# Are Hotels refunding visitors?



## BOXtheFOX (13 Mar 2020)

This is a strange post from a visitor planning to visit Dublin and the hotel's treatment of him. Source TripAdvisor/Dublin Forum.

"So I have a  hotel booking through booking.com for 2 nights from 20-22 March, next week. I booked early january so just before the whole virus situation SHTF. The hotel has contacted me today to explain that they would like me to cancel my booking since I'm travelling from a high risk country (I was not aware NL was high risk yet). The booking was prepaid nonrefundable so I told them that I'd be more than ok with THEIR cancellation and refund if they don't want me there. I'm not 100% sure if I will still come to Dublin in the current situation but if I get a refund I will probably book another hotel with flex cancellation option. Yet if I cancel myself through booking.com, I just lost my money and accommodation. So far so good, hotel just called me back again and said no its not my nationality but what it comes down to is that they will probably have to cease operations since they share an entrance with, and are situated above, a large club/bar that today was told to close because of a new 100 people limit. I understand that's a difficult situation but they want ME to cancel a prepaid booking, first by false pretenses, and then they are not willing to give a refund. I contacted booking.com and they basically said that if I don't cancel myself I can just show up there next week and if they are closed or refuse me I can make a claim or sue them. Now that's not very reassuring. If I book another hotel just to be sure I have accommodation, I won't be able to cancel that on the arrival day itself even if it's not prepaid, so apart from most of Dublin apparently being closed down (I understand that every government is trying to do the right thing so no comment on that) I will also sit on the costs of another hotel room. Not looking forward to this trip anymore... what should I do?"

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## odyssey06 (13 Mar 2020)

Hmm... that's a bit of a game of chicken alright.


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## tomdublin (13 Mar 2020)

As I understand it, booking.com will refund you if the hotel is closed for business when you arrive.  Hotels in Dublin are fairly empty these days because of travel cancellations so it shouldn't be difficult for you to find something else if the need arises.  Under no circumstances should you follow the hotel's demand and cancel the booking yourself as you will lose your money.  Presumably the hotel knows this, and the fact that they are trying to trick you into cancelling yourself seems disturbing.  Can you name the hotel?


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## BOXtheFOX (13 Mar 2020)

tomdublin said:


> Can you name the hotel?


I'm not making the booking/travelling. I'm just posting about someone else's experiences.


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