The hotel I booked closed due to COVID but didn’t want to refund me the money

Lqg13

I booked a hotel in Mexico in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic, for May that year. The hotel closed due to Covid and all they offered me was changing the dates because my booking was non refundable. Due to the restrictions, etc. I wasn’t able to go when rearranged (same time this year), but because it was my choice not to go, they only offered me a voucher that I had to use before the end of the year. Given that the first time around THEY closed the hotel and that’s why I couldn’t go, should have they refunded me the money despite being a non refundable booking? If so, can I ask for a refund now and what would I have to do? It was over £2000 that I paid and I will not be able to go before the voucher expires. Thanks

Backbiter

Had a similar issue with non-refundable bookings. They also issued vouchers valid till Sept of this year, which we were unable to use. Hotels.com tried to help but couldn't get us a refund. The only solution was an insurance claim, which needed mounds of paperwork, but they (Barclays/ Aviva) did pay up pretty promptly, even though it was over a year between the original booking and the expiry of the vouchers.

munchpot

Lqg13 said:

I booked a hotel in Mexico in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic, for May that year. The hotel closed due to Covid and all they offered me was changing the dates because my booking was non refundable. Due to the restrictions, etc. I wasn’t able to go when rearranged (same time this year), but because it was my choice not to go, they only offered me a voucher that I had to use before the end of the year. Given that the first time around THEY closed the hotel and that’s why I couldn’t go, should have they refunded me the money despite being a non refundable booking? If so, can I ask for a refund now and what would I have to do? It was over £2000 that I paid and I will not be able to go before the voucher expires. Thanks

If you booked direct with the hotel then you'll be claiming under Mexican consumer laws, or did you use a booking agent.

I think where you will have issues is that you accepted the date change when they first closed. This made the new date a new booking, totally separate from the first. (i.e. the issues of cancellation were accepted by you and you agreed to move the booking date)

This means that as it's now you who chose not to travel by offering a voucher they are offering you more than they would be required to.

Lqg13

Backbiter said:

Had a similar issue with non-refundable bookings. They also issued vouchers valid till Sept of this year, which we were unable to use. Hotels.com tried to help but couldn't get us a refund. The only solution was an insurance claim, which needed mounds of paperwork, but they (Barclays/ Aviva) did pay up pretty promptly, even though it was over a year between the original booking and the expiry of the vouchers.

I contacted my insurance but Covid related issues are not covered so wouldn’t give me a refund. Was covid covered under your insurance or how did you get it paid?

Lqg13

munchpot said:

If you booked direct with the hotel then you'll be claiming under Mexican consumer laws, or did you use a booking agent.

I think where you will have issues is that you accepted the date change when they first closed. This made the new date a new booking, totally separate from the first. (i.e. the issues of cancellation were accepted by you and you agreed to move the booking date)

This means that as it's now you who chose not to travel by offering a voucher they are offering you more than they would be required to.

I booked directly with the hotel but it’s Melia, which are global so not sure jf that would still fall under Mexican laws?
I only accepted that offer because they said that was all they could offer, which I could have argued if I knew that I had the right to get refunded and in which case I may still have a case to fight?

Backbiter

Lqg13 said:

Backbiter said:

Had a similar issue with non-refundable bookings. They also issued vouchers valid till Sept of this year, which we were unable to use. Hotels.com tried to help but couldn't get us a refund. The only solution was an insurance claim, which needed mounds of paperwork, but they (Barclays/ Aviva) did pay up pretty promptly, even though it was over a year between the original booking and the expiry of the vouchers.

I contacted my insurance but Covid related issues are not covered so wouldn’t give me a refund. Was covid covered under your insurance or how did you get it paid?

Yes, we had a long-standing annual policy through the bank, and we booked the hotel before the pandemic hit. It may be that the policy we have is no longer available to new customers. The flights we booked separately were refunded in vouchers so we didn't have to claim for them.

Keep_pedalling

Lqg13 said:

munchpot said:

If you booked direct with the hotel then you'll be claiming under Mexican consumer laws, or did you use a booking agent.

I think where you will have issues is that you accepted the date change when they first closed. This made the new date a new booking, totally separate from the first. (i.e. the issues of cancellation were accepted by you and you agreed to move the booking date)

This means that as it's now you who chose not to travel by offering a voucher they are offering you more than they would be required to.

I booked directly with the hotel but it’s Melia, which are global so not sure jf that would still fall under Mexican laws?
I only accepted that offer because they said that was all they could offer, which I could have argued if I knew that I had the right to get refunded and in which case I may still have a case to fight?

Melia is a Spanish company but like many of these big hotel companies they don’t own all the hotels sitting under their brands, many if not most are franchises with each hotel having its own owners so the likelihood is that it falls under Mexican law, and any credit you have been given it not transferable to another hotel in the group.

Westin

Lqg13 said:

munchpot said:

If you booked direct with the hotel then you'll be claiming under Mexican consumer laws, or did you use a booking agent.

I think where you will have issues is that you accepted the date change when they first closed. This made the new date a new booking, totally separate from the first. (i.e. the issues of cancellation were accepted by you and you agreed to move the booking date)

This means that as it's now you who chose not to travel by offering a voucher they are offering you more than they would be required to.

I booked directly with the hotel but it’s Melia, which are global so not sure jf that would still fall under Mexican laws?
I only accepted that offer because they said that was all they could offer, which I could have argued if I knew that I had the right to get refunded and in which case I may still have a case to fight?

With respect, are you sure?  It seems you booked direct with a hotel in Mexico. You would need to understand what the consumer protection rules and laws are in Mexico (or which ever country the booking agreement terms & conditions are governed). It could well be that a limited time credit was all that was what they needed to offer.