The refund will be at the hotel's discretion, so your best bet is to appeal to the management's compassion. Although this is a stressful time, you are more likely to succeed if you can keep as calm and polite as possible.

Getting a refund for a "non-refundable" room is difficult but not impossible if you use the right approach. Your first step should be to call the hotel directly (not the booking site like Expedia) and speak with a manager; if you have a genuine emergency, such as a medical issue or a death in the family, many hotels will offer a credit for a future stay or even a full refund as a gesture of goodwill. Another effective "hack" is to ask to change the dates of your stay to a few weeks later; once the dates are moved, the cancellation policy often "resets," or you can try to cancel the new, more flexible dates later (though some systems prevent this). If you have Travel Insurance, you can file a claim if the reason for cancellation is a covered "peril." In 2026, many travelers also use "resale" platforms like Roomer or SpareFare to sell their non-refundable booking to someone else. Always be empathetic and polite when speaking to staff, as they are often more willing to bypass the software's "Hard No" for a kind guest in a tough situation.