Hotels.com Didn’t Warn About Cyprus Border Issue, I Booked in Greek Side and Lost Money
I booked a hotel in Cyprus through the Hotels.com app, but since it was my first time visiting, I wasn’t familiar with the geography. Without realizing, I accidentally booked a property located in the Greek Cypriot region, where Turkish citizens are not permitted to enter through the northern border.
After discovering this, I immediately requested a refund, as it was a legal entry issue, not a personal change of plans. However, the hotel refused to issue a refund, and Hotels.com did nothing to support my claim.
Nowhere on the booking page did it clearly state that the property was located in the Greek-administered South. Such a critical detail—especially for travelers subject to border restrictions—should have been clearly highlighted.
I also tried to contact Hotels.com customer service, but it’s nearly impossible to reach a real person, and no one took accountability for the issue.
This is a serious platform failure. I’m now out the full amount I paid due to insufficient location transparency on Hotels.com. I demand that the full amount be refunded and that the platform update its listings to include regional entry restrictions for travelers. I will never use Hotels.com again unless this is resolved.
Since the hotel called Mountains Retreat Rooms & Suites, which we booked through Hotels.com, is on the Greek side and they do not accept Turks, we informed the hotel that we would not be able to check in. However, they stated that they could not refund the amount due to hotel procedures. Even though I informed them that they did not accept us due to national policies, they insisted on charging the amount. I do not think this behavior is ethical. I do not recommend booking this hotel even for Turks who have a Schengen visa. We request that the amount in question be refunded to us.
Hello, the process still hasn't been resolved, but it appears as if it has been. The brand still hasn't even contacted me.
