Guests who book hotel rooms through Booking.com, Agoda or through apps... are sent a confirmation code after completing payment. When they arrive, they are surprised to show the code to check in.
Booking hotel rooms via Booking.com, Agoda or via apps during Tet, many customers receive "bitter fruit" - Photo: THAO THUONG
Currently, customers working with Booking.com, Agoda or through apps all do it via email, so feedback and reception related to the service is completely passive. What is the solution to "avoid" these "bitter consequences"?
Money deducted, confirmation code available, room… not available
Recently, Ms. PTTD (Hanoi) shared on her personal Facebook page her "experience" about booking a hotel room on the 3rd day of Lunar New Year 2025, but when she arrived, she and her two children carried their suitcases and wandered around Vung Tau.
She said she booked a room and paid with a credit card through the Booking.com app for January 31. But when she arrived at a villa in Vung Tau City, the place replied that they did not accept Booking.com guests.
"The villa does not accept credit cards and only collects payment upon arrival, while the description on Booking.com says it does. Money is one thing, but it's frustrating because the first trip of the year is tiring and tiring" - Ms. PTTD shared on social media and learned a lesson about booking rooms through the app.
Tourists who booked hotel rooms shared their frustrations on their personal Facebook pages - Screenshot: THAO THUONG
This information was shared by many other people, including many who reported having suffered "bitter consequences" when booking hotel rooms through Booking.com, Agoda, especially during holidays and Tet. Although it did not cost money, it was time-consuming and frustrating.
Similarly, Ms. Tran Thu Trang (from Quang Ngai) booked a hotel in Quy Nhon City, priced at 950,000 VND/night on the 5th day of Tet on the app of a Big4 bank. When she arrived, she was "shocked" because there were no rooms available and there was no confirmation code in her name.
"My husband, I and our 8-month-old baby were stranded after a tiring journey. We only found a room late at night. We lost our money and the hotel didn't have any. I don't know where to complain," said Trang.
Should call hotel directly to confirm
On February 5, speaking with Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Tran The Dung - Deputy Director of The He Tre Travel Company - admitted that cases of being scammed, booking rooms through apps or through many sources but not receiving rooms at the last minute are common.
Mr. Dung suggested a solution: "In cases like this, we need to be resolute. It is best to contact the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of that province, because the tourism industry is under the department. The department will send someone to monitor and issue a fine if the hotel is "unfaithful". Currently, each locality has a tourism industry that works methodically and closely, so I believe the local tourism industry will intervene."
Mr. Dung also said that tourists book hotels themselves to get good prices, this is natural but should be considered carefully. For example, whether those apps are reputable or not, if you feel uneasy, you should accept a "slight" cost to book through travel agencies or book hotels directly to avoid risks.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai (a hotel employee in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet) explained that when booking hotel rooms during Tet, guests often encounter "bitter consequences" because accommodations have to offer high discounts and it takes a long time for Booking.com or Agoda apps to pay.
"Normally, when room availability is not scarce, this situation does not occur. Places prioritize guests who book directly or through agents because of fast payment. Not to mention that hotel applications do not receive emails, so guests miss out on rooms.
Experience should book directly or through reputable agents to easily handle problems. After booking a hotel room, customers should call the hotel directly to confirm," Ms. Mai emphasized.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bo-vo-khi-dat-phong-khach-san-tren-cac-app-dip-tet-20250205114559553.htm
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