I Was Attacked by Bed Bugs in a Berlin Booking.com Rental and Only Got 30% Refund

During my stay at a Booking.com rental in Berlin, I experienced a severe bed bug infestation. In the middle of the night—around 1:00 AM—I woke up to find bed bugs crawling all over the bed, pillows, and even my body. I was bitten across my entire body and had no choice but to immediately leave the property and find emergency accommodation elsewhere.

This stay was meant to be a restful pause in the middle of a longer vacation. We had brought groceries and supplies to cook and relax in the apartment. Because of the infestation, we had to throw away all the food and were forced to spend an additional €100 for a last-minute hotel room.

We documented everything—including photos of the bugs—and reported the issue to both the property owner and Booking.com support right away. Despite the evidence, we were only refunded 30% of the original booking fee. Booking.com claimed it couldn’t intervene further because refunds were at the host’s discretion. That excuse is completely unacceptable.

Booking.com takes zero responsibility in situations where customer health and safety are clearly compromised. Their lack of support and refusal to cover even the minimum extra costs (new accommodation and lost groceries) was infuriating.

I expect full compensation for the night lost, the extra accommodation expenses, and the spoiled items. More importantly, I demand that Booking.com show accountability when serious health and hygiene issues occur. This platform has clearly failed to protect the customer in this situation, and I urge them to correct this mistreatment immediately.