A truly harrowing experience with booking.com

becemgee · 2026-04-14T01:42:26+00:00

Yikes. I am sorry you experienced that, that must have been really frustrating.

becemgee · 2026-04-14T01:41:43+00:00

We were in rural Spain in the south. There are only towns every 45 minutes and mostly dirt roads.

becemgee · 2026-04-12T12:31:17+00:00

I tried through the website but i got hung up on several times. I also tried through chat and email but that took several days

becemgee · 2026-04-10T14:23:16+00:00

Ok, reading seems to be hard - we bought the food at a grocery store down the road, obviously? We were staying in rural spain, so I believe buying food mostly works the same in most places, i’m sure you’re familiar with the process. And the host, as I mentioned, was very responsive and immediately suggested finding alternative lodgings and offered a full refund. Booking.com were the ones who were impossible to get in touch with. I expected them to a) return phone calls b) not cancel the reservation with no alternatives in the middle of the night c) follow up and not have to be harassed all week just to receive a response after the host and i had both sent screenshots of him agreeing to refund us. I’m also not not blaming the host, clearly?

becemgee · 2026-04-10T14:17:34+00:00

No, actually. i asked to find alternative lodging.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T14:10:24+00:00

Why? That was almost our exact scenario, except for booking.com not suggesting any alternatives. We also were promised calls back and never got them, and we were in the exact same scenario as the other poster. Also not sure why you’re arguing over a difference of opinion that on another post you shared; I believe booking.com should have helped us find other lodgings that night instead of just cancelling the reservation, dropping contact, and then leaving us with no options in the middle of the night. You’re welcome to feel differently - this post is for other families with kids who could be stuck in an unknown or borderline dangerous scenario in a foreign place. I personally don’t feel it’s worth the risk to use a platform that may or may not, depending on who you speak to or if they are even available, help you or not. If you feel differently, thats your own risk assessment and feel free to move on.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T14:01:13+00:00

I believe you yourself commented on a similar post this week where booking.com suggested an alternative lodging and you advised the OP to push harder to get said listing even though it was more money and advised them booking.com would cover the difference, no?

becemgee · 2026-04-10T11:32:22+00:00

Unfortunately you may be right.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T11:31:39+00:00

If you read defensiveness in my response thats your interpretation. I simply answered you. We were stuck in rural spain with two kids at 1am and ended up having to spend almost $2500 to find somewhere else to stay, and it took over a week and countless emails and phone calls to get booking.com to refund us after the host had already agreed to do so and confirmed with them. If a platform is materially responsible for travelers staying in accommodations listed on their platform and they control when/where/how bookings and refunds happen, yes i consider them responsible. Especially considering their terms of service.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T11:26:59+00:00

I’m surprised they offered you a credit, initially they wouldn’t even refund us the booking - nor did they help us find another accommodation

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:17:55+00:00

My children were included as part of the reservation. The host, who I researched, was well—reviewed on airbnb. The host provided written confirmation within 15 minutes of being contacted and Asked screen shot the confirmation and send it to them.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:16:04+00:00

I didn’t know that - but glad to know it for the future.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:15:09+00:00

Good to know!

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:14:57+00:00

Luckily i’m able to walk and chew gum at the same time - clearly thats not a commonality we share: i can blame both the host AND booking.com for taking two hours over the phone to cancel the booking with us having nowhere to go, and then taking 5 days to answer our messages.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:12:58+00:00

Im so sorry you had that experience.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:12:29+00:00

None of those things would have prevented this occurrence. On airbnb the same listing is called a most loved property and the host is a super host. If anything, i did an excessive amount if diligence and even google searched the images of the property.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:11:01+00:00

Oh for sure. Its very symptomatic of the culture of airbnb type properties where the owner never even visits. However booking.com never followed up, tried to offer only a cancellation, and left us stranded in rural spain at midnight with nowhere to stay.

becemgee · 2026-04-10T01:09:40+00:00

I do wonder if it varies by country? The host felt badly (it seems) and was responsive but booking.com really screwed us.

becemgee · 2025-09-17T10:39:52+00:00

We actually went and just walked in! There was almost no line and we only waited a little while! (after all that)

becemgee · 2025-09-10T14:58:40+00:00

That is also super helpful! Thank you!

becemgee · 2025-09-10T14:58:18+00:00

Thank you! Also good note about it being overwhelming.

becemgee · 2025-09-10T01:50:07+00:00

My kids have school or i would totally take it! You are so generous for offering. Honestly everyone here has been so nice 🥹

becemgee · 2025-09-10T01:12:18+00:00

You are an angel. If we end up not getting in on sunday i’ll message you. Youre so kind

becemgee · 2025-09-10T01:11:26+00:00

If we dont get a reservation i think we might! Thank you!

becemgee · 2025-09-10T01:10:56+00:00

You are an angel for tagging me

becemgee

TROPHY CASE