Aug 29, 2017 05:16 PM
2514 Views
I booked a room online on Hotels.com, for my sister 30 mins ago, at the Intercontinental Marine Drive as she was stranded at Churchgate and unable to go home to Borivali due to the heavy rains. By mistake, I booked her for tomorrow's date which I realised in 30 secs. The amount was already debited from my credit card. Immediately I called up the hotel which said I would need to contact Hotels.com to make a successful change. So I went back to the website. I saw a "change my booking" option on the website which directed me to a call centre number. I talked to the executive there who said he would contact the hotel and if they were agreeable, then it would be done. He said he would get back to me in 3-4 mins. So he did, and told me the hotel had denied the request.
WHY? Well, rooms were definitely available but the denial was because the booking was non-refundable. I called back the hotel and asked them, the person from the hotel reservations desk told me he couldn't help because the hotels.com people wouldn't pay them the money on time, they would be paid only after 1 day.
Between the two of them, they showed such utter lack of professionalism, empathy and common sense that I felt cheated. The mistake was originally mine but surely it could be adjusted. I was not CANCELLING my booking, only changing the date, bringing it forward by a day. Why on earth have a "change my booking" option on the website? When the money only needs to be paid 24 hours later for a genuine booking, why create such a fuss?
I am going to make sure I spread this as much as I can to show how the hotel industry is simply full of such unprofessional charlatans.
#patheticIntercontinentalMarineDrive #patheticHotels.com
