Booking.com (www.booking.com) has a 1.1 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 246 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Travel & Vacation and its reputation is poor. 96% of reviews are 1 star, a relatively high share; The business has not yet replied to negative reviews. Last updated 2026-08-10.
What people say
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Tamara · 1 review · Experienced 2026-07-08 ·
★★★★★
Hidden fees and terrible customer…
Hidden fees and terrible customer service – paid vaucher for pick up location airport and charged by Budget for location airport (double).
I am extremely disappointed with my car rental experience through Booking.com. I booked a car in advance and received a fully paid voucher for a pick-up at Tromsø Airport.
However, when I arrived at the Budget desk, they refused to hand over the car unless I paid an additional fee for the airport pick-up location, which amounted to approximately 180 EUR_ A LOT JUST FOR PICK UP LOCATION! This fee should have already been included in my Booking.com voucher. I was forced to pay just to get the car.
To make matters worse, Booking.com's customer service has been completely useless. I contacted them immediately, but I received irrelevant automated responses telling me to contact them after the rental ends, instead of resolving the issue right away.
Furthermore, I contacted their customer service center after the rental period ended, and they dismissed me, claiming there was nothing they could do since I had agreed to the fee upon signing the contract. Some agents told me I should have called them right away, while others replied via email telling me to report it after the rental. They are completely contradicting themselves just to avoid taking responsibility.
This is unacceptable behavior toward a loyal, long-term customer. I demand a full refund of the 180 EUR that was wrongfully charged. Avoid booking cars here if you don’t want to experience hidden costs and zero support!
On top of that, while you are looking for reservations, they constantly spam you, but when you write a complaint, you have to wait 4 days for a response. I am deeply disappointed with car rentals through Booking.com; they completely refuse to understand or cooperate.
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K R · 1 review · Experienced 2026-06-30 ·
★★★★★
I booked a small hotel close to an…
I booked a small hotel close to an important.event I was attending.i booked it months on advance. A few weejs beforecthe event Booking.com cancelled it. They blamed the hitel . I rang the hotel, they blamed Booking.com for double booking.
I received no apology and no compensation. Ill never use Booking.com again
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Jackie · 6 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-01 ·
★★★★★
Room cancelled with no notice
I booked a weekend away as part of a Birthday party of 10 via booking.com. 1-2 August. The booking said free cancellation up to the 28/7 and pay at hotel, however when I arrived, booking.com had cancelled my room. It was race weekend and no other rooms anywhere. I called booking .com who said my room had been cancelled on the 27th due to not paying, I asked why it had said pay at hotel and also why I had no notification of the cancellation, infact the only email I received was on 28/7 asking if I wnted to extend my stay. Lady I was speaking to was extremely rude, said we haven’t charged you anything and cut me off. It ruined my weekend totally I will never use this service again.
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Douglas Ross · 33 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-24 ·
★★★★★
Website implied breakfast included
Website implied breakfast included, but we were charged. Unclear until you read the small print. Customer service were very unhelpful. The website should be more clear.
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michael · 3 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
I had a very disappointing experience…
I had a very disappointing experience with Booking.com. I booked a round-trip flight from the Netherlands to the United States through their platform. The day before my scheduled return flight, the airline emailed passengers warning of potential delays and cancellations due to severe weather and encouraged us to proactively rebook our flights using a weather waiver they had issued.
I followed the airline's guidance and rebooked my flight to avoid likely disruptions. However, Booking.com still charged me a rebooking fee, despite the airline's waiver. I then had to contact Booking.com to request a refund of the fee. Throughout the process, I received no proactive communication or updates and had to repeatedly follow up myself.
After waiting for a response, I was informed that I was not eligible for a refund because my flight change was considered "voluntary," even though it was made in direct response to the airline's recommendation and weather waiver. I found this extremely frustrating and disappointing. Rather than supporting customers during an unavoidable weather event, Booking.com chose to enforce a fee that the airline itself had intended to waive.
Based on this experience, I found Booking.com's customer service lacking, and I have lost confidence in their willingness to stand behind their customers. I have no intention of using Booking.com again and will book directly with airlines in the future to avoid similar issues.
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Robert Williams · 4 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
I've boycotted them
I've boycotted them. Awful clueless customer service I am a level 3 genius with them but I'd rather pay more to book than book through booking.com in thd future
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NameME · 3 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-19 ·
★★★★★
I went on a trip and booked hotel for 2…
I went on a trip and booked hotel for 2 nights through booking.com. On arriving administration told me, that I had booking starting already yesterday. They didnt have any rooms for the next day, so I had to swich hotels.
I tried to get in touch with booking.com, but only answer I got was "someone will contact you in 24hours". Of course, nobody connected me and I just lost my money. Also, it was on F1 weekend, so finding new hotel was impossible.
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Annelie · 20 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
They don't have any customer service
hey don't have any customer service. I wrote to them about the 364 SEK reward I haven't received—I've been waiting over six months now—and got an email directing me to a phone number where you speak to an AI assistant that passes you on to Booking.com... CRAPPY SITE!!!
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maria jimenez · 6 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-28 ·
★★★★★
The worse customer service
The worse customer service, you are not protected through this platform and you cannot talk to any person about the complaints! It’s a false sense of security! Full of scams and nobody to fix the problems
Booked a 5 day holiday and paid the whole amount upfront.Well I get to the hotel at night having already emailed the hotel to say it was a late check in. Arrive and hotel is closed no people no info I’m stuck on the street during the night with my suitcase and nowhere to go. I go to another hotel who tries to call to other hotels in the area to get me a place to stay the night seeing as booking let me down in this process I’m on call with booking too . I am on the phone to booking who reassures me that they will find another hotel and compensate me the money as it’s their fault this happen and will call me back reg a new place to stay. Almost two hours later while I’m sat late at night in the lobby of this hotel ( the reception there is trying to help me calling around to hotels) I get an email saying booking has found a hotel and for me to go there now. So another taxi trip later I’m there . I get into the new hotel which is lovely. I sleep I eat breakfast the next day so happy to relax. Well fun isnt over because booking has NOT paid for my compensation stay !!!!Now I’m told to pay this amount myself due to booking not paying the hotel bill. It’s 206€! I have no choice than to pay because now when I call booking the reservation code isnt working so I can’t speak to anyone! The hotel then calls my original hotel( I already paid for 5 days at )to ask if I’m still booked in they say yes?!! I get into yet another cab to go to this original booked hotel and have to now prove via online banking I paid them!!!!! ( I did and have proof) On top I’m told a story about different booking systems and I keep saying I booked with booking. Now suddenly this hotel cant give me my booked room and I’m put into another room. Two almost wasted days and 206€ poorer due to bookings complete incompetence. If I don’t get the 206€ refunded plus taxi trips I’ll be taking this further not only the legal route but I’m sure my journalist friends would love a story about a company leaving a guest stranded at night then takes money off said guest and goes quiet. Booking should be ashamed ! Watch this space . If booking pays me back and does the right thing I’ll update here.
It was all a havoc from the moment I started my booking. The property did not only deny my booking, the service team even failed to find any nearest alternate accomodation. Luckily, had found an alternate place. On contacting the customer care again, for reporting this, they let me down. It was a chain of negligence throghout. No one was been able to provide me a proper solution and all was in a hurry to close my case.
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Arsh Singh · 9 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-23 ·
★★★★★
Serious booking.com partner concerns
I am a Booking.com property partner and am filing this complaint regarding Booking.com's handling of a serious review moderation issue.
A guest reserved our property but never entered or stayed at the accommodation. They met our staff at the designated check-in meeting location, refused to proceed, and the reservation was recorded as a no-show. Despite never viewing the property, the guest left a 1/10 review containing serious allegations, including referring to our staff as "abductors," claiming they were never provided the property address (which was provided through Booking.com and directly to the guest), and discussing a completely unrelated reservation and Booking.com's handling of that separate matter.
More importantly, guest requested a full refund and were denied which resulted in a 1/10 review, affecting our business negatively since it was posted.
Despite multiple requests and providing documentation, Booking.com has repeatedly responded with generic template replies without addressing the evidence submitted or explaining how the review complies with their guidelines.
This complaint is not about disagreeing with a negative review. It is about Booking.com failing to properly evaluate documented evidence of review manipulation, false statements, and irrelevant content while allowing significant harm to a property partner's reputation.
I am requesting that Booking.com conduct a meaningful review of this matter and provide a specific explanation regarding how this review complies with their published review standards.
In addition to the review moderation concerns, we have also experienced repeated reservation cancellations by Booking.com that resulted in significant financial losses. In multiple cases, reservations were cancelled without adequate communication, sufficient time for us to respond, or proper review of the message history showing we were actively working with the guest to resolve the situation. These cancellations have resulted in nearly $10,000 in lost revenue, yet Booking.com has taken no responsibility or provided a meaningful resolution. Reference number is reservation number.
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S.L. · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-26 ·
★★★★★
Never take the "pay in advance" rate - you'll never see your money again
After ~20 years of loyalty and thousands of dollars spent, I’m done with Booking[dot]com ("Booking"). Getting a simple refund for a medical cancellation was an exhausting rigamarole that proved they have zero accountability.
The lesson I learned: Never ever take the "pay in advance" rate offered through Booking. Skip Booking altogether if you want to be treated with any respect.
I canceled my stay over two days in advance for health reasons. Booking only gave me a partial refund, blaming "offer terms" and claiming the hotel had to release the rest. The hotel, however, confirmed they never received any payment for my stay.
What followed was 2 weeks of being put through the ringer:
1) _Hidden Support:_ They have no posted customer service number. I had to find it on Reddit. It's 1-888-850-3958.
2) _Dead Ends:_ An agent gave me a bounced email address to send proof to the hotel's refund approval.
3) _Disrespectful Conduct:_ Two of the three agents I worked with hung up on me. First time, while asking her to wait on the line with me to confirm the receipt of my proof. Second time, in the middle of explaining why my proof was not enough.
4) _Pointless Hurdles:_ They made me do all this and still rejected the hotel's approval over "technical" language... then ignored me for a week when I fixed it.
When the hotel’s general manager stepped in to advocate for me, Booking questioned her identity, said they’d call back to verify it and never did. They’re lying to their customers and taking their money. They blame their arbitrary cancellation fees on the partners (hotels, rental agencies, etc.) when these partners receive none of the money.
Ultimately, the hotel and I have wasted 5+ hours chasing $98. Booking lied, obfuscated, and are literally running away with our money. ZERO ethics.
I just learned that Booking paid a $9.5 million settlement to avoid going to court for their deception. (Look up the suit filed by the AG Ken Paxton in Texas.) Message me if there's another lawsuit against these jerks. I'm all in.
I plan to cross-post this on different sites to make sure people see it. This is my authentic experience and I will gladly answer questions and provide proof.
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Marlon Brown · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-23 ·
★★★★★
0 Star
Star – Very Disappointed with Booking.com and Aldgate East By Excel Apartments
I have always used Booking.com because I trusted the platform and believed it protected its customers. Unfortunately, my recent experience with Aldgate East By Excel Apartments has seriously damaged that trust.
I booked Aldgate East By Excel Apartments through Booking.com, and my payment was taken immediately. Within five minutes of making the booking, I contacted the apartment directly to confirm a few important details.
I asked whether the apartment had a balcony, and they confirmed that it did. I then asked whether I would be allowed to smoke on the balcony. I was told that smoking was not permitted anywhere on the property, including the balcony. As this made the accommodation unsuitable for my needs, I requested to cancel the booking immediately.
During the conversation, I was also informed that I would be required to pay a £350 security deposit, which would only be refunded between 5 and 15 days after my stay. This was not something I was prepared for, and I was unhappy to discover this after making the booking.
I contacted both Aldgate East By Excel Apartments and Booking.com straight away. Despite cancelling within five minutes of booking, I waited over a week for a response. In the end, I was simply told that the booking was non-refundable.
I find this extremely unfair. I acted immediately, the accommodation had not been used, and there was plenty of time for it to be rebooked. Instead of taking my circumstances into account, both companies relied on the non-refundable policy without offering a reasonable solution.
As a long-time Booking.com customer, I expected much better. I chose Booking.com because I believed it offered trustworthy service and customer protection. Unfortunately, this experience left me feeling ignored, out of pocket, and very disappointed.
I hope both Booking.com and Aldgate East By Excel Apartments improve the way they deal with genuine customer concerns. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this booking process.
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Asif Iqbal · 1 review · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
1 Star
1 Star – A Terrible Experience That Has Lost My Business Forever
I have been a loyal customer who has booked many flights and hotels over the years through Booking.com. Unfortunately, my most recent experience has been so disappointing that I will never use Booking.com or GoToGate again.
I booked a Qatar Airways flight through Booking.com, only to discover that the booking was being handled by GoToGate. When significant disruption occurred in the Middle East and my outbound flight was delayed, I contacted GoToGate expecting reasonable customer service and a fair resolution.
Instead, I was met with an inflexible and dismissive attitude. I spoke with a floor manager, Sahel, who refused to consider the circumstances or offer any meaningful assistance. Despite explaining the situation in detail, there was absolutely no willingness to help or find a reasonable solution.
What disappointed me most was not simply the refusal to refund my outbound flight, but the complete lack of empathy and customer care. After spending thousands of pounds over the years on bookings, I expected to be treated as a valued customer. Instead, I felt like just another transaction.
This experience has cost Booking.com and GoToGate far more than the value of one flight. They have lost a long-term customer who has generated thousands of pounds in bookings over the years, and I will now be taking my business elsewhere.
My advice to anyone considering booking flights is simple: be extremely careful when booking through Booking.com if the booking is fulfilled by GoToGate. If something goes wrong, don’t expect the level of customer service you would hope for. My experience was frustrating, disappointing and left me feeling completely let down.
I cannot recommend either company based on this experience, and I certainly won’t be using them again.
J
James Wheeler · 1 review · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
The most unresponsive backwards OTA in…
The most unresponsive backwards OTA in the world. Do not post your property. Laughing at us while saying they’ll call us back. How they operate I’ll never know
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Ali Ayoub · 2 reviews · Experienced 2026-07-23 ·
★★★★★
Booking.com denied my claim twice despite video evidence of defective rental car
Booking.com facilitated a car rental through Surprice at Sarande Port, Albania. The vehicle had mechanical defects I identified and recorded on video before leaving the lot. I reported the issues to Surprice immediately via WhatsApp with timestamps. I was told no alternative automatics were available unless I paid for a premium upgrade. I accepted the car under duress as I had no other transportation options at a remote port location.
Three days in, Surprice offered to swap the vehicle but only if I drove it five hours back to Sarande myself. They would not bring a replacement.
I filed a complaint with Booking.com providing video evidence from pickup and return, WhatsApp records proving immediate supplier notification, and a full account of what happened. They denied my claim twice, calling it "final," claiming I never contacted the supplier (false and documented) and that signing the rental agreement meant I accepted the vehicle's condition.
Booking.com hides behind the word "intermediary" while profiting from suppliers providing defective vehicles. They refused to escalate beyond the same team that denied the claim.
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Martina Lognon · 5 reviews · Experienced 2026-08-06 ·
★★★★★
Refund
When we arrived at our holiday accommodation in Whitby we were provided with an access code to the apartment that did not work. We immediately messaged holiday accommodation but received no response. We attempted to call several times, left a voicemail, and still heard nothing. As a result, we contacted Booking.com. The representative was also unable to reach the property and advised us that the accommodation would be cancelled and that we had to purchase another property.
Shortly after ending the call, a lady from the property finally contacted us and explained that she had been on her break. She provided a new code, which allowed us to access the apartment at approximately 2:00 a.m. By this point, we had spent hours trying to gain access and were completely exhausted, which significantly affected the following day of our holiday.
Unfortunately, the problems continued. The following evening, when we returned at around 6:00 p.m, the apartment code once again failed. After messaging the property, someone attended. When we eventually gained access, we discovered that the beds had been stripped despite all of our belongings still being inside. This caused further inconvenience and concern. We were then given yet another code.
We are extremely disappointed by the lack of communication, the repeated access issues, and the disruption caused to our stay.
But we are even more disappointed about how Booking.com handled our case.
Following this, I contacted Booking.com customer service several times. On each occasion, I was assured that we would receive a refund due to the unacceptable situation we experienced. However, every representative gave different information. I was told to wait until a certain date for the refund, but when that date arrived and no refund had been issued, I had to call again. One representative asked me to send a bank statement to prove I had paid for the trip, which I provided, even though Booking.com should already have these details.
I believe I made around 10 calls in total. Each time, I waited between 30 and 60 minutes to speak to someone, despite the system stating that there was no queue; on a few occasions the phone was put down on me by the agent. To this day, I have not received any refund, and my case has been handled very poorly.
In addition, I tried to make a complaint via your Dispute Resolutions Center, however my message would not send.
If there had been no issue, I would not have contacted Booking.com. I was repeatedly promised a refund, yet nothing has been done. This experience has been extremely frustrating and disappointing.
I will therefore not be using Booking.com in future
Nightmare with costumer service
We booked a few hotels and property with booking.com. Only one was a nightmare. Totally dirty, unsafe, the guy was a pervert. I called booking for a refund since we needed to book a different hotel. after 20 minutes of waiting on costumer service and 15 minutes of talk, they send us an email that they cannot do anything.
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SB · 1 review · Experienced 2026-05-17 ·
★★★★★
Bed Bugs - they didn't care
Thought we booked a hotel, but it was just a room in an apartment airbnb style. No entry instructions once we arrived. Had to whats app a contact number and eventually someone came. Ad made it seem like there were multiple beds, but they were actually different rented rooms within a shared unit, the shared spaces appeared private in the ad. The bed had bed bugs that were clearly established. Booking.com didn't care, didn't respond.
