score:2
I book about 60 hotels a year, and typically do check the fine print. Having to pay the first night if cancelled too late is quite typical. If you only have one night, that is ugly, but it is better when you booked a week or more.
As others said, technically, cancel and change is typically the same for the hotel and follows the same charge rules; but they might be more willing to accomodate if you change.
Note that depending on the rate you book, you might have to pay the whole stay when you want to cancel (that’s what’s called ‘prepaid’) - therefore, you got a slightly cheaper price when booking. Others are slightly more expensive, and allow free cancellation until 6 pm the day.
You need to think about this when booking, not just pick the cheapest price.
Upvote:1
Is it normal for the fee for changing a booking in a hotel to be the whole of the room rate for the night?
Depending on the hotel, it is normal for them to charge a fee - or not. Whether or not that fee is equivalent to a whole night's rate is up to the hotel. Your best bet would be to call them directly and explain your situation. Once they understand that you are changing your reservation and not cancelling it, then they might be more generous on waiving that fee.