Booking.com Offered $5 Wallet Credit After $260 Forced Hotel Rebooking

I am requesting assistance regarding a severe issue I experienced with a confirmed Booking.com reservation.

I booked a 1-week stay for 2 adults and 3 children (ages 8, 11, and 15) at vodenıcata 7 Apartment Sveti Vlas in Sveti Vlas, Bulgaria, for July 25 – August 1, 2026. My reservation was confirmed by Booking.com, assigned a confirmation number, and a total payment of $636 was processed. However, upon arriving at the property, I was informed that the booked unit was unfit for occupancy, meaning I received no accommodation service whatsoever.

My initial booking was canceled free of charge by Booking.com. They suggested an alternative option, but the recommended property was not equivalent to my original booking and failed to meet my family's needs. To prevent further disruption, I was forced to make a second reservation through Booking.com for the exact same dates at Dom-El Real Apartments 4 – Sveti Vlas, where we completed our stay.

I paid $636 for the first reservation and $896 for the second, mandatory rebooking. The price difference of $260 stems entirely from Booking.com's failure to provide the initial confirmed reservation. Had my original booking been honored, I would not have needed to pay for a significantly more expensive alternative.

Following multiple contacts with Booking.com customer support, they offered me a mere $5 wallet credit. This trivial amount comes nowhere close to covering my actual financial loss.

I demand a full resolution to this issue and reimbursement for the $260 price difference that I was forced to incur due to this failed booking.