Tourists say Booking.com left them hundreds of pounds out of pocket for deceitful 'dirty' holiday lets

Oliver Partridge
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:13:59 +0000

Booking.com customers are reporting significant difficulties obtaining refunds after discovering holiday properties that were unclean and failed to match their online listings.

The online travel giant, which boasts millions of satisfied users, has faced mounting criticism from travellers who say they were left substantially out of pocket following disappointing stays.

Three separate cases have emerged involving properties in Dubai, Tenerife and Madrid, where holidaymakers claim they encountered dirty accommodation that bore little resemblance to advertised descriptions.

The complaints come at a challenging time for the platform, which recently experienced a significant security breach resulting in customer data being leaked to a third party.

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Despite the company's popularity, affected customers say they continue to struggle for reimbursement after checking into substandard holiday lets.

Two sisters from Warwickshire, aged 34 and 35, had their New Year's Eve celebration in Dubai turn into a costly nightmare after paying £1,300 for a three-night stay.

Upon returning to the flat after visiting family, they discovered one of the beds was dirty and determined the entire property required a thorough deep clean.

"When we had a look around, it was really unclean and the door handle for the actual place was really flimsy and unsecured," one of the sisters explained.

Although the platform initially appeared helpful, their case was closed after the owner sent someone with fresh bedding and offered to clean.

Uncomfortable with the security concerns and feeling a quick tidy-up was inadequate, they booked alternative accommodation costing £870.

Their credit card chargeback attempt failed, and Booking.com offered only a £243.35 voucher as goodwill.

Martina Andretta's surprise birthday getaway to Tenerife in January, organised by her boyfriend, also quickly descended into disappointment.

The 33-year-old London resident was so shocked by the state of the private apartment, that she questioned whether the situation was some kind of prank.

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"The flat just looked, immediately as I came in, dirty, badly kept, just awful," she recalled.

The property appeared markedly different from the listing photographs, with changed furniture that was visibly worn and scuffed, while the kitchen sponge, fridge and bed sheets were all dirty.

She said: "He showed me the pictures of the listing that he thought he was booking, and it looked so different."

The couple immediately sought alternative accommodation and contacted both the host and Booking.com, but claim the owner responded aggressively to their complaints.

They received just £36 in travel credit and a partial refund, leaving them still owed approximately £156.

A family of five endured a similarly distressing experience during a Spanish road trip when they arrived at their Madrid apartment.

The mother-of-three, who wished to remain anonymous, waited 45 minutes before gaining proper access to the property, only to discover it was filthy.

"There was no linen, there were no bed covers, there were no toilet rolls," she said, despite the listing advertising a fully furnished apartment.

When she contacted the owner, she was told bedding could be delivered the following day.

"We told them we couldn't sleep in the bed, there was no bedsheet, and they said, 'Well, there's a problem, we can't do anything about it,'" she recalled.

The family, having already paid £298 for the rental, spent an additional £478 on emergency hotel accommodation in 42-degree heat.

Booking.com offered her a mere £30 voucher.

A Booking.com spokesman stated that the platform offers accommodation for every budget, and encourages customers to check reviews and property scores before booking.

"The spokesman said: The apartment or hotel is responsible for making sure their property lives up to expectations, and for providing a refund if a customer is dissatisfied."

The company added that it expects accommodation partners to address everyday issues such as linen and towel availability, which it understood had occurred when hosts were contacted in these cases.