Booking.com Hotel Reservation Turned Into a Nightmare - Double Payment Issue

We had a terrible experience with a hotel reservation made through Booking.com. We booked four nights and two rooms at the Paris Sublim By Sweet hotel, fully paid in advance. Traveling as two families, the other family encountered visa issues and was detained at Orly Airport for three days. When we arrived at the hotel, we explained the situation, requested to cancel their reservation, and asked for a refund. The hotel refused and directed us to Booking.com for assistance.

To avoid further complications, we asked the hotel to hold their room key until the situation was resolved. The next day, we learned the detained family would be released a day early. When we asked the hotel for the key, they informed us the reservation had been canceled, demanded payment for the same room again, and charged us twice for the room we had already paid for.

This was an unacceptable and distressing experience. Booking.com’s support was nonexistent, and the hotel’s actions were exploitative. I strongly discourage anyone from using Booking.com, as their lack of accountability has caused us significant financial and emotional stress.