Guides › Hotels and Short Stays › Booking Site or Hotel Cancelled My Stay
Booking Site or Hotel Cancelled My Stay
If a hotel or holiday rental cancels your stay, ask the hotel and the booking site for a full refund and the extra cost of a similar room. A hotel-only booking is usually not a package, so your rights are weaker, but services must be provided with reasonable care and skill, and card protection may help.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Your Rights
Independent Bookings
A hotel stay or holiday rental you book on its own is usually an independent booking, not a package, so package holiday protections do not apply. Claims are harder, and a company based abroad may not be covered by UK law. source
Hotel and Travel Booked Together
If you booked the hotel and travel together from one company, you may actually have a package holiday with much stronger rights. Check what you booked. source
Care and Skill
Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015). If a stay is not as promised, you can ask for the problem to be put right or for a price reduction, and go straight to a price reduction if putting it right is impossible, takes too long or causes significant inconvenience. source
Getting Your Money Back
Writing to the Hotel
For an independent booking, write to the hotel or service provider directly, not a travel operator. Include your booking reference, what went wrong, evidence such as photos, receipts, and the compensation you want. Email is fine, and registered post is a good option. source
Section 75
If you paid by credit card and the hotel or host will not put it right, ask your card provider about a Section 75 claim (for items costing over 100 pounds and up to 30,000 pounds) or a chargeback. source
Hotels in the EU
If the hotel is based in an EU country, the UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) can help, according to Citizens Advice. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 6 yearsSection 75 card claimFor items costing over 100 pounds and up to 30,000 pounds, generally within 6 years (5 in Scotland); check before you wait
- 6 yearsLegal claimGenerally 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland (check before you wait)
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Get the cancellation in writing, from the hotel or the booking site.
Step 2 of 5
Ask for a full refund straight away. If you had to book a more expensive room, keep the receipts.
Step 3 of 5
Write to the hotel and the booking site with your booking reference, what happened and what you want. Our free letter templates can write it for you.
Step 4 of 5
If you booked flights and the hotel together, check whether it was a package: you may have stronger rights.
Step 5 of 5
If you are not refunded and paid by card, ask your card provider about Section 75 or chargeback.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
The Hotel or Host's Complaints Process, and the Booking Site's
Always start here, in writing, with your evidence.
Card Provider: Section 75 or Chargeback
You paid by card and have not been put right. Use the Financial Ombudsman Service if the card provider refuses.
Small Claims Court
A last resort when the hotel or host refuses. It can be slow and costly, so check the time limit first.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Screenshot your booking confirmation and the price you paid as soon as you book.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/claim-compensation-for-a-holiday Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/complain-about-a-service Checked 13 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/getting-your-money-back-if-you-paid-by-card-or-paypal Checked 12 October 2026
- gov.uk/make-a-court-claim-for-money Checked 8 October 2026