A dream Ibiza getaway turned into a holiday nightmare after the apartment booked for a hen party seemingly vanished from Booking.com just days before everybody was due to fly.
Flávia Zsófia Hannus, 23, had arranged the three-night trip with six friends, booking a three-bedroom apartment near the famous Ushuaïa Club for their bachelorette celebrations.
But just days before they were due to arrive on the Spanish island, the group realised something was wrong when the property stopped responding to messages – before disappearing completely from the booking platform.
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Flávía said the group had initially been suspicious after being asked to pay through a separate payment link sent by the property, as reported by What’s The Jam.
After contacting Booking.com, they were told the link was legitimate and went ahead with the payment.
But when they later tried to arrange a late check-in for their 11pm arrival, the host failed to respond for more than 48 hours.
Flávia said: “We contacted Booking.com to ask if they could reach the property.
“They told us not to worry, although they also couldn’t get in touch with the host.
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“We then searched for our booking reference and noticed that the property had completely removed itself from Booking.com.
“Our reservation itself hadn’t been cancelled, but the entire listing had disappeared from the platform.”
The group were due to fly on a Sunday, but by the afternoon of their arrival day they still had no check-in instructions.
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Flávia, from Hungary, said she spent around two-and-a-half hours on the phone with different Booking.com agents trying to secure somewhere for the group to stay.
She said: “We didn’t want to end up stranded on a foreign island on a Sunday night without accommodation.”
The travel platform eventually offered alternative accommodation – but Flávia claims the options were on the opposite side of the island and meant the group had to completely change their plans.
The replacement accommodation also had to be paid for upfront, leaving the group worried they would be left out of pocket.
Flávía said: “Since we were travelling during peak season in Ibiza with a group of seven people, the replacement accommodation was very expensive.
“Having to pay for accommodation a second time significantly reduced the budget we had planned for the bachelorette party.”
The group decided not to tell everyone travelling until they were at the airport, with only the bride, her sister and one other friend knowing about the accommodation chaos.
Flávia said they feared some members of the group might not board the flight if they knew there was a chance they would arrive without anywhere to sleep.
She said: “The whole situation was extremely stressful and frustrating.
“We had to keep pushing Booking.com before they even started offering us alternative accommodation.”
The group eventually found somewhere else to stay, but Flávía said the uncertainty affected the start of their trip.
She said: “We had specifically chosen the apartment because it was within walking distance of the venue where we planned to spend our first evening.
“Instead, we spent the first day resting and trying to recover from the stress and exhaustion.”
Although the group managed to enjoy the rest of their Ibiza trip, Flávía said the worry over refunds and extra costs remained throughout.
She added: “The bride also found it difficult to fully relax and enjoy herself because the uncertainty was always in the back of our minds.
“We didn’t know whether we would get our money back for the original accommodation, whether the additional costs would be reimbursed, or whether we would receive any compensation at all.”
A Booking.com spokesperson said: “At Booking.com, ensuring that our platform is safe and trustworthy for our customers is a top priority.
“We check every listing for suspicious activity using advanced technology and expert teams.
“On the rare occasion there is an issue, we investigate and can remove properties from the platform, just as we have done in this case.”
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