Refund for hotel in Prague booked direct

ghazghaz

I booked an hotel in Prague, paying by credit card direct with the hotel in local currency. The Czech government has closed all hotels. The hotel will not refund and offered a voucher. Can i request a dispute/chargeback with my credit card company even though i paid in czech krouna?

Thrugelmir

What were the terms that you acccepted when you booked the hotel? 

CKhalvashi

In principle, no, you have booked a room, that room is available and therefore you have no right to a refund unless the contract terms specifically state this.

If you booked non-cancellable rate, then a voucher is very generous. If you booked a cancellable rate and this offered cash refund, then yes. My CC outlet processed the refund in Sterling on S75, despite the transaction being in Euro, for a flight with SkyUp Airlines (Which was cancelled and Ukrainian law offers a refund within 7 days), so I'd expect the same to be done in this situation if you have a cancellable rate.

ghazghaz

Thank you
The terms and conditions did not include a clause on them being unable to provide the service due to a Pandemic. I booked in January 2020.
It was a non-cancellable rate. But it is not me that has cancelled, it is them that cancelled.

CKhalvashi

ghazghaz said:

Thank you
The terms and conditions did not include a clause on them being unable to provide the service due to a Pandemic. I booked in January 2020.
It was a non-cancellable rate. But it is not me that has cancelled, it is them that cancelled.

In this case, as you are unable to receive the service you've paid for, you should be fully entitled for a refund. When are you due to go? It may or may not depend on whether hotels are closed either at the time of your trip or (in general) 30 days before the trip.

Apologies, I had missed this point in the initial post and assumed (as is normally the case at this time) that you had decided not to go.

unforeseen

The hotel has not cancelled. The government has shut hotels. Not the same thing. This surely falls under travel insurance, not S75

CKhalvashi

unforeseen said:

The hotel has not cancelled. The government has shut hotels. Not the same thing. This surely falls under travel insurance, not S75

Therefore the hotel has cancelled due to government restrictions, which amounts to the same thing.

It is a Czech domestic issue to ensure that they put adequate support in place in such situations to support their businesses. This is not the issue of the OP.