Maya K.

I have booked accommodation on Booking.com for a holiday in July after months of research and 6 months ahead before our holiday to be safe and to take advantage of the cheap prices.
The Hotel that I booked via Booking.com cancelled my booking a month prior to my holiday due to some renovations happening there at the time. I have to mention that July is the peak of the high season in Greece with prices going up by at least 200 Euros for decent places. I called Booking.com who told me clearly that the process is: they contact the hotel and ask hotel if they can suggest any alternative accommodation. I asked the customer representative, what would happen if the hotel they find will be more expensive than what I originally booked because I have spent hours again looking for a decent place to stay, but all the well priced options have been booked out. He said to me, don't worry, if the new hotel will be more expensive, we will cover the costs, but first we need to contact the previous hotel and ask them to offer an alternative. So they did, then they sent me(from booking.com not the first hotel) 3 alternative options, which were totally NOT suitable and definitely didn't meet any of the criteria that was placed before when booking the first hotel. After the 3 cheap hotels they offered, I thought I should mention that there is alternative accommodation that can be booked, but now, because we waited for so long with emails back and forward, the cheaper options I have found later(which were already more expensive than the original option) are now gone as well and the only hotel that is left is the one with 210 Euros extra on top what I have originally booked for. Then, suddenly, booking.com wrote me that they are able to cover anything that has a difference of under 100 Euros. Which would have been REALLY good to know a week ago when those hotels with under 100 Euros difference were still available! Now, the only place that is left is the one with the 210 Euros and guess who will need to cover the additional 110 Euros- that's right- me the customer!
This whole story is to LET PEOPLE KNOW that booking.com policy is to cover up to 100 Euros on any alternative accommodation in case yours was cancelled by the Hotel.
So DON'T WAIT FOR BOOKING.COM ALTERNATIVE CHEAP SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULDN'T MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS! Book something ASAP yourself as you will miss out on hotels you like AND WILL BE OUT OF POCKET thanks to Booking.com procedures. Apparently, when speaking to them second and last time, I was meant to know to mention the alternative Hotel that I had in mind. That's when they specifically told me that THEY will deal with everything and I shouldn't be worried about anything at all as its al will be covered by Booking.com – NOT.
Don't get tricked! Be aware, don't sit and wait, book what you like if its just a little bit more expensive and then ask for the difference to be covered by Booking.com.
Hope this helps someone.
A VERY unhappy customer that has to throw 110 Euros to the bin now because of how Booking.com operates.