Cancellation policy generator
Answer three questions and get a cancellation policy in plain language, ready to paste onto your booking page. The sentences are the same ones a PeakRooms booking website publishes — so what you preview here is what a guest would really read.
The short answer
A hotel cancellation policy needs three things a guest can check before booking: how long they can cancel free, what you keep if they cancel after that, and how they tell you. Most independent properties settle on a free window of one to seven days before arrival, then keep part or all of the stay for later cancellations. Say it in plain sentences on your booking page — a policy a guest can't understand is one they argue about at the desk.
A starting point written in plain language, not legal advice — check it against your local consumer rules and anything your OTA contracts require before you publish it.
Your policy
Free cancellation until 7 days before arrival
- 7+ days before check-in — full refund
Copy this onto your site
Cancellation policy Free cancellation until 7 days before arrival How it works: - 7+ days before check-in — full refund To cancel or change a booking, contact us directly and we'll confirm in writing.
On a PeakRooms booking website these terms aren’t just words — the same schedule prices every refund, so what a guest reads is what actually happens.
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The four decisions a cancellation policy makes
Every policy, however it's worded, answers these. Deciding them deliberately is most of the work; the wording is the easy part.
| Decision | The question | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| The free window | How late can a guest cancel at no cost? | Longer windows convert better and cost you more when plans change. Match it to how far ahead your guests actually book. |
| What you keep after it | A share of the stay, or the whole thing? | A partial charge reads as fair and still protects a night you can't resell. All-or-nothing is simpler to explain. |
| Whether there's a middle step | One cut-off, or a sliding scale? | Two windows — free, then partial, then none — is the shape most guests already recognise from other hotels. |
| How a guest cancels | Which channel, and what confirms it? | Name it explicitly and confirm in writing. Most cancellation disputes are really disputes about whether the message arrived. |
Cancellation questions owners ask
- What is a good cancellation policy for a small hotel?
- There is no single right answer — it is a trade between bookings and protection. A free window of one to seven days before arrival, with a partial charge after that, is the shape most independent properties settle on because guests recognise it. Shorter windows protect more revenue but cost you bookings from guests who won't commit that far ahead.
- Should my direct policy match my OTA policy?
- It doesn't have to, and a slightly more generous direct policy is a legitimate reason to book with you rather than through a marketplace — the same lever as a book-direct perk. Check your OTA agreements first: some constrain the rate you publish, and terms are a separate question from rate parity.
- Can I make a booking completely non-refundable?
- Many properties do, usually at a lower rate than the flexible option so the guest is choosing the trade knowingly. Consumer-protection rules in some countries limit what a non-refundable term can actually enforce, so check your local rules before you rely on one.
- Where should the policy appear?
- Everywhere the guest decides: on the room or booking page before they commit, in the confirmation message, and in any pre-arrival email. A policy discovered only after booking is the one that produces a chargeback.
- Is the text this tool writes legal advice?
- No. It writes your own choices as clear sentences a guest can understand — a starting point, not a legal document. Check it against your local consumer rules and anything your OTA contracts require before you publish it.
- Does PeakRooms actually enforce the policy?
- Yes. On a PeakRooms booking website the cancellation schedule you set is the one that prices every refund, so the terms a guest reads before booking are the terms applied if they cancel — the words and the money come from the same place.
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