Horrendous Experience with Booking.com and MadeComfy – Avoid at All Costs!

I cannot emphasize enough how terrible our experience was with Booking.com and MadeComfy during our five-night stay at Q1 Resort in Gold Coast, Australia. We were traveling as a family of eight, including two young children under 10, and this was by far the worst accommodation experience we have ever had.

Filthy and Unhygienic Conditions

From the moment we entered the apartment, we were appalled by the lack of cleanliness. The living room couch was covered in stains, making it completely unusable. The windows and doors were covered with dirt. The bedsheets were visibly dirty, which was not only disgusting but also unacceptable given that this was supposed to be a professionally managed property. To make matters worse, two of our family members developed a rash on their right eyelids and hands—most likely due to unclean bedding or an overall unhygienic environment.

The fridge was filthy, and we had to clean it ourselves before using it. The water kettle was stained, burnt, and unusable, and the pots and pans were grimy, making it impossible to cook without first scrubbing them down.

Lack of Basic Amenities and Broken Equipment

We were shocked by how many things were either missing or completely non-functional in the apartment:

WiFi was not working, which was a major issue as some of us needed to work remotely.

Both TVs were non-functional, leaving us with no entertainment options.

There was no coffee machine, which is a basic expectation for a rental of this standard. Kitchen knife was rusty and could not be cleaned

One of the bathroom toilet lights wasn't working, making nighttime use extremely inconvenient.

A closet door was jammed and couldn't be closed, making storage difficult.

The bathroom cabinet door was broken, adding to the long list of maintenance issues.

Dining chairs were ripped, making them not only unsightly but also uncomfortable to sit on.

Additionally, one of the room's blinds was broken and wouldn't lower, meaning we had no way to block out sunlight in the early morning.

Pest Problems & Lack of Housekeeping Support

One of the most distressing aspects of our stay was the palm-sized spider (roughly 5 inches) on the wall near the porch door. With young children in the apartment, this was absolutely unacceptable. We had to go out and purchase spider spray ourselves to deal with the problem, as there was no housekeeping or property manager available to assist us.

To make matters worse, the shower had mold, which is both a health hazard and a sign of poor maintenance.

Complete Lack of Customer Support

Despite reaching out multiple times for assistance, there was absolutely no support from Booking.com or MadeComfy. We were left to deal with these issues on our own, which is completely unacceptable for a rental property that is advertised as "luxury" accommodation.

Final Verdict: Never Again

This experience was beyond frustrating and disappointing. We were misled into thinking we were booking a high-quality stay at Q1 Resort, but what we got was a dirty, poorly maintained apartment with non-functional amenities, unresponsive customer service, and health hazards.

If you are considering booking through Booking.com or staying at a property managed by MadeComfy, DON'T DO IT. Their lack of quality control and disregard for customer satisfaction is appalling. We will never book with either of these companies again and strongly advise others to avoid them as well.

Expected basic but not a filthy hovel. Booking.com obviously don't view their properties. Booking.com say they're not responsible for the refund and the property owner will refund the three nights we never stayed but not the night we did stay - despite the fact we contacted Booking.com when we arrived!
We had no choice but to stay one night because we couldn't find other accommodation until the next day.
This is the worse place I've ever seen. Hair in the bed, holes in roof, pipes hanging out, shower door broken, bedroom window taped up.
It is not a family booking and definitely not the "superb 9/10" rating it says on booking.com. The WV1 Contractor Stays title is definitely what it says - a place for workmen.
Our main gripe was with booking.com not the property. I had numerous lengthy phone calls with customer service - each one being on hold for a long time then having to state all my details each time (name, booking id, email address, booking pin code, name of property, date of arrival and date of departure) then being put on hold till they checked my booking out. I sent emails - all having to put in all these details. I used the customer service chat numerous times - again having to put in all my details each time!
Booking.com told me I had to contact the property direct.
In summary booking.com do nothing to help. We called and wrote the night we arrived, but no reply. We left the following morning and called them from a cafe but they said it was our responsibility to find ourselves somewhere else to stay. It has taken 5 weeks to get three nights refund... Because we stayed one night booking.com say we have to pay for that night. We had to hang around shops and cafes all day until we could get into our new accommodation at 3pm. A whole day wasted.
I offered to send photos but they weren't interested at all.
The property replied to me straight away, I then had to ask them to write to booking.com despite sending a screenshot of our agreement, saying they would refund the 3 nights we didn't stay - which is fair. But booking.com should have some responsibility for advertising this accommodation and the inconvenience it caused. But they took no responsibility saying it was between us and the owner.
The reason we book through booking.com is a belief that as a booking agent they would be the responsible party. After about four weeks they offered a goodwill gesture of £60.75 but we held out for three nights that we didn't stay at the accommodation and had to pay to stay elsewhere.

Prepaid a rental car from Americars via booking.com in Fort Lauderdale FL. Reservation was for 9PM I was at their office at 8:25PM - it was closed. Had to take an Uber to my frriends house. Called booking.com and after very nice and polite conversation they informed me that I would not get a refund. Next morning took another Uber back to the office of Americars which was supposed to be open at 10AM. They arrived at 10:15.
Filed a complaint with booking.com asking to reimburse me for 2 Uber rides still waiting on the answer.

In 2022 I booked a flight which was canceled and Airline paid to booking.com $778. They notified me by email that they got the monet from Airline and I will be paid back within 10 business days. Then turned out that they subcontract acompany called GOTOGATE for their flights. These people are crooks that claimed that they paid me and send me the proof of ytansaction from CITI bank. I am an IT person and have some friends in CITI. They checked the transaction which never happened with accounts of GOTOGATE and ETRAVELI companies that don't exist in CITI bank and even the branch number of the bank was wrong.
DO NOT BOOK FLIGHTS AND RENTAL CARS FROM BOOKING.COM. They have a special talent of finding crooks to affiliate themselves with.
Now I try to find an hotel elsewhere before I go to booking.com but with hotels they are still the best.

On October 13th, I made a reservation (4459.323.325) at the Galeri04 hotel in Vienna for a honeymoon trip with my spouse. We specifically chose this hotel because of its unique interior design and ambiance, which we felt would make our special occasion truly memorable. However, approximately one month later!, I received notifications both from Galeri No. 04 and Booking.com informing me that there had been a mistake, that the hotel was fully booked, and that my reservation had to be canceled.
This situation caused great disappointment to both me and my spouse, as this vacation holds significant importance to us. Despite expressing how crucial this booking was for me, my reservation was canceled, and as of now, I believe the payment I made for this booking has not been refunded. Throughout this process, I experienced several issues regarding both the handling of the cancellation and the communication:
Alternative Hotel Suggestions and Delayed Responses
After my reservation was canceled, I received suggestions for alternative accommodations within my budget. However, the options provided did not meet my expectations, and when I communicated this, I experienced significant delays in responses, often waiting 2-3 days for a reply. Given the importance of this reservation, a more proactive and customer-focused approach was expected.
Price Difference Request for Preferred Hotel
I later suggested a hotel that my spouse and I both approved of, considering it as a suitable replacement after the cancellation I requested that the price difference (approximately €100-€150) between this hotel and my original reservation be covered as a gesture to resolve the inconvenience I experienced. However, I was informed that only €25 of this difference would be covered by Booking.com. This offer is simply inadequate given the distress and inconvenience caused throughout this process.
In conclusion, I am deeply disappointed by the way this matter was handled. As a company that claims to prioritize customer satisfaction and evaluates hotels based on these criteria, failing to resolve this issue or take the initiative to address my concerns has been deeply disheartening.
My Request:
To resolve this situation, I kindly request that the additional cost for my preferred hotel be covered entirely, or, if that is not possible, that my reservation at Gallery No.4 for the same dates be reinstated.
I sincerely hope that this matter is resolved promptly and appropriately. I believe addressing this concern effectively will restore my trust in your services and reflect Booking.com's commitment to customer satisfaction.
Onur Y.
*******@hotmail.com

My first experience as a host (referred to by Booking.com as partners) has been the worst experience I've had with any business in my entire life. In mid-March of 2024, I had a guest who took advantage of Booking.com's many inadequacies to make an unpaid booking using someone else's identity. These criminals partied and ransacked my house over a period of 2 days, even going as far as to try backing a Budget Rental Car into my backyard to try cleaning out my entire house. The only reason they didn't succeed is because they ran it into my deck railing and the side of my house. We found crack cocaine on the coffee table, burnt spoons, blood in the kitchen, and rubbing alcohol for needle injections. The total cost of theft & damages from this nightmare have worked out to $5683.

I had to call Booking.com more than 10 times before I received helpful information from one of the Booking.com managers on the existence of a damage request option for dire situations like this. I was told by a Booking.com Manager that I would be entitled to almost the entire damage/theft amount if I provided a list of the damages with images and the police report. I provided all of this information and have received nothing.

I have a police report with the Ontario Provincial Police (E*******), time and dates of my call with Booking.com management, audio recordings of my call with Booking.com management, and a comprehensive document outlining images of the theft & damage images taken immediately on the morning of the theft (I have time stamps for these photos available upon request as well).

Booking.com underplayed the guests' lack of history on Booking.com. Booking.com noted that the guest joined within the last year and "completed 1-2 trips". After weeks of trying to get more information on the guest, an employee advised that the guest had only created their account a few days prior to their booking at my property and had only commenced their first trip 1 day prior to their booking with me. Their first booking was not even completed by the time of their reservation at my property. They did not specify any of this on the guest profile, and I simply would not have accepted this request or would have cancelled the booking if I knew that the guest had just created their account 1 day before making their same-day booking.

Booking.com also has their default setting for new listings set to Instant Book instead of Request to Book, which is extremely dangerous for new Booking.com hosts. This eliminated the opportunity for me to properly review the guest profile before accepting the request They also did not verify this person's identity like some other travel platforms (Airbnb etc.) do, and this allowed this criminal to use another person's identity. This is another poor practice that puts their hosts at risk.

In the following weeks, I also was advised by other employees that this same guest has 2 other misconducts at other local booking.com stays within 90-minute drive from me. It is clear that this organized crime ring has specifically targeted new Booking.com properties because of the vulnerabilities that they know the Booking.com platform has.

Booking.com should absolutely be responsible for these losses as their poor guest vetting, misleading guest insights and default Instant Book setting is what allowed this criminal to create a fake account, target new Booking.com listings and book instantly without a chance for hosts to approve or decline the guest.

I have already left a review on TrustPilot and plan on taking this to other platforms and news outlets if I'm not reimbursed for the losses I've incurred. The total referenced above also does not include the $320 in rent that was never paid to me by the guest. Given that we're now in contact with the police and the other targeted booking.com owners, this has potential to become a much bigger problem for Booking.com if not resolved. It would be appalling not to take responsibility for the people you call your "partners'.

Booking.com is clearly not doing enough to vet their guests and it's costing their "Partners".
This whole situation has given me a stronger appreciation for platforms like Airbnb and VRBO that care more about their hosts. If they don't prove that they care about their "Partners" by taking financial responsibility for this, then I strongly caution any prospective host to avoid using Booking.com.

Anthony
*******@hotmail.com

Booking.com's listing of Palais Farah was completely misleading. They promised a luxurious place with all sorts of amenities but delivered none of that. There was no one at the front desk, no security, and the swimming pool was just an empty pit. The bathroom had a tub that was difficult to use and certainly not suitable for everyone. Additionally, the manager's behavior was very unprofessional, suggesting cash deals to bypass Booking.com. I was there for less than two hours before I had to leave, standing outside on the highway with my luggage. Booking.com's customer service was no help at all, just repeating "sorry" without offering any real solutions. This place is not run like a business; it feels more like a neglected hobby. Stay away if you're looking for a professional service. Palias Farah (Manager) took our pictures and took pictures of our suitcase without our permission on her cell phone.
As a frequent traveler and dedicated medical professional, I attended a doctor's conference and experienced an egregious failure of service at Palais Farah in Marrakech, booked through Booking.com. The stark contrast between the advertised and actual conditions forced me to leave the premises in less than two hours—exactly 1 hour and 47 minutes after arrival.

**Blatant Discrepancies and Unmet Promises:**
- **Non-existent 24/7 Front Desk and Security**: There was no staff or security present, leaving the property feeling unsafe and unmanaged.
- **Lack of Advertised Amenities**: Promised yoga classes, a functional swimming pool, and on-site dining facilities were completely absent. The pool was dry, and the supposed bar and breakfast service were nowhere to be found.
- **Safety and Accessibility Concerns**: The private bathrooms were equipped with large, impractical tubs with no proper showers—posing a potential hazard, especially for anyone with mobility issues.
- **Unprofessional Management Practices**: The manager's behavior was unsettling; taking unsolicited photographs of guests and proposing under-the-table cash transactions for extended stays.

**A Nightmare Escalation:**
After realizing the dire conditions, we found ourselves stranded outside on the main highway with our luggage. Despite attempting to resolve the situation through Booking.com's customer service, I was met with repetitive apologies without any substantial assistance or acknowledgment of the gravity of our predicament. Their response did not reflect the urgency or severity of the situation, 4,000 kilometers away from home, where I aimed to contribute to global medical advancements in a stress-free environment. Instead, Booking.com exacerbated what was already the worst lodging experience I've encountered with them, despite having booked 35 previous stays and numerous attractions through their platform.

**Demand for Action:**
This incident has compelled me to advise my professional network to sever all ties with Booking.com, advocating for accountability and a shift in how they value their customers. It's clear that without genuine customer satisfaction, their business model is unsustainable. I am publicly demanding a full refund or credit for the unacceptable service that was far below the expected standard.

**Final Word:**
I urge everyone planning travel or organizing events to steer clear of Palais Farah and to reconsider their use of Booking.com unless significant improvements are made. I am sharing this message across all social media platforms to amplify the call for transparency and accountability in travel accommodations.

This detailed account will be disseminated widely to ensure no other travelers or professionals endure such a misleading and poorly managed experience.

BE AWARE ON THE FACT THAT THERE'S STILL NO CLEAR LAWS THAT REGULATE THIS SITUATIONS!
Around September I had my car booked with Booking.com, and DRIVALIA as supplier, for 211£, in the Elmas airport (Cagliari). That day totally ruined my holidays and the time that I was supposed to spend with my family. Arriving to the DRIVALIA desk I noticed a long cue, around 30 people in front of me.
After 2 hours waiting and half line disposed of, someone said "OVERBOOKING! THEY DON'T HAVE CARS!".
And at this point was actually CAOS!
No cars provided, others 2 hours at least to understand how could I get a car with all other rental cars company fully booked and a customer service that struggled understanding if I was joking or not.
Asked to speak with a supervisor and no way.
But the patient lady OVER THE PHONE just reporting what the supervisor was saying, APPARENTLY.
After other 30min trying to agree on a deal with them, I simply told them:"You have to pay my second car now! Not me!"
1 more hour struggling to find a car for 780€ that of course a payed in advance, sure that they'll pay me back.
Took and kept all the documentations for the refund.
NOW, AFTER 5 MONTHS WAITING FOR THEIR INVESTIGATIONS THEY GAVE ME BACK 150£ LESS ON WHAT WA EXPECTED! NO WAY! YOU RUINED MY HOLIDAYS SPENDING TIME EVERYDAY CALLING YOU AND RECEIVING EVERYDAY A DIFFERENT PROCEDURE POLICY TO PROCEED MY "CUSTOMER CLAIM REFUND".

AND AFTER ALL THIS MONTHS, STILL QUITE AND CALM, ASKING WHY THIS, YOUR ONLY ANSWER IS:"BECAUSE RENTALCARS.COM VALUED THIS REFUND FOR YOU! I DON'T REMEMBER A CONVERSATION WITH RENTALCARS.COM WHILE I WAS TRYING TO DEAL WITH YOU OVER THE PHONE FOR THE SECOND CAR PAYMENT TO BE REFUNDED! AFTER YOU ASKED ME SEVERAL TIMES THE SAME DOCUMENTATIONS AND SEVERAL TIMES I WAS TALKING WITH YOU, AND THINKING TO HAVE A FILE OPENED ON ME, INSTEAD I HAD SIMPLY TO REPEAT AND EXPLAIN EVERY TIME THE SAME!

AH OF COURSE WITH NO RESULTS.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO FINISH UNTIL I RECEIVE ALL MY MONEY BACK!
150£+211£.
YOU DIDN'T GAVE ME ANY SERVICE, AND YOU CAUSED ME ONLY PROBLEMS DURING ALL MY HOLIDAYS. SHAME ON YOU AND WHO TAKES DECISIONS.
WHAT WE AGREED ON THAT DAY WAS NOT RESPECTED!

Check on Booking.com policies for "cars overbooking" and YOU CAN'T FIND CLEAR POLICIES BUT YOU can just find out that you try to arrange with them during a customer service call, so over the phone and so nothing wrote down for you baby.

Good luck to everyone that had the same problem.

I placed my Mexican Timeshare on Booking.com and they still since August 2022 have not paid me for the rental of the unit. They stated that I need a Mexican bank account to be paid but I live in the USA and am not a Mexican citizen so I cannot get paid. They also never answer the phones and only send emails that they are looking into the issue but never do. Its a SCAM! Below are some of the emails sent for the last 2 years.

*Dear Partner:

Thank you for working with Booking.com

Unfortunately since the registered legal country of the property is Mexico, to receive payments for the reservations thru the Payments by Booking program, a Mexican bank account is required.

Please see below why it was not possible to make payments to accounts in USD or in foreign bank accounts, you can find this information in your contract with Booking.com:

3. ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING AND ANTI-TERRORIST FUNDING
3.1 Due to applicable anti-money laundering, anti-corruption, anti-terrorist financing and anti-tax evasion laws and legislation, Booking.com is restricted from making the Service available to and accepting payments from or making, processing or facilitating payments to a bank account (the " Bank Account") that is not related to the jurisdiction where the Accommodation is located and (but in any event) insofar that any of the following warranties is untrue.

If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Kind Regards,

Finance Team

*Dear Partner,

We forwarded your message to our specialized team who will review it and get back to you as soon as possible. No further action is needed from you in the meantime.

The Booking.com Team

*Dear Partner,

Thank you for working with Booking.com.

I do apologize for the confusion with the payments for your listing and the delay in receiving an response. We have asked our accounting team to reach out to you to help with the payments. They will be responding soon.

Again, I apologize for the delay.

Whenever you need us, we're always here.

--
Paul H.
Booking.com Partner Support Team

*Dear Partner,

Thank you for contacting Booking.com. It's always pleasure to assist you.

We would like to inform that your request has been transferred to the relevant team to handle. We really hope you can wait and keep your contact. They should be getting back to you shortly.

Please accept our sincerest apologies for any delay in our response and thank you for your understanding, patience in this matter. We totally understand your concerns and deeply sorry for any confusion.

Whenever you need us, we're always here.

--
Anax N.
Booking.com Partner Support Team

*Dear partner,

Thank you for contacting Booking.com.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this situation caused.

Regarding your request, we are so sorry for making you wait too long and we have already forwarded it to our Finance team to handle. We appreciate your understanding and patience.

If you need any assistance, please call the number *******099 (Mexican) or if you want to call to English line, please dial the number *******140.

If you have any questions, we are here for you.

--
Kyle T.
Booking.com Partner Support Team
*Dear Partner,

We forwarded your message to our specialized team who will review it and get back to you as soon as possible. No further action is needed from you in the meantime.

The Booking.com Team

*January 26,2023 - 14:58:54
Dear Partner,

We forwarded your message to our specialized team who will review it and get back to you as soon as possible. No further action is needed from you in the meantime.

The Booking.com Team

Ref *******544
No customer service
I would say if you have any other choice do not book through booking.com because if something goes wrong you will not get any help from their,customer service team'
I booked a two double bedroom apartment through them but although they confirmed a two double bedroom apartment they only booked with the hotel an apartment with a double and a single bed. I tried to contact them through the app but that does not contact them it goes to the accommodation supplier. I emailed them direct but the response I got was they couldn't correct this but I could keep the accommodation I was provided with which was good as I was in it but did not resolve any issues.
On my return I spent 8 weeks ringing the customer service team, the first call should have made it clear what my experience would be, I explained the issue and she asked for some proof which I sent, she said they would look into it and get back to me, I asked when I could expect a response she was non committal, so I asked what the companies policy on responding to complaints said they should aim to respond in and she knew of no such policy. I never got a call back from them after any call and never got an email except the one after every call asking me how the customer service operative had done. As the weeks sent by the calls got longer and longer topping out at an hour and twenty five minutes. After 7 weeks an operative was so surprised that this was still going on they promised a response the next day. Still no response although when I rang back three days later they claimed to have sent me a response. I asked to speak to a manager and someone was found but they were of no help. When I asked for their registered address she denied there was one and eventually just hung up on me.
I looked up there registered UK address
Mr James Robert Waters
Global Director Customer Service
7th Floor
The Monument Building
11 Monument Street
London
England
EC3R 8AF
Only after I wrote to the person above (who is no longer on their companies house registration) did I get any sort of response and it was full of inaccuracies so even though they admitted there error they never tried to correct it or compensate me for their error and showed not an iota of customer service
My advice use their website or app if you need to find the accommodation then book it direct with the accommodation provider you will get better service and support the right people and not these uncaring middlemen

My friend and I booked a spa break via Spa Seekers, we booked a twin room for an overnight stay and Spa treatments. On arrival it is a beautiful place, the reception staff were warm and friendly. We was given a map and instructions to where we would be staying. We had arrived earlier than our check in time, and we were able to check into the room so we decided to have lunch in the hotel.
Again staff were very friendly. We both had a club sandwich which came with chips. This was served. Very disappointing it was basically three slices of toast with a filling in each layer and chips, we had a tea and coffee, this was £45... it was very very overpriced, there was nothing special not even dressed up with side salad.
The rooms are ok, it was very dusty and had cobwebs around the lights we assumed the cleaners had Halloween in mind! The water from the shower didn't drain very well and this was due to blockage from hair. The wardrobe doors were difficult to slide and one of the doors closed hard on my finger. To be fair I did not report this because the bruise came out the following day
The Spa experience was lovely we both enjoyed this. My friends lady was more informative she gave my friend details of what product was used and her £5 off voucher. She was also in longer than I was. My lady didn't give any product information. Also we wasn't shown where the lockers were or told about the relaxation room, we were shown after our treatment but I had come out first had to go to the lockers which aren't very nice to use, and you have to come out of the Spa area and into the swimming changing room so the floor is soaking wet. I then waited in the relaxation room but my friend hadn't come through so I had to go and find her to show her where I was. Not really a flowing relaxing experience.
The evening meal wasn't the best cuisine, we had pork shoulder roulade which when you put a fork to it fell apart but looked like cat food. Dessert was lovely, it saved the meal.
We had a really nice evening in the bar, the barman John was lovely. He told us the history of the house and also when we asked about places to visit locally he gave some suggestions which we did take up. A very nice man and credit to the team. There was also another young lady Tasha who was really lovey and attentive.
We had breakfast the following day, which was a buffet. It was the nicest meal we had during our stay.
I left my phone charger behind, and I will say that they do respond very quickly to the online form. The reception staff arranged to return my charger 2nd class, I wasn't told there would be a handling charge and was horrified to be charged £6:49 to have it sent to me.
Overall, I wouldn't go back here, the food is over priced, the rooms need a better clean if it was on Four in a bed they would get a 5/10 for cleanliness. The Spa is worth a visit, and the staff are all very nice the customer service can't be faulted. It is just very expensive but the quality doesn't match the prices charged.