Is it legal for Hong Kong hotels to cancel full payment?

Whether it is legal for Hong Kong hotels to cancel and charge the full amount depends mainly on the terms of the contract between the consumer and the hotel.

If a consumer books and pays for a hotel, but needs to cancel the reservation for some reason, generally speaking, according to the terms of the contract, the hotel can indeed deduct the full amount or charge a cancellation fee. This is because when a consumer cancels a reservation, hotels often need to find new guests for the originally booked room, resulting in lost revenue. Therefore, deducting the full amount or charging a cancellation fee can be considered a form of compensation to the hotel.

However, this does not mean that consumers do not have the right to protect their own interests. If consumers cancel their reservations due to some uncontrollable external factors (such as weather, emergencies, etc.), they should actively negotiate with the hotel to reasonably share responsibilities and avoid deducting the full amount. If both parties cannot reach an agreement through negotiation, the dispute can be resolved through legal means.

In short, whether it is legal depends on the terms of the contract between the consumer and the hotel and the specific circumstances. If the terms of the contract stipulate the deduction of full payment or cancellation fee, the hotel has the right to enforce it in accordance with the contract. However, if consumers cancel their reservations due to some uncontrollable external factors, they should actively negotiate with the hotel to reasonably share the responsibility.