A man from Singapore spent about six hours searching for a hotel he had booked in China before paying to stay elsewhere overnight, according to Shin Min Daily News.
When he finally located the hotel the following morning, he was told it only accepted Chinese guests.
The 54-year-old security guard, identified as Mr Wu, had paid around S$30 through Agoda for a stay at Ruiping Hotel in Taiyuan from Sep. 28 to Oct. 2.
Searched for six hours
Wu said he arrived in the city after 8am but struggled to find Ruiping Hotel.
According to him, Agoda’s listing lacked a detailed address and telephone number, and his emails went unanswered.
After about six hours of searching, Wu tried to check in at Lixin Hotel instead. However, the staff allegedly told him they only accepted Chinese guests and could not accommodate him.
Eventually, he had to resort to staying at a third hotel nearby, paying an additional S$58 to stay overnight.
Turned away
At around 7am the following morning, Wu used another travel website to find Ruiping Hotel’s exact location.
He then found out it was near Lixin Hotel.
However, upon arrival, the staff at Ruiping Hotel also purportedly told him they could only accommodate Chinese guests.
The staff also told Wu that the hotel’s sign had no English wording.
He told Shin Min that Agoda’s booking page had not flagged that the hotel did not accept foreign guests and allowed him to book and pay for a room.
Agoda issued refund
After returning to Singapore on Oct. 4, Wu contacted Agoda’s customer service to report what had happened.
He was told the company would investigate and respond as soon as possible. Screenshots he provided showed that his refund request had been completed.
In repsonse to Shin Min's queries, Agoda said it deeply regretted the matter but could not disclose specific details of individual cases due to privacy protection rules.
Agoda said their customer experience team has contacted the customer to provide further assistance.
They also said they would continue to work closely with their accommodation partners to ensure accommodation information on their platform is clear, accurate and helpful to travellers.
Agoda also said that when concerns are raised about a property’s information or check-in requirements, it will review the circumstances and, where necessary, follow up with the accommodation provider and take appropriate further action.