My hotel had no record of my Booking.com reservation. Why can’t I get a refund?

Justin Baribeau books a hotel room online. But now there’s no record of his Booking.com reservation. Can he get his money back?

Question

I prepaid for two nights in a hotel through Booking.com. But when I arrived, an employee said their confirmation system was down and there was no record of the reservation or ability to accept any reservations from Booking.com. I was unable to use this reservation.

I contacted Booking.com immediately and asked for a refund. The company asked for information about my reservation, which I sent. It’s been weeks since I asked for my money back, and I’ve asked Booking.com about my refund repeatedly. No one is answering. Can you help me get my $125 back? — Justin Baribeau, Wickliffe, Ohio

Answer

You should have received an immediate refund from Booking.com — not a runaround. 

I checked with Booking.com, and it says it experienced a system error when you tried to check in. That means the hotel couldn’t see your reservation and couldn’t accept any new reservations from Booking.com, so calling the company and asking it to help wouldn’t have worked.

But your case brings up a question my advocacy team and I get from time to time: What do you do if your hotel “loses” your reservation? If it’s a direct booking, you need to resolve it with the hotel right then and there.

What to do if Booking.com has no record of your reservation

If you’re reading this story and you’re standing at the front desk without a reservation, remain calm. Fortunately, there are other hotel or lodging options, so if the hotel turns you away, you won’t have to sleep under a bridge.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do:

1. Take another look at your confirmation. It’s easy to misread your confirmation during the commotion of checking in. Make sure that all the details are correct, including the dates, hotel name, and reservation number.
2. Talk to a manager. Politely ask to speak with a supervisor. Explain your situation and provide any documentation you have regarding your reservation. They may be able to find a solution, such as accommodating you in a different room or at another location.
3. Reach out to the booking site. If the hotel can’t help, reach out to the booking platform. Use their customer service line or app to report the issue immediately. Have your confirmation details ready to make things go faster. Again, don’t panic. We’ll get you through this!
4. Keep notes. Maintain a record of all communications with both the hotel and the booking provider in writing. Take notes of names, dates, and times of conversations. If possible, follow up with emails summarizing your discussions.
5. Escalate your case. If you’re not getting a resolution, ask to escalate your issue to a supervisor. Be persistent but polite; sometimes, a higher-level employee can resolve problems faster.
6. Push the button on Plan B. If the situation remains unresolved and you’re in urgent need of a place to stay, book another hotel. Document this expense, since you may be able to request reimbursement later.
7. Get a refund. If you had to pay for alternative accommodations, keep receipts and follow up with the booking provider about a refund for your original reservation. Don’t give up.

Hopefully, you’ll never have to use these tips. But if you do, just take a deep breath and go through the list. And don’t forget, if a hotel loses your reservation, they will typically “walk” you to another property and pay for your first night’s accommodations. So you should be able to ask to get “walked” if the hotel messed up.

What happened to your reservation?

It looks like you took matters into your own hands when the hotel fell through and found overnight accommodations on your own. That’s fine, but Booking.com should still have refunded you quickly.

I reviewed the paper trail between you and the company, and it looks like it wanted you to fill out lots of forms and wait for an answer. Come on. The refund should have been automatic and immediate.

If this ever happens to you again, you’ll want to appeal to one of the Booking.com executive contacts I publish on this site. Remember to keep a thorough record of your communication in writing to avoid any misunderstanding.

I contacted Booking.com on your behalf. The company investigated your reservation problem and acknowledged that it was “due to a system error.” But the representative also suggested Booking.com might have been able to fix the problem sooner. 

“As always, we encourage customers to reach out to us to address any of their booking questions or concerns,” she added.