Hilton Charged Me for a Night I Cancelled 48 Hours Before. I Got It Reversed.

Hilton told me I could cancel my reservation up to 24 hours before check-in with no penalty. That is their standard policy. I cancelled 48 hours before check-in. They charged me for one night anyway.

I called Hilton customer service. The agent said my specific rate was non-refundable. I pointed out that the email confirmation said "free cancellation until 24 hours before." She said that was the standard policy but my rate had different terms.

I asked for the cancellation terms in my original booking confirmation. She read them out. They said "cancellation allowed until 24 hours before." There was no mention of non-refundable rates. She put me on hold. When she came back, she said she would make a one-time exception and refund the charge.

Hilton's booking system sometimes applies the wrong cancellation policy to reservations. It is a glitch in their property management system. If you have written confirmation showing free cancellation, you can fight it and win.

Always save your booking confirmation emails. Take screenshots. These saved me $180.