Most major hotel chains have announced a relaxation of their cancellation policies in light of the September 11 tragedy.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts—"We are waiving all cancellation charges on business previously booked as follows: individual reservations for arrival between September 11th and September 30th; group or social events arriving between September 11 and September 30, 2001." Hilton Hotel Corporation—"The company has set a policy that no cancellation or ‘no-show’ fees will be imposed for any reservation scheduled for September 11 through September 16, nor will early departure charges be imposed for any departures September 11-16. Additionally, no cancellation charges or penalties will be imposed for any group, social or other event between September 11 and October 31."

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts—"In situations where our customers are not able to get to their scheduled destinations, we are canceling reservations upon request and waiving cancellation fees for individual guests until further notice. Additionally, we are waiving all cancellation and attrition fees for groups that would have actualized within the next 30 days." Loews Hotels—"In light of the current crisis, we have agreed to allow cancellations without penalty to all groups who cancel between now and October 31 with the provision that they rebook within one year. As we get closer to October 31 we will reevaluate to determine if this needs to be extended.

"Clearly for those meetings that need to be cancelled that cannot be rebooked, we will need to evaluate on a case by case basis."

Ritz-Carlton—"In view of this week's tragic events, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel company's current policy for all individual reservations, social functions and all meetings that are scheduled between September 10 - 26th will be as follows: There will be no penalties, attrition fees or cancellation fees for any changes in the business or reservations. For all individual reservations, social functions and meetings that are scheduled after September 27th for those companies directly affected by these recent tragic events, all business will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis."

Wyndham International—"Wynham has agreed that no cancellation or no-show fees will be charged for reservations scheduled September 11 through September 16. Further, Wyndham is especially committed to accommodating group, event and social bookings and will work with each customer individually to address their particular needs during these difficult times.