Has anyone had any luck getting a refund on a non refundable hotel?

[PumpkinCupcake]

We were supposed to go on a road trip around California back in May, booked last year, so long before COVID. We obviously couldn't go, so I had to move a lot of our hotels to new dates. We picked October (next month) thinking that this would be over by then, and it's obviously not. Two of the hotels were booked at a non refundable rate as we never ever thought we'd have reason to not go. Both hotels wouldn't let us cancel, but did let us move the dates, and pay the extra.

We now still are unable to travel to the US so have had to cancel again. One hotel refuses to refund us, and have said they already gave us a good will gesture of letting us move the dates, and the most they can do is offer us credit for a room, but it will only be valid until May 2021 (when we're likely still not going to be able to go). The other are really hard to contact with, and just keep pushing us back to booking.com to discuss with them, but basically saying they won't give us a refund.
The annoying thing with that hotel is that we had only partially paid, so I assume that means we now owe them money.

I am very well aware that it is our fault for choosing a non refundable rate, but wanted to ask if there is absolutely anything I can do in trying to get our money back? We had travel insurance through Halifax bank, who don't cover COVID, and also when we rescheduled - technically we were aware of the risk.

Thankfully it's only for 3 nights total, so the balance is not as high as it could be, and if we don't get it back then so be it, it's our fault, but it would be nice!

[Goldia]

I am in the same position with hotels booked for October in Toronto. I booked two non refundable rate rooms for Toronto and Niagara through Hotels.com before covid started. Of course we benefited from a cheaper rate for the rooms and so that's why they were non refundable and like you I'm well aware it's my own fault. It does seem likely we will lose the money as I don't believe Canada will change their border control and allow tourists in by the date we are due to travel.

So, at the moment I'm afraid I don't have anything productive to add other than I hope you get it sorted, but we are also in the same boat. Good luck with resolving it and I hope you get to go on a trip soon. Sorry, I couldn't be more helpful.

[Rac20]

Not in the United States.
I had a one night stay booked through Expedia for an airport hotel in Miami and the hotel won’t refund.

In the U.K, I had a hotel stay booked in Blackpool for a football tournament at the beginning of May. Booking.com helped me get a refund from them.

[grant_w]

I had 2 rooms booked in Iceland for May with a non-refundable rate.
The hotel gave us a voucher for the amount which we can use til next May, so we've rebooked for next May and keeping our fingers crossed

[sparkles18]

We had 2 non-refundable hotels booked in Khao Lak and Phuket through ebookers, we have been issued a voucher for them both. The vouchers have to be used within 12 months to book with but we have a further 12 months on top to travel in.

I checked with our insurance but they said they wouldn't pay out as we had been offered vouchers.

[Sandraoh40]

We had a non refundable hotel booked in May via booking.com that we hadn’t pre paid. I tried to contact hotel but like you had no luck. Someone on here replied to a question I put on saying chances were we wouldn’t be charged, I can’t remember who it was. So I thought there was nothing to lose, and they were correct, we weren’t charged. They did have a policy on their own website saying they would refund all non refundable bookings right enough, but only if booked direct.
I have another one booked for December that we have pre paid so if we go ahead and cancel I’m not too sure we will get that back.

[Gunna]

I had two booked through Hotels.com. I called them and explained we couldn’t travel and they refunded/cancelled the booking with no fees at all.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by Gunna

I had two booked through Hotels.com. I called them and explained we couldn’t travel and they refunded/cancelled the booking with no fees at all.

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I found Hotels.com to be very good the other week on a new booking I had to contact them about. I’ll be using them again.

[PumpkinCupcake]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

I found Hotels.com to be very good the other week on a new booking I had to contact them about. I’ll be using them again.

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I think I'll be doing the same. I contacted them on twitter yesterday about not receiving a refund from a booking I cancelled last Friday (two hotels cancelled, both with free cancellation, and only one refund went into my account). All dealt with very quickly, and they rang up and spoke to the hotel on my behalf.

Far easier to deal with than booking.com and it's likely that they're going to be my first choice of third party, as this was the second time I've contacted them for help around COVID, and they were great then too!

[YorkshireT]

All mine were non refundable- eventually every one payed up. Best was the Garland hotel in LA who went above and beyond and did it immediately. Hilton took a long time and I had to get their customer care team involved.