TED FLOOD HAD A reservation at the Sleep Right hotel for the night of October 15. According to the reservation policy explained to Mr. Flood at the time he reserved the room from Sleep Right's national reservation system, the nonguaranteed reservation was to be held until 4:00 P.M. the afternoon of Mr. Flood's arrival. Unfortunately, Mr. Flood's fl ight to the city where the Sleep Right was located was delayed, because Mr. Flood's plane had to spend four hours on the airport runway because of mechanical diffi culties. Mr. Flood was unable to contact the hotel and, as a result, his room was released by the hotel at 4:30 P.M. and sold to another guest at 5:00 P.M. Consequently, the hotel had no rooms available when Mr. Flood, tired and frustrated, arrived at the front desk at 8:00 P.M.

1. What could Mr. Flood have done to avoid his difficulty?

2. What responsibility, if any, does the hotel now have to Mr. Flood?