How to Cancel Hotel Reservations on Booking.com and Get a Refund
Booking.com is one of the most popular online platforms for people seeking hotels, hostels, or any other accommodation when they’re traveling. Due to its convenient and easy to understand booking style, a lot of travelers use this when they’re planning to go out of town.
However, if a sudden event happens or a circumstance that you can’t control and you don’t have the choice but to cancel your booking, you’ll be left with the question “How to cancel hotel reservation and get a refund on booking.com?”. Good thing is that it’s not really difficult to do that. In this article, we’ll tell you how you can cancel your reservation and get a refund on booking.com.
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- How to Cancel Your Hotel Booking on Agoda.com [Refundable and Non-Refundable] with Sample Letter
- How to Change Flights or Get Refunds on Cebu Pacific Airlines
- How to Change Flights or Get Refunds on Qatar Airways
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Cancel Reservation on Booking.com
The cancellation via email only suits you in case you changed your mind within the permitted period.
Step 1: Remember that when you book accommodation on Booking.com, you’ll get a confirmation email. In this email, you’ll see a button “Cancel Booking”.
Step 2: Click that button.
Step 3: You will be redirected to the page with the details of your booking.
Step 4: At the bottom page, you’ll find the red button “Cancel Booking.” Just click it and your reservation will be canceled.
REMEMBER THESE:
- Always pay attention to the information written below the red button. It states the period of booking cancellation.
- You can only cancel the booking for free if you chose this option in advance.
- Booking.com usually offers “free cancellation”. Most of the time, the rooms with free cancellation are more pricey so always check the price when booking.
- Please be reminded that free cancellation can be made at least 2-3 days before the date of your check-in. Sometimes you need to do it even earlier. Different hotels have different conditions, so make sure you know them before reservation. If, however, you decided to cancel the booking one day before your check-in, the hotel will charge the fee from the card you entered when you made the reservation. The total you will be charged depends on the hotel and its terms.
If the booking cancellation suggests a fine, it will be charged from your bank card. The fine stands as a partial payment of your stay. The reason for this is because the sooner the date of your check-in, the owner of the hotel is more likely to be left with no guests. And that’s the purpose of the penalty.
Booking.com will notify you via email about the fine if they encounter some problems regarding charging the money from your card.
How to Cancel if There’s an Unforeseeable Circumstance
Step 1: Just write a formal letter to the hotel. It must include the following:
- The reason for cancellation;
- Why you can’t pay the fine;
- Also mention that you really love the hotel and that you’re planning on staying there one day;
- It must be written in English;
- Send your email to the hotel’s email address.
Step 2: Expect to receive a reply in a few days. In case you receive a recommendation to cancel the reservation on Booking.com, it means that, unfortunately, you’re offered to follow the standard procedure and that you should pay the penalty fee.
If this happens, you can write another email. But this time, you must write a more detailed one:
- Describe your situation;
- Highlight that you will not stay in the hotel and that you don’t have enough money to pay the penalty fee.
- Ask the hotel politely to contact Booking.com to cancel the reservation without the fine.
- Again, don’t forget to mention that that kind of hotel will be quickly booked by other people. Just be friendly and positive!
Please remember that before you reserve accommodation on Booking.com, always read the terms and conditions that they have since it depends on the hotel’s cancellation and refund policy. No worries as the cancellation process in Booking.com is smooth!

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About the Writer
Hi there! I’m Fatima. My first major travel was in 2016 in the beautiful city of Cebu. After that, I got interested in traveling. Now I enjoy learning languages and other country’s cultures. My goal is to visit at least one country each year and to share my experiences with other people through writing or blogging. Witness my journey by following me on Instagram.
I cancel my booking for free and prperty guy also did cancellation and i received email. Now i want to know how can i receive money back.
Good day.
I am Jeremy Lizardo with Booking Reference Number 2853470281.
I booked Aviatrix at City Land in Tagaytay City from today, Oct. 31, 2020-1 Nov. 2020 but because of coronavirus or announcement would not push through for I could not get out my children’s pass, I would like to cancel my booking and ask for a full refund instead, please. Thank you for your assistance and quick response.
I need help with a refund but I’m getting nowhere can’t speak to anyone please help
My trip to Taipei on 12 April 2020 was interrupted by coronavirus & the hotel I booked O2 Apartment Xime Branch had granted extended check in to Nov 2020. Based on feedback from friend from Taipei that the hotel had ceased to operate.. Can you let me know how to get refund from Booking.com on this mater. Any email of Booking.com that I can write to them for assistance.
If you received an email from Booking, you can use that email to contact them. Another way is to message them through their help center — https://www.booking.com/customer-service.en-gb.html and contact the property. If you have the property’s email, you can also send them a message. 🙂
My son’s trial date was changed. Need my reservation changed.
Booking.com does not give refunds. If they say they do its a lie. I have 2 different agents audio phone calls where I specifically said , “so if the hotel doesn’t give the refund Booking.com will not stand behind me as a customer and refund it” – the answer in both cases is “no. Booking.com does not refund “. I’ve been trying to get a mere $115 back from them for almost two months, I ought to know.
Why do you tell people booking.com will refund when they definitely will not? I’ve been over a month trying to get a small $115.00 refund from the most disgusting hotel, Americana Inns and Suites in Pigeon Forge TN and still nothing but lies from booking.com. I even have an email (from booking) saying the property confirmed my refund but still nothing. I also have it twice on audio where booking.com reps have admitted that if Americana doesn’t refund me I will not be getting a refund! So there’s a couple more lies from booking.com – I’ve never dealt with a more underhanded company in my 60yrs!
I need confirmation 86562296 canceled without fee. Your company booked the wrong date.
I recently had to cancel my stay with Home Town Studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado due to Covid 19. When I called the hotel about my refund I was told that I needed to go through booking.com. Please respond regarding my booking #2663399731 for $476.21.
Firgot booking number
You can check it on your e-mail or through your account in Booking.com
I need to cancel reservations #3796143433 and #281904149
Joyce Murray
Pin code 6143
Hi my name is Alan.robinson.Booked one night 27thjune till the 28th June at the Stansted Airport lodge ,england . Need to cancel ,due to family breavments Room price took out of my accounts .Thanks.
We booked a room at the Hotel Mariano in Rome in early May through Booking.com.
Our flight with BA from Heathrow was cancelled and our cruise with NCL departing Civitavecchia was also cancelled due to the Covd-19.
In the booking.com there cancellation policy was Non-refundable.
Any ideas how to refund our £90.00 fee.
I canceled confirm number#3055173675 pin number 6357 due to the pandemic. Been in contact with the property they have informed me that they never charged me. But my money is still gone. I can’t get to a live person at booking.com to discuss the matter. Been in contact with my bank who says that the property did charge me. I need to speak to someone regarding my refund.
You might not want to publish your confirmation and PIN, just for frauds sake.
My hotel booking is already cancelled in red doorz@kassel paranaque?please inform me.
You’re young and beautiful and more polite than me.
Under the circumstances, is it not just redundant to suggest “Why” one would cancel, to the hotel, under such grave global circumstances? As to “Why I can’t pay” it is more descriptive and obvious to say all travelers need to continue to eat and sleep under a roof. Are you suggesting it’s possible these people don’t already know this is a “life or death” moment? You suggest I should say “I really love your hotel.” when both parties realize “I” have never been there? I have already contacted each property w/o any reply that does not suggest I contact the booking agent, who suggested I contact the hotel. I’m witnessing naivety, Fatima
The UK government has canceled flights, not the individual hotel guests who had booked accommodations after their arrival in the UK. Being a country that depends on visitor income, have the Govt. not taken responsibility and offered assistance to hoteliers and their clientele with an overarching policy to give credit, allow name change(to be used by someone else in the UK) or even better, suggest a policy of “Same time next year, please”? Having visiting Scotland more times than years old you are, this no-response/no return is completely outside the Scottish ethic of hospitality. Booking.com is no friend of Scots who visit Scotland regularly. Properties, help centers and booking assistants are hurting small businesses throughout the country and destroying Highland hospitality customs through greed.
I had two weeks with two days apart cancelled , first week by Booking.com themselves and supposedly processing my refund, and the second week was asked to cancel myself with a £414 penalty. I been asked to chase refunds myself from the hotel which is closed still and not responding. Why do I need to chase for my money when the hotel was closed for the duration?
I had 2weeks , 2 bookings and 2 days apart of each other. Booking .com cancelled the first for me and I was requested to cancel the second on the 10th May2020. Booking .com applied for refund on first week and left me to make contact with the hotel which I have always tried to contact but closed and not responding. The second booking I was charged a cancelation fee. At a loss what I do next.
Our hotel is for flying from Gatwick but Virgin say they no longer want to use Gatwick and we will be flying from Heathrow so we no longer need the hotel. We tried to cancel with Booking.com for our money back but all they are offering is vouchers. How do we get our money back? Many thanks
And you actually received the voucher?
My reservation was cancelled on March 20th 2020 by Book.com .How do I get my refund back ?
I sent earlier message today about conf number 2938594529 and was waiting on refund that had been approved and was suppose to be credited by April 30th. Was confused on your response that its waiting aporoval?? Thank yo
Have a look at Booking.coms Facebook page. Pages just continue with people getting nowhere with this company. Seems Booking.com are simply keeping the whole amount. Flight Centre were the same but only today they’ve been pressured to refund the whole amount
Please join me in sending your important negative feedback on booking.com to the Scottish Accommodations Board at VisitScotland.com/accommodations.
I have been waiting on a refund from booking conf # 2938594529 and was promised a refund by April 30th at the latest and have not received!
I was told I will be issued a refund. But my credit card has changed, and I can’t find a way to convey that information! Please assist. The hotel did not make the charge; Booking.com did.
Struggling to get a refund…any ideas. We dont want to risk our daughters health due c19..no facilities etc to use… just too bad too sad..un happy customers
Let the very good people at visitscotland.com/accommodations know what you think of booking.com. AND let the very bad people at booking.com know with a vitriolic postcard to its CEO Glenn Fogel* @: Booking.com * then scan it and send it globally, virtually
Postbus 1639
1000 BP Amsterdam
Netherlands
Please help me… I cancelled my conf# 2979694797. Pin 5591 well in advance of the cancellation deadline… I have not received my refund… my efforts in contacting the hotel are futile since they have a voice recording in Spanish only… please help me. Thank you Mary Schroeder
To confirm that I Mr James Dyde ref . 3822.038.098 Pin 6129 am writing to cancel my booking at Natursun Hotel 30th March – 2nd April Torremolinos due to Coronavirus lock down in Spain.
HE TRATADO POR MULTIPLES MEDIOS TANTO TELEFONICAMENTE A BOOKING .COM Y AL HOTEL POSADA SAN JAVIER EN TAXCO GUERRERO Y NO ES POSIBLE NI POR VIA ELECTRONICA,
NO SE COMO HACERLO DEFINITVAMANTE PUES SE CANCELO MI EVENTO EN TAXCO Y FALTA MAS DE UN MES mi numero de CONFIRMACION 3075.714.197 CODIGO 8986 ,YA ME COMUNIQUE AL HOTEL Y DICE QWUE NO PUEDEN CANCELAR SINO A TRAVES DE BOOKING
I have cancelled my booking on may 26 – 29, 2020 to four Points Sheraton, Emeryville, Ca via booking.com. due to pandemic of corona virus. My confirmation #2249799834 PIN #8782 I request for a refund because this is a natural pandemic and my safety , to my family and people in the hotel is the most concern at this time . I appreciate your help.
I received no confirmation email from Booking.com with a ‘cancel booking’ button. The only confirmation emails I received were from the hotel itself. Unfortunately, when cancelling the reservation, you must do it through Booking.com, who make it near impossible to do. I will never book with Booking.com ever again and I plan to tell as many people as I can to do the same. What an absolute crock of a company!
I need to cancel my reservation with the Tremont Hotel in Galveston, Texas for April 17, 18, and checkout on the 19th. My booking number is 3939903798, m PIN number is 3985. We made reservations for the Galveston Food and Wine Festival which has been canceled. Thank you for your help. I would like a refund for this cancellation as it due to the COVID-19 virus.
I need to cancel my reservations at Timber Lodge in Pigeon Forge Tennessee I have a confirmation not sure if it’s booking.com or the lodge.I spoke to the manager but I can’t get thru to Booking.com cause I see no PIN number need a refund asap
Hi I need to cancel my reservation with Collett House and Lavender cottage in Clarens for December 11,12 and check out on the 13th. My booking number is 2970696902.thank you for your help. I would like a refund for this cancelation
I think the government needs to step in here and advise such places that it is through no fault of the person making the booking that they can no longer attend. They should revoke all cancellation fees. I had to cancel accommodation as I can no longer attend Uni interstate for face-to-face delivery. This is not my fault. Had I known there’d be an issue I would have chosen a booking that had a free cancellation option.
I need to cancel a booking on the 11th april how do I do this please
To who it may concern I would like to cancel my reservations for the Hamptons Inn Washington, DC NoNa Union Station because of the Corona virus
This a bunch of b.s. to cancel ! Won’t b doing this again !
i canceled my reservation and i had to rooms i receive my money back for one room. I had a room with double beds and a room with a single bed i need refunds back for one more room i receive one my reservation number is R1919248190.
I will be cancelling reservations for 2 nights at Hyatt Regencg Valencia, CA on April 16/17 2020.Event has been canceled due to coronavirus.
Conf.# 92002275448-48. please
text cancellation #
I WANT TO CANCEL MY ROOM AT THE WYNDHAM GARDEN MIDTOWN PHOENIX
PLEASE CANCEL ALL 3 DAYS ON APRIL 29, 20 THRU MAY 2,2020
Good morning I want to postpone my my bookings from April to 24 to 26 September 2020 due to coronavirus. so how do I go about it
I need to cancel 2 days of my 4 day trip becauae of the virus…not what i paid for and no food service and no pool time.
Would like a refund for 2 days
You need to ask the hotel or booking.com for a refund.