Guests with bookings at a Manchester hotel have been hit by an unfortunate technical error that has seen their reservations cancelled on the same dates as Oasis announced their reunion gigs in the city for 2025.
Travellers staying at two locations in Manchester city centre received messages through booking operators, informing them their reservations could not be upheld due to a ‘technical error’. One affected guest expressed frustration on social media, suggesting the cancellations were a tactic to relist rooms at higher prices after the announcement of the Oasis concerts drove up demand. The tweet read, “Reserved a hotel for Oasis yesterday for a good price before they shot up and just randomly got this email, so I’m guessing they’re trying to get me to cancel so they can relist the room I booked for ridiculous money?? What a scam don’t stay at the Maldron in Manchester.”
As affordable hotel rooms in and around the city swiftly disappeared from booking sites for the dates of Oasis’ reunion, many saw prices increase by hundreds of pounds. Both the Manchester City Centre and Manchester Cathedral Quarter branches currently list the hotels as fully booked for the dates between July 11 and 20, 2025, when the gigs are set to take place.
Sacha Lord, Manchester’s nighttime hospitality tsar and a notable figure in the city’s events scene, has publicly criticised the hotel management. On social media, he stated, “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.”
A spokesperson for the hotel’s parent company explained that the cancellations were due to a “technical error” affecting bookings made on August 26 and 27. They assured that all bookings made prior to these dates were being upheld and that reservations with their sister hotel were not impacted by the glitch. An official statement clarified that more rooms were listed as available than actually existed for the concert dates due to this error.
The hotel further stated that it is investigating the issue and reassured customers that the cancellations were not an attempt to resell rooms at inflated prices. They are actively engaging with affected customers to address their concerns.
The incident has drawn significant criticism from both guests and prominent local figures, highlighting the potential for technical errors to disrupt major events. The hotel’s response and ongoing investigation will be closely watched as the situation develops.