Denied Check-In at London Hotel, Hotels.com Refused Refund

I made a reservation through Hotels.com for a stay at the Britannia Hyde Park Hotel in London for the dates December 28 – January 3. However, due to a date selection mistake in the system, I accidentally selected January 28 – February 3 instead. Despite this, when I went to the hotel on December 28 to check in, the front desk refused my check-in due to the date mismatch.

Even though I physically went to the hotel, I was not allowed to enter the room, did not stay at the hotel, and did not receive any service at all. Despite this, on December 24, an amount of approximately $694 USD was charged to my card. In other words, although the payment was taken, no service was provided, and I was literally left stranded in London on the night of December 28. Because my money was not refunded, I was unable to arrange an alternative hotel at that moment and suffered serious hardship.

I had great difficulty contacting the hotel; they do not answer the phone and are almost impossible to reach. Afterward, when I reviewed online comments, I saw that many other guests had experienced similar problems. I then contacted Hotels.com multiple times, clearly explaining that I had paid but received no service, and requested a refund. The only response I received from Hotels.com was: “Unfortunately, the hotel did not agree to a refund. We’re sorry we couldn’t offer you a better solution.” My situation was completely ignored.

I have since returned to Istanbul, and traveling back to London between January 28 and February 3 is not possible for me, either financially or in terms of my personal circumstances. I also have no desire to stay again at such an irresponsible and unreachable hotel. Charging $694 USD for a reservation where no service was provided, and disregarding the hardship I experienced, is unacceptable. I demand that the full amount charged be refunded to me in full, without any deductions.