Reserve America policies

run100 wrote:
In the hotel business, we had two types of reservations - non-guaranteed and guaranteed.

- Non-guaranteed were referred to as 4pm reservations, because the guest had to arrive prior to 4pm, or forfeit the room (no deposit or credit card was needed to make the reservation.) Guests were still encouraged to cancel if plans changed, but weren't out anything if they didn't. The beauty is, the room was available to sell after 4pm, so we accomodate travelers desperate to find a room during the busy season.

- Guaranteed reservations held a room all night. No shows were charged the first night's room & tax. However, if the reservation was canceled by 4pm, on the day of arrival, no fees were assessed.

I know it would be difficult to use this same sysem at campgrounds, but it would reduce the number of vacant sites during the busy season.

I'm not so sure it would reduce the number of vacancies, even with the times adjusted some. At least around these parts, I don't think there's quite so large of a population of campers that travel without reservations during the busy season to take up the slack, so to speak, of people canceling at the last moment (whether by phone or by no-show with a non-gauaranteed reservation) , particularly when there's no real penalty for making a reservation and later canceling it. I know I practically always make reservations, if only a day or so in advance, and should you say that you have no spots available but something might well open up due to a no-show I would instead find another campground rather than chance being able to get a suitable site.