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A consumer champion has called for the Competition and Markets Authority to intervene on dynamic pricing used by hotels – as more Sky News readers got in touch to say they’ve had their hotel bookings cancelled by a prominent chain on nights when Oasis are playing.

Maldron Hotels says a “technical error” meant more people booked rooms than they had capacity for in Manchester on nights of the concert – and that the same error meant that, after people’s bookings were cancelled, rooms were advertised at an inflated price.

It denied it was an attempt to “resell rooms at inflated prices” after some accused the firm of attempted profiteering.

Scott Dixon, AKA The Complaints Resolver, says trying to enforce a booking legally is very problematic.

He described dynamic pricing – or “price gouging” – as “insidious”.

“We need the Competition and Markets Authority to clamp down on this practice,” he said.

Lots of you have got in touch over the last 24 hours saying you’ve been affected by the cancellation of bookings at Maldron Hotels’ Manchester sites after Oasis’s major comeback tour was announced.

Craig Davies, from Nantwich, says he booked rooms priced at £136.20 each for him, his partner and four friends to stay at Maldron Hotels in Manchester city centre for an “anniversary treat” on 12 July next year.

He says he made the booking at 4.30am on Tuesday morning – before the 8am announcement by Oasis that they’d be heading to the city that night as part of their comeback tour.

Mr Davies was among many people later contacted by the hotel asking to cancel the booking.

“Six unhappy folk now who cannot afford their revised rates. Hotel don’t seem too bothered, sadly,” Craig says.

“This is clearly a joke, right?”

Ian Bittel from Sunderland says he promptly booked a room for 13 July 2025 at Maldron Hotels as the announcement came on Tuesday morning, but at 9pm he received the email to cancel.

He says his daughter also booked a room there for 20 July 2025 a little later on Tuesday and received a cancellation email just before 10.45am on Wednesday.

“It’s frustrating as now hotel prices have tripled,” Ian says.

Meanwhile, Colin McMillan, from Glasgow, says the seemingly mass cancellation of bookings by Maldron Hotels in Manchester is a “poor look for the city” and the hotel industry.

He says he booked two rooms on Monday – the day before the reunion announcement – one for two nights from 11 to 13 July 2025 for £303 and another from 19 to 21 July for £316.50.

He was also asked to cancel despite receiving a booking confirmation.

“I haven’t accepted the cancellation request but when I explained that to the staff member on the phone, she said it didn’t matter as it wasn’t an optional request and the stays would be cancelled anyway,” Colin tells us.

He says he spoke to Maldron Hotels’ reservation department for 10 minutes and was directed to booking.com – the company he reserved the rooms through – when he asked about an escalation process.

“It’s a really poor look for the city and the industry that a hotel would look for short-term gain through gouging like this and alienate existing customers forever,” Colin says.

He adds that he’ll now have to rethink trying to get tickets for the gigs as no similar hotels are available.

Ross Jordan, who is also from Glasgow, says he and three other guests who are due to attend a family wedding during the first run of Oasis’s dates at Heaton Park had booked rooms at the Manchester hotel.

“They have requested me to cancel which I have not done,” he says. “This will cost us hundreds of pounds as we have booked flights etc.”

What has the hotel chain said?

Maldron Hotels said in a statement to the Money blog that a technical error on Monday and Tuesday led to “substantially more” rooms being booked at its two Manchester hotels than were available for the nights of the four Oasis concerts.

It said it would be unable to honour bookings made on these dates as a result, and no bookings are currently being taken while the issue is investigated.

“This is not an attempt to resell rooms at inflated prices, rather an overbooking issue due to a technical error with our booking systems,” the hotel said.

“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.”