Booking.com and Les Jardins de Coppélia refused to refund me €1,997 even though I canceled within the stated free cancellation window.

The policy clearly said: “Free cancellation until 3 days before arrival.”
My check-in was on July 19 at 15:00. I canceled at 09:00 on July 16 — a full 80 hours in advance. That’s exactly 3 full days.

Booking.com blocked my cancellation and told me to contact the hotel. The hotel said Booking.com is responsible. Neither took accountability. I have emails from both. Now they’re trying to claim the policy actually meant midnight on July 15, which is not written anywhere.

I’ve filed a complaint with ECC-Net, reported them to Dutch consumer authorities, and initiated a credit card chargeback. I’ve also contacted Booking.com executives.

Avoid Booking.com and this hotel. They are dishonest, they shift blame, and they keep your money even when you follow their rules.