Hotel won't honour my booking

JAPYE

11 months ago I booked a hotel in Edinburgh for the festival this year. I booked via Booking.com with a free cancellation (pay at the the hotel deal). Today I emailed the hotel just to double check. They replied to say that due to an administrative error they have overbooked and can no longer fulfil the room.
I have contacted Booking.com who confirm that the hotel did acknowledge receipt of the booking 11 months ago when it was made. They rang the hotel for me, the owner admits it's his administrative fault, but he won't let me have the room.
Booking.com have said that I can book another similar hotel and if I have to pay more then they will try to get me a refund. Note, they will TRY. No guarantee.
Hotel rooms are now significantly more than they were 11 months ago and similar hotels with the same star rating and review scores are at least twice as much.
What rights do I have? Can I insist that the hotel that isn't fulfilling my booking pays whatever it takes to stay in a hotel in the same area with the same ratings? Do Booking.com have an obligation to sort this out?

Ectophile

I think the best you would be able to do would be to make a claim for loss of bargain - that's the amount of money you have lost because you are being forced to make a late booking.

First you need to know who you need to claim off - is it bookings.com or the hotel? It's probably in the small print somewhere.

Lorian

Name and shame?

You might have problems getting anything decent now - I've recently made two bookings during the festival period and rooms were scarce, so you compromise very much on price or distance from town.

JAPYE

Thanks. I think I have got lucky. Found a BnB maybe just over a mile from the centre and for only three nights instead of the four I'd originally booked....but for £40 less per night than the original.


It's too risky for me to book something more expensive and central in the hope that Booking.com will be able to chase the balance out of the first hotelier.


Everything is weighted to the hotel. If I forget or can't turn up for a booking then I get charged the full rate anyway. If I turn up and the hotel has forgotten or lost my booking then I get sincere apologies!