Am I entitled to a refund on a non-refundable booking that has been cancelled by the hotel

I made a non-refundable hotel room booking through hotels.com. The hotel has contacted me to inform me that they will not be open for business during my stay because of the Coronavirus. I know I made the booking under the title "non-refundable", but my understanding is that I am not entitled to a refund only if I am the one to cancel the booking. I assume that, given the fact that the cancellation is not being made at my end and instead my order is not being fulfilled, I am entitled to a refund under EU contract law.

Edit: The hotel did not charge me for the booking. My card has been charged by hotels.com. If I cancel the booking through hotels.com's website it says I will not be refunded any money.

Best Answer

It might actually depend on where the hotel is.

Yes, EU contract law normally guarantees that you are entitled to a refund, but there are some EU governments that have taken extraordinary measures in order to reduce the monetary stress on the hotel and culture sector. For example, the Belgian government has taken some measures that allow the travel sector to forego the refunding of package tours and stays, on the condition that they provide a travel voucher for the same value that's valid for at least 1 year. You can find information in https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/03/18/minister-muylle-maatregelen-reizen-en-evenementen/ (It is Dutch, yes, but Google translate works well enough for a readable translation).

I recommend you check the official site for the health department of the country you are visiting as well as their news sites to verify if there are any active measures in the relevant country that may impact your right to a refund.

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What does non-refundable booking mean?

With a Non-Refundable Rate, guests pay the full price if they cancel, make changes, or no-show. Adding a Non-Refundable Rate to your property can reduce cancellations and help you secure guaranteed payment for reservations. In this article.

Can a hotel cancel my reservation?

Cancellations can occur when the booking is for a hotel that is new or undergoing renovations. If there has been a delay, the hotel can end up in a situation where they cannot accommodate guests on their travel dates and needs to cancel the booking. Hotels also cancel if there has been a change of circumstances.

Can you cancel a non-refundable booking com?

Even if a guest has booked a non-refundable rate, they can ask to cancel this free of charge. Our research shows that guests are most likely to cancel accidental bookings within 24 hours. In fact, 25% of all cancellation requests are made within this period.

Can you cancel hotel reservations and get your money back?

If your booking qualifies for cancellation without penalty and you're traveling in the near future, call Chase, American Express, Citi or any other flexible rewards program to find out what your options are. An agent may be able to cancel your reservation and provide a refund directly.

Can you cancel non refundable hotel on booking com?

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