During Hurricane Helene, I booked a last minute hotel to evacuate my area. The prices had skyrocketed, but safety was priority. However, weather conditions began to deteriorate earlier than expected while on the road shortly (~2hr) after booking. They called to let me know that the front desk would be closing shortly and I understood. However, I immediately sent a message once I knew that it would be best and safer for us to find lodging where we were located instead; which was a few mins passed the front desk closing time, but shortly after the call. They called the next morning stating that though they saw my message, they still marked me as a no show and I couldn’t cancel my reservation nor reduce it for even a partial refund. I asked if there was a possibility to shift the dates instead of losing $500+ and I was told that if I did, I would need to decide new dates that same day. I explained again that I was trying to coordinate other matters related to the storm and it would be difficult to essentially plan a potential future vacation today. The answer remained the same. I contacted Hotels.com and they contacted the inn to advocate on my behalf, but as the hotel has full discretion regarding cancellations and refunds, they could not provide any further assistance. As I understand that they have a business to operate, the lack of empathy and understanding was disappointing. While I hoped to book again under better circumstances, that $500+ loss changed my mind.