Imagine planning a perfect holiday. From train tickets to hotel booking, everything sorted months before. But arriving at the property and denied the stay despite having a confirmed booking is something you didn’t plan for. Now this is not an imaginary story but a real incident. A Gurgaon resident who travelled to Manali with his family but was denied accommodation. But this tourist decided to take action. So instead of accepting a refund, he approached the consumer commission and won. It’s an important lesson for every tourist. So let’s find out what happened:The incident
Manali snowfall
As per reports, the Gurgaon resident had booked accommodation at a resort in Manali after paying an advance amount. The man travelled with his family all the way from Haryana to Manali in Himachal Pradesh.But an unpleasant surprise awaited as upon reaching the property, he was allegedly informed that no room was available despite his confirmed reservation. The resort reportedly refunded the advance payment.Now the tourist was left in a fix at a new place with his family. He argued that the last-minute refusal forced him to look for alternative options after a long journey.The tourist decided to approached the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Gurugram to seek compensation.The judgement
When a Resort Refuses Your Stay
Upon hearing the issue, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Gurugram ordered the resort in question to pay a compensation of ₹31,000 to the tourist. The commission acknowledged that refunding the booking amount was not enough to compensate for the mental trauma and inconvenience caused to the traveller and his family in an unknown destination.Why did the consumer commission rule in the traveller’s favour?The consumer commission observed that refunding the advance payment was not enough. The tourist faced issues because of this at a new destination.As per the order, a traveller who reaches an unfamiliar destination with a confirmed booking has a right to accommodation. But instead, being denied after travelling hundreds of kilometres is a traumatic experience. Understanding this inconvenience, the commission directed the resort to pay a total of ₹31,000 to the complainant.Why it is important for travellersIt’s not uncommon to see cases like overbooking, technical glitches and reservation disputes. Such incidents are mostly reported during peak tourist seasons.In such cases, travellers assume that accepting a refund is the only option. But that’s not true and this case is an eye-opener. It shows that consumers may be entitled to compensation if a hotel’s failure causes inconvenience or mental distress.Understanding the law
Hotel Refused Check-in After Booking
Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, consumers can seek redress against “deficiency in service.” Hospitality businesses, including hotels, resorts and online booking platforms, are expected to provide the services they confirm.If you ever face a similar situation, here are a few steps:
- Ask the hotel to give you in writing why your reservation was denied and if required, collect evidence. Take pictures and videos
- Save all the receipts for any additional expenses, like petrol and food, incurred while finding alternative accommodation.
- Later, you can approach the consumer commission with all these supporting evidence.
The incident is an eye-opener and educates tourists of their legal rights, in such cases.
