Is Booking.com Legit, Safe, and Reliable?

Booking.com is a leading online travel marketplace that millions of users worldwide visit to plan their vacations and business travels. In the last 9 years, I’ve used the website extensively as part of my travel business and even booked my fair share of personal vacations through Booking.com. Is it safe to use Booking.com?

Booking.com is a legit site that is safe and reliable at the same time. Users can set reservations and get cheaper rates through the site. Cancellations and refunds are allowed subject to certain conditions.

💡 Make sure to save the official link and compare prices: Booking.com (Includes promotions, deals, and special offers)

In this article, I’ll share everything you’ll need to know about Booking.com. This includes hotel bookings, flights, car rentals, problem-solving, and even a few tricks up my sleeve.

Is Booking.com Legit and Safe?

Booking.com is a legit business that millions of users trust with their credit card information as well as their personal information. Hotels and individuals all over the world use the website as a proxy for reservations because they have a proven track record of being safe.

In my experience, I’ve found that if there are any changes during the reservation, Booking.com successfully interferes and returns any funds paid. Here are a few examples:

The Room You’ve Booked Isn’t as Advertised

Although it is not a very common occurrence, sometimes my customers would reach their hotel only to be surprised that the room (and hotel services) are nowhere near what they expected from the photos on the website.

As long as I am within the customer terms of service, I usually find it very easy to get a refund for any money paid. More likely, the credit card added during the reservation is never charged.

This proves to me that customers can feel safe booking through the platform.

The Hotel Isn’t Operational Anymore

I must admit that there were a few instances in third-world countries where I’ve booked accommodations (and paid for them), only to arrive and find that the hotel was closed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was probably because the staff forgot to take down the Booking.com page for the hotel.

Just to show you how reliable Booking.com is—a message to their support staff got the charges to my card refunded, and I was given a few credits to spend on other reservations.

Note that refunds tend to take time because banks have different processing times, but be patient because your money will safely get back to you.

Your Flight Is Canceled or Overbooked

Booking flights through booking.com is relatively easier because you can have all your travel plans on one platform. However, many airlines tend to overbook and consumers tend to feel cheated if they are ever in that situation. Fortunately, booking.com doesn’t tend to put their clients on overbooked flights.

I found it safer and more reliable to use Booking.com for flights because there is a lower chance of your flight getting canceled, overbooked, or delayed.

What About the Negative Reviews?

Booking has upwards of 100 million mobile users alone, in addition to millions of others. Most online platforms have more negative reviews than positives because people tend to showcase bad experiences more easily rather than help with positive reviews.

So many people with years of good experiences on the website will write a bad review about a single bad incident that they’ve had with Booking. This skews the ratings because no good reviews were given over the longer period where they had positive experiences on the platform.

How To Make Reservations on Booking.com?

You can make reservations on Booking.com by entering your destination, check-in and check-out dates, and selecting the hotel. After selecting the room(s) you require, enter your personal information and credit card info (if required) and click the button to confirm.

Making reservations on booking is really that easy—after all, that’s what the website was built for. Here are a few tips you may want to keep in mind when making reservations:

  • Look for Genius discounts. The more you reserve on Booking, the higher you’ll get on their Genius program. This will get you a 10-20% discount on participating hotels, and free breakfast or other perks. When combined with other discounts, you can get a great deal.
  • Take note of the cancellation policy. Many hotels offer free cancellation up to several days before the check-in date, but this is not universal and may vary depending on the room. Check the terms for each hotel, under each room option.
  • Read reviews from other users. To guarantee the best experience in your accommodation, it’s best to check what other guests have to say about the hotel. Reviews are more informative than the star system.

How to Cancel Your Booking? Is It Easy to Cancel?

This is part of a confirmation email (German version). You can see the button ‘Ändern Sie Ihre Buchung’ = Manage Booking. That way, you can easily change or cancel without registering.

You can cancel on booking.com by clicking on the “Manage Booking” button on the confirmation email and clicking on the option to cancel. You may need to pay a fee, depending on the cancellation policy. You can also access this page through “Bookings & Trips” on the website.

💡 Good to know: You can easily cancel or change your booking without registering or being a registered user. Just click the ‘Manage Booking’ link in the confirmation email.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, the cancellation policy for hotels on Booking.com is not universal. For some accommodations, canceling your reservation is free of charge even up to the morning you’re expected to check in.

In my experience, however, most 3 or 4-star hotels want to charge you one night if you cancel within the last 24 hours. Booking makes this decision easy for you because the policies are simplified as you book.

After you’ve selected a hotel and are browsing the room options available, you’ll find notes under “Your choices” for each room such as:

  • No credit card details required
  • Free breakfast included
  • Free cancellation until (date)
  • Partial refund
  • Flexible to reschedule
  • Non-refundable
  • No prepayment needed

In those notes, you can easily distinguish the various options you have regarding canceling, even before reserving. To get a more detailed description of the specific policies, you can click on the question mark icon above the notes.

Booking Directly With a Hotel vs. Booking.com

In most cases, it’s cheaper to book through Booking.com than directly with a hotel. This is because Booking has a wider reach, making it easier for hotels to get reservations.

Still, I find it’s best to double-check because sometimes hotels have discounts that might not pertain to their Booking.com clients. In that case, you can try using the price matching option that Booking offers, which I’ll describe in detail below.

Is the Low Price Guarantee Real?

Booking.com offers a price match. It allows users to ask for refunds for accommodations if they find the reservation at a lower price elsewhere. To get a refund, contact the Booking support team at least 24 hours before checking in, and provide support to your claim.

However, be aware that sometimes it can be a challenge. If you read the conditions for price matching, you’ll find that there are several requirements that you must meet to support your claim for a refund.

For example, the rules state that the cheaper price must be for the same property and accommodation type. Hotels might not include some rooms on Booking.com and only offer lower prices for those rooms.

Also, note that Booking.com won’t price match if you get a lower price as part of a loyalty program or a Partner offer. This stipulation is clearly stated in the rules.

Does Booking.com Give Refunds?

Booking.com gives refunds immediately after a booking is canceled if the cancelation policy allows it. However, the funds may take up to 10 business days to show up in your bank account. The website may also give refunds as part of their price matching.

In other words, you can get a refund if you cancel before the mentioned deadline or if the policy allows for free cancellation regardless of when the reservation is canceled. Of course, there is also the issue of refunds as part of price matching.

I found that when guests cancel part (or all) of their reservations via Booking.com, they are more likely to get a refund than if they are dealing directly with the hotel reception.

Advantages of Using Booking.com

Several advantages of using Booking.com warrant it being the most popular travel reservations website worldwide. With the website’s decades of experience, here’s what they have to offer:

Millions of User Reviews

Before you ever select a hotel to book your accommodations, you have access to millions of reviews from users all over the world. Not only can you get a star rating for the hotel, but also specific experiences from each guest including comments on cleanliness, facilities, amenities, and much more.

Quick Responses From the Support Team

If you ever find yourself facing problems with your hotel, Booking’s support team responds fairly quickly to help you resolve any issues. This includes problems with your room type or refunds in case you want to cancel. In fact, canceling is as easy as clicking a button!

Genius Program Offers Lower Prices

The more you book through Booking.com, the more “Genius points” you collect. Their loyalty program offers discounts of up to 30% for some hotels. They also include free breakfasts or room upgrades in some instances.

Best Price Guarantee

Although it is rare to ever enforce the best price guarantee to get a refund, this policy means that Booking.com provides the lowest price for any reservations you book on their website. You can travel the world on any budget you have. There are also often discounts that are only available on Booking.com, further lowering prices.

Summary

Using Booking.com is not only safe, but offers many advantages, including price match, loyalty discounts, and supportive customer service. Millions of users from all over the world, including myself, can attest to the convenience of the site, so go ahead and book yourself a vacation through Booking.com.