I have used Booking.com for years and have always trusted that, if a serious issue arose, they would stand behind their customers. Unfortunately, this experience completely changed my opinion.

I booked a property that, upon arrival, appeared to be in an area where I genuinely did not feel safe. I chose not to check in because I was uncomfortable with the condition of the surroundings and the property itself. Instead of receiving support or having my concerns taken seriously, my refund request was simply denied.

The most disappointing part of this experience was not just the hotel—it was Booking.com’s complete lack of customer support. There was no meaningful attempt to understand the situation, no reasonable compromise, and no concern for the fact that a customer was choosing not to stay because they felt unsafe. It felt as though the only thing that mattered was enforcing the reservation, regardless of the circumstances.

A booking platform should do more than process payments; it should advocate for its customers when legitimate concerns arise. In this case, Booking.com failed to do that.
After this experience, I have lost confidence in using Booking.com. If customer safety and satisfaction are important to you, be aware that if something goes wrong, you may find yourself dealing with the issue alone. I will seriously reconsider using Booking.com for future travel and will be looking at other platforms that place greater value on supporting their customers.