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Booking.com users report being underpaid for unsafe stays
One family in Batumi, Georgia said they paid an extra £334 for four nights after being redirected to a property with safety and condition issues, and were later offered only £36 in credits for a £570 booking.
The Guardian Business highlights reader accounts of problems getting compensation from Booking.com after stays turn unsafe or fail to match expectations, including cases where users say they are left paying out of pocket for replacement lodging.
In one described trip to Batumi, Georgia, a family said they were redirected at 11pm on the first day to an alternative property they described as shabby, including stains on furniture and ceiling. The family said they were forced to find and pay for alternative accommodation for the remaining four nights at an additional cost of £334.
They said they pursued a full refund of £570 for the original booking plus the replacement accommodation, but received only £36 in credits. The article notes that Booking.com terms generally frame the contract as between the customer and the host, leaving a legal grey area over platform liability when things go wrong.
The report also contrasts this with package holidays, where the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 can make the holiday operator responsible for sorting out problems, such as accommodation not being up to scratch.