Should a hotel charge before you arrive?

I've booked a hotel for early July, I actually booked it in February and the full amount has just showed up on my credit statement. They have a 4 day prior cancellation policy with no penalty. I didn't expect to be charged as I've always paid when checking out. Opinions??Should a hotel charge before you arrive?
Most hotels use your credit card to hold the room.





we always pay in cash when we get there and have never had a problem with them charging before hand.





Your options are to call them directly and ask why or get in touch with the agency that booked it for you.Should a hotel charge before you arrive?
Sometime hotels will charge you the whole price depending on the website that you book it on. This has happened several times to me. MAke sure you read the fine print when using online booking services. Good luck hope you dont loose the money and have a great vacation.
They should only do a 'pre authorisation' transaction which holds the funds until you check out..then they complete the transaction with the full amount...at least thats what most hotels in Europe do...