Expedia - hotel cost quadrupled

LiviaCalibri

Has anyone got any advice on this? Last August we booked a hotel-and-flights package to Baku via Expedia. It was for this coming June during Euro 2020 - we booked early and pre-paid in full because we knew prices would likely go high as the tournament approached and we wanted peace of mind that all was arranged. Today, however, I had a message from the hotel, via Expedia, that the price would increase because of circumstances beyond their control. The increase was from £470 to over £2100!!! I called Expedia who contacted the hotel but the response was that we had booked too early before they had accessed their ‘Expedia calendar’ for the year. Expedia would not honour the original agreement and would only offer a cancellation and a refund. And now we are left to find an alternative hotel at a time when bookings in Baku are at a premium - and we are penalised because of some miscommunication between the hotel and Expedia. We accepted the cancellation because we no longer trust this hotel to have a room available for us when we arrive - and not to hike prices further. I’ve sent a complaint form to Expedia but I wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences and whether there is anywhere else we can take our complaint to. Also, our story might serve as a warning that even if you’ve booked and paid for your trip via Expedia, prices might still go up - dramatically!

Backbiter

A very similar thing happened to my brother last summer. He's a Chelsea fan, and decided to book a cheap, fully cancellable room in Baku for the Europa league final, months in advance and way before Chelsea had even reached the final.
As soon as they made the final, he bought his flights, but about a week before the trip he was contacted by booking.com to say the hotel had cancelled his booking. Apparently they did this to loads of fans. In the end the hotel arranged alternative accommodation in a half-built building that he was pretty appalled by but had little choice but to accept.

LiviaCalibri

Well, no response from Expedia to my complaint yet (though I am now getting promo emails from them saying ‘hotel rooms in Baku are running out - book now’ That’s somewhat rubbing salt in the wounds). Your brother’s story doesn’t fill me with hope either. We’re two women travelling on our own and worried that, even if we book another hotel, we’ll get there and find the price has gone up again or there’s no room at all. Thanks for the warning though - we were considering going through booking.com instead.

LittleMrsThrifty

Perhaps try booking direct with a hotel?

YIB213

LiviaCalibri said:

Has anyone got any advice on this? Last August we booked a hotel-and-flights package to Baku via Expedia. It was for this coming June during Euro 2020 - we booked early and pre-paid in full because we knew prices would likely go high as the tournament approached and we wanted peace of mind that all was arranged. Today, however, I had a message from the hotel, via Expedia, that the price would increase because of circumstances beyond their control. The increase was from £470 to over £2100!!! I called Expedia who contacted the hotel but the response was that we had booked too early before they had accessed their ‘Expedia calendar’ for the year. Expedia would not honour the original agreement and would only offer a cancellation and a refund. And now we are left to find an alternative hotel at a time when bookings in Baku are at a premium - and we are penalised because of some miscommunication between the hotel and Expedia. We accepted the cancellation because we no longer trust this hotel to have a room available for us when we arrive - and not to hike prices further. I’ve sent a complaint form to Expedia but I wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences and whether there is anywhere else we can take our complaint to. Also, our story might serve as a warning that even if you’ve booked and paid for your trip via Expedia, prices might still go up - dramatically!

Hello
This might not be of any consolation, but it sounds like the hotel was trying their luck, and unfortunately seems to have gotten away with it. If they mis-sold a room or can no longer accommodate you for whatever reason, the onus is on them (provided it isn't in the cancellation policy that they can do so) to relocate you and foot the bill for it. Expedia has a relocations team that would have liaised with you to find alternative accommodation with the same min. criteria and sent the invoice for the difference to the hotel. If they wanted to dispute it thereafter, it would be down to them and Expedia to sort amongst themselves.
I'm sorry this won't help now as you've accepted the cancellation, but good to keep in mind for next time. In that sense, sometimes you're better off not going direct as you may not have the same protection (i.e., Expedia was the merchant in this case if you pre-paid it all to them at time of booking).

cubegame

YIB213 said:

LiviaCalibri said:

Has anyone got any advice on this? Last August we booked a hotel-and-flights package to Baku via Expedia. It was for this coming June during Euro 2020 - we booked early and pre-paid in full because we knew prices would likely go high as the tournament approached and we wanted peace of mind that all was arranged. Today, however, I had a message from the hotel, via Expedia, that the price would increase because of circumstances beyond their control. The increase was from £470 to over £2100!!! I called Expedia who contacted the hotel but the response was that we had booked too early before they had accessed their ‘Expedia calendar’ for the year. Expedia would not honour the original agreement and would only offer a cancellation and a refund. And now we are left to find an alternative hotel at a time when bookings in Baku are at a premium - and we are penalised because of some miscommunication between the hotel and Expedia. We accepted the cancellation because we no longer trust this hotel to have a room available for us when we arrive - and not to hike prices further. I’ve sent a complaint form to Expedia but I wondered if anyone else has had similar experiences and whether there is anywhere else we can take our complaint to. Also, our story might serve as a warning that even if you’ve booked and paid for your trip via Expedia, prices might still go up - dramatically!

Hello
This might not be of any consolation, but it sounds like the hotel was trying their luck, and unfortunately seems to have gotten away with it. If they mis-sold a room or can no longer accommodate you for whatever reason, the onus is on them (provided it isn't in the cancellation policy that they can do so) to relocate you and foot the bill for it. Expedia has a relocations team that would have liaised with you to find alternative accommodation with the same min. criteria and sent the invoice for the difference to the hotel. If they wanted to dispute it thereafter, it would be down to them and Expedia to sort amongst themselves.
I'm sorry this won't help now as you've accepted the cancellation, but good to keep in mind for next time. In that sense, sometimes you're better off not going direct as you may not have the same protection (i.e., Expedia was the merchant in this case if you pre-paid it all to them at time of booking).

This post makes the Expedia relocations team sound useful and reminds me of the time I spent an hour on the phone in the reception of a full hotel which didn't have a room for me while they found me a hotel 120 miles away.

LiviaCalibri

Just an update on what happened subsequently after my Baku hotel dilemma - and to say thanks to all who read and replied.  I booked a new hotel (not via Expedia) but continued plugging away with my complaint and highlighting my story via social media/review sites. Finally Expedia agreed to add to the refund they originally gave me - and pay the difference between the original hotel and the new hotel. I’m happy with the outcome and it shows perseverance does pay off.

Of course, that’s not to say Euro 2020 won’t get cancelled now!