Mike wrote --

>  What kind of guy goes to a bar with his friends on Valentine's day?

  Drunks?

>  We asked to be reseated, and the hostess blamed Opentable for them
>  not honoring my request

  I have never made dinner reservations, but have reserved motel rooms on
my recent trips.  Generally that is only my first stop* and in some large
city.
  I've never had a problem with booking.com, except for a funny incident in
Roswell, NM.
  My debit card is listed as William J., and I go my middle name, Joe.
  When I was checking in the clerk questioned if I were really me since
there were two names, William and Joe.  He looked at me, then my license with
photo ID, back to the reservation request, back to me, back to my license as
asked again if I were me.  
  I produced several other forms of ID and he finally believed me.
  Never had that happen before and I thought it was funny.  But had to give
him credit for being diligent.   :)

> reminded me that the request is just that, and went on. 

  I've always believed that a reservation that's accepted guarantees
whatever is accepted, except in rare instances (a mix up, the place burned down,
etc). 
  In May I reserved a rental car for two weeks in June.  When I got to the
rental office it was closed, due to Covid, and to use another one on the
other side of town.
  When I got there they had no record of my reserving a car, but I had the
confirmation e-mail on my phone and it was accepted.  Thought nothing of it,
things happen.

>  I understand the desire to make as much money as possible

  They could lose customers doing what they did if word got around.
  A day or so after my stay I get an e-mail asking for a rating for the
place I stayed at, good or bad.
  *Usually when traveling I just start looking for a decent place to stay
around 1500 or 1600.  Don't want to wait too late since there could be no
rooms available.  That's happened before and it was very late before I found
one.  This was on a busy national 
   Joe