation to the night of the interview rather than the night before the interview? That way we would have a hotel for each night, and there wouldn't be any difference as far as cost from each of the programs' point of view. I would explain our situation of course. That would make our lives so much easier because we are utterly broke and charging everything at this point.

This interview is several weeks away, mid-Dec.

 

[Bitsy]

What I've found is that if you want to stay extra days (even if you aren't using the hotel the initial night) that you may be able to get a discounted rate but not move the day you are able to get the hotel room for free. This is peds, so it may be different but they usually get their discounted rates in bulk for certain dates (aka the night before interview dates), so it may not be the same price for the program, especially since it is a Friday night and not Thursday (maybe different charge for weekday versus weekend). I would not vote no on asking but that's just my opinion. I guess you could try, but they won't even have other interviewees there that night unless they interview on Saturdays (not likely). It could backfire and make you look greedy. Good luck.

 

[sam1999]

Most hotels have discounted rates but instead of asking the program first, just ask the hotel that you have 2 rooms booked for Thursday night paid by hospital and if can have one room for 2 nights. Most hotels have different rates for weeknight vs weekend night and they may let you do this for price difference.

 

[Rogue Synapse]

I bought the second night myself at a residency applicant rate. I realized what a dumb idea it was to try to get a residency program to switch the reservation.