Refund of hotel booked pre to Covid

galwayhooker

I booked a double room single rate in hotel in Berlin on booking.com back in February prior to Covid as was taking part in Berlin half marathon.it cost me over €400 for the week but was definitely going and said would treat myself.

Covid came and organizers of race left us especially the foreign participants hanging before they decided to cancel race - less than a week before the race. I rang hotel immediately thinking they would refund me due to Covid but they refused saying I booked a non refundable room but could change date. I am a teacher - knows couldn’t fly in summer as things didn’t look to be improving with Covid so booked for Halloween break. New rate was now over €600!!! Couldn’t understand it being so much more expensive seeing as less tourists in cities but the hotel kept coming out with fact I booked a non refundable room even though I cancelled non refundable rooms I booked on booking.com here at home - money was refunded to me.

With Ireland being listed as a red list country in Germany ie I works have to senf isolate in hotel when I would arrive at Halloween I rang hotel ( they ignore lid my last email) to see if any possibility of refund. I argued my case but they would not step down saying I could rebook again. I really did fight my case saying the virus will not be gone. Anyway they refused so rebooked for a week at Easter. The same room I booked it Easter last year for a week is now costing me €750!!!!!

Is there anything I can do at all. I really feel i will lose my nerve if I pick up the phone to phone the hotel again. At this stage from my experience of dealing with the hotel I never want to fly to Berlin. Aer Lingus refunded my flight ticket that I rescheduled for the Halloween break no problem.

Sheep Shagger

galwayhooker wrote: »

I booked a double room single rate in hotel in Berlin on booking.com back in February prior to Covid as was taking part in Berlin half marathon.it cost me over €400 for the week but was definitely going and said would treat myself.

Covid came and organizers of race left us especially the foreign participants hanging before they decided to cancel race - less than a week before the race. I rang hotel immediately thinking they would refund me due to Covid but they refused saying I booked a non refundable room but could change date. I am a teacher - knows couldn’t fly in summer as things didn’t look to be improving with Covid so booked for Halloween break. New rate was now over €600!!! Couldn’t understand it being so much more expensive seeing as less tourists in cities but the hotel kept coming out with fact I booked a non refundable room even though I cancelled non refundable rooms I booked on booking.com here at home - money was refunded to me.

With Ireland being listed as a red list country in Germany ie I works have to senf isolate in hotel when I would arrive at Halloween I rang hotel ( they ignore lid my last email) to see if any possibility of refund. I argued my case but they would not step down saying I could rebook again. I really did fight my case saying the virus will not be gone. Anyway they refused so rebooked for a week at Easter. The same room I booked it Easter last year for a week is now costing me €750!!!!!

Is there anything I can do at all. I really feel i will lose my nerve if I pick up the phone to phone the hotel again. At this stage from my experience of dealing with the hotel I never want to fly to Berlin. Aer Lingus refunded my flight ticket that I rescheduled for the Halloween break no problem.

Have you tried booking.com on twitter and/or a chargeback through your bank?

Got all my non refundable hotels refunded via both these options.

Is the hotel part of a chain like Accor? If so try head office.