In the last six years we have had only had ONE cancellation that resulted in our inability to refund the deposit. That was THIS one. Despite the claim to the contrary, a gift certificate for a future stay was offered but refused. The fact is that this guest booked our most expensive room for a 4-night stay during the Fall Arts Festival (a very special time in Taos), cancelled at the last minute leaving us no time to rebook the room and then called repeatedly attempting to get an answer different from the one he had already been given: "We'll give you a gift certificate, but we cannot refund your money since you cancelled at the last minute leaving us no time to rebook the room."

We're always mindful of the standards of the B&B industry across the country and around the world. Being members of local, state and international B&B associations, we attend conferences and seminars and fully participate in the discussions regarding cancellation policies. What we've found is that ours is one of the most lenient. Our cancellation policy must be agreed to at the time the reservation is made and we try to explain that with only 6 rooms, a last-minute cancellation is a devastating financial blow to our small business.

Our cancellation policy states:

"La Posada de Taos is a small bed and breakfast that relies upon the confirmation and holding of prior reservations to maintain consistently high levels of service to all our guests. You must speak to an Innkeeper to confirm all reservation changes and cancellations.

If you choose to cancel your stay with us, we will be happy to refund your deposit, less a $25 service charge per room, provided that you give more than two weeks notice. Within two weeks, and up to 48 hours before your arrival date, we will refund the deposit, less $25 service charge per room, if we are able to re-rent the room for the same rate.

In ALL cases, if you cancel within 48 hours of your arrival date, you will lose your deposit and be charged for the entire stay.

For Spring Break, Fall Arts Festival, San Geronimo Days/Taos Wool Festival, the Winter Holidays and other Holiday weekends, or when you or your party reserve more than one room, we will refund your deposit, less a $25 service charge, provided that you give more than 30 days notice. Within 30 days, and up to 48 hours before your arrival date, we will refund the deposit, less a $25 service charge per room, if we are able to re-rent the rooms for the same rate."

The cancellation of a reservation during Fall Arts Festival season coupled with the fact that the stay was in our most expensive accommodations meant that we simply had to keep the deposit unless we were able to re-book the room. With just a few days left before the scheduled arrival, we sprang into action by notifying our local B&B association that we had a late cancellation and that any referrals would be appreciated. Unfortunately, those who are booking at the last minute are typically looking for accommodations that are much less expensive than those this guest had booked. We made phone calls to our waiting list and each of those guests had already booked elsewhere. We attempted a discounted rate and advertised that online. Simply said, we tried and tried to rebook the room, but could not because of the extremely late nature of the cancellation.

La Posada de Taos has been in business for over 30 years now with thousands of satisfied customers each year who sometimes have to cancel their upcoming stay. They understand the nature of the B&B experience and that their promise to stay with us is returned with a promise that we will hold a room for them and when they arrive, we will provide them with one of the most amazing experiences they'll get anywhere in Taos.

Since it was a single incident in a long, long string of successful reservations and stays, we're confident it is unlikely to ever happen again.