STOP Booking.com from enforcing hotels to provide refunds without our consent! COVID-19

As a hotelier, I am currently being denied the right to offer an alternative solution and have absolutely no control of my own policies and processes. I am sure we all have our own policies in place that protect our business, employees and also maintain excellent guest service.

BOOKING.COM has initiated a process whereby the guest can request and process a refund without any input from the property or booking.com.This denies me the right to ask for proof. This is in direct conflict and breach of your own GTD.It also denies me the right to offer my guests an alternative solution such as date changes etc. There are always many alternative solutions other than simply returning the money. Most importantly it denies me the right to an interaction with MY guest to try and mitigate damages and try to build a relationship with MY guest.

While I appreciate your [Booking.com] attempt to make my life easier, I utterly object to you excluding me in the decision-making process of my business.

This entire situation is terrible and certainly unprecedented. However, BOOKING.COM is still required to honour the GTD. And the application of processes needs to protect ALL parties.

This situation is affecting all aspects of the tourism industry. Even airlines, cruise lines and major hotel chains are refusing refunds but are offering date changes or other compensations, as deemed appropriate at the time. It remains the right of the individual business to determine what is appropriate at the time.

When guests makes a booking, they have a choice to book either refundable or non-refundable rate. They are fully aware what this means, and the conditions are very clear before booking as well as in the booking confirmation they receive. The guest also has the additional option to take travel insurance to protect themselves in difficult situations.

As a business, mine and countless thousands of businesses around the world have policies and process in place to protect themselves in difficult situations. You have denied my the right to protect my business.

I have very clear policies in place to protect myself. However, your incorrect application of the GDT has put my business at serious risk. This is unacceptable and neither in the spirit of partnership nor in alignment with your own policies. You are in breach of your own terms and as I result you have caused my business financial damage.

As a result of this breach, please be advised that I will hold you completely responsible for any damages sustained due to you not following your own GTD and I reserve all my legal rights to protect my business, employees and guests.

I would strongly suggest that you change the way in which you implement the process of handling these affected bookings and include a step which allows the property to handle the situation themselves if required.

I advise you that if any other booking is automatically cancelled without my permission or without me having the opportunity to offer MY guests an alternative, I will expect you to refund me the money.