Manchester hotel denies cancellations are so they can 'resell rooms at inflated prices' on Oasis gig nights

Guests staying with a Manchester hotel were left disappointed after receiving a cancellation notice on the day Oasis announced their reunion tour. Since news of the reunion broke, hotel prices across the city have jumped to eye-watering prices with some increasing by hundreds of pounds per night.

The Maldron, in Manchester city centre, reportedly messaged several guests with reservations saying their bookings could not be upheld due to a "technical error." Guests who made bookings with the Maldron hotels in Manchester, at both the city centre hotel on Charles Street and at the Cathedral Quarter branch on Chapel Street, were informed they would be sent cancellation requests.

Travellers were asked to accept the cancellation notice because their bookings could not be honoured. A spokesperson said the issue is down to a "technical error" with the booking system and August 26 and 27 - the same dates the Oasis tour was teased and later announced.

According to Manchester Evening News, the spokesperson said: "As a result, we are unable to honour all bookings made on these dates, and we are actively engaging with customers regarding their bookings."

The hotel is now "investigating the issue" and vowed this was "not an attempt to resell rooms at inflated prices". The hotel is "not taking any bookings" for these dates in the meantime with the chain also looking into an issue that allowed a "small number of customers to book the rooms at a higher price later in the evening".

Night time economy advisor for Greater Manchester Sacha Lord weighed in on the issue, urging Maldron hotels to 'do the right thing'. The post, reshared by Andy Burnham on X, formerly Twitter, read: "Hey @MaldronHotels. I'm being contacted by several people who booked your hotel for the Oasis concert, to say their rooms have just been cancelled and are now back up for three times the price. I'm sure this is a "computer error"... easy to correct. Do the right thing."

Traveller Josh Finney said he made his booking with the Maldron shortly after the announcement of the tour, for July 11. His booking confirmation stated the cost of the room was £90.30.

At 8pm on Tuesday, he said he too received a notification through booking.com to inform him a cancellation request would be sent and his booking couldn't be upheld due to a 'technical error.' He said: "I checked the prices for the same dates I booked earlier today, only to see the price had nearly quadrupled to £329."

Josh later tagged Booking.com and Maldron Hotels in a post on X about the situation, with the booking firm responding: "We regret to hear about this, Josh. Keep in mind that availability on our site is managed by the properties and, if they're unable to honour your booking, they need to help you find another place to stay."

Yesterday, another man booked a stay at the Maldron hotel for July 20 for £145. Now, he too claims to have received a notification citing a booking error after initially receiving a confirmation.

He said: "I was saying to friends I booked the hotel early to avoid the chance of selling out or price hikes and said I was happy with £145, then I get an email to cancel my booking and they have hiked the price.

"They would sell out and fill their occupancy anyway. I use Manchester hotels and particularly this one often for social and work stays but after this, I won’t be in any capacity. It's a shame as the city will make a fortune directly from these concerts and hotels will sell out."

Manchester councillor Pat Karney told Manchester Evening News: "We have spoken to trading standards at the town hall about this. We hope the hotel will do the right thing and honour the bookings."

A spokesperson for Maldron Hotels said in a statement: "Due to a technical error with our booking system on 26 & 27 August 2024, substantially more rooms were booked than were available for the nights of the Oasis concerts on 11/12/19/20 July 2025 at Maldron Hotel Manchester City and Maldron Hotel Cathedral Quarter. As a result, we are unable to honour all bookings made on these dates, and we are actively engaging with customers regarding their bookings.

"The hotels are currently not taking any bookings while we investigate the issue. This is not an attempt to resell rooms at inflated prices, rather an overbooking issue due to a technical error with our booking systems.

"Additionally, due to the same technical error, a small number of customers were able to book the rooms at a higher price later that evening. We will also be unable to accommodate these bookings. We will be honouring all bookings made prior to 26 August. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused."