Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/10/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had made a booking June 14th 2023, (confirmation #: ******************** ) and cancelled within an hour or two. When contacted, the hotel told me they didn’t even receive the booking. I contacted ZenHotels and they said they would contact the hotel to make sure my booking is cancelled. Several calls to zenhotel later I was told that I would get a full refund. Even received an email stating the booking was cancelled and I would receive my money back, the employee stated it would be returned within 1-5 business days depending on my bank. Today (August 9th 2023) I still have not received my money back. I have called several times and only been told they don’t have an estimate of when I’ll receive my money.
  I called my payment card company to file a dispute and it seems like I’m being punished for that because every time I call ZenHotels
  they bring it up as if that’s the reason I have yet to receive my refund. ZenHotels sent documentation to my card company stating that the booking was nonrefundable so they would cancel my dispute. I paid $1128.00 USD for something that was cancelled almost immediately because of a death. I want my money back.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We followed the Zen Cancellation Policy when we had to truncate a Hotel stay in late Aug 2022. Zen refunded 1 day but our stay was shortened by 2days. *** has taken extraordinary efforts to deny the 2nd day refund:1) Zen attempted to invent a Cancellation Policy step claiming we did not submit evidence of serious reason for cancellation. This in NOT in their Cancellation Policy. 2) Zen purposely redacted an email from the Hotel property agreeing to the 2nd day refund. I received the email directly from the Hotel property and it's clear that Zen cut-off that portion of the message. Evidence of this will be uploaded here.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear BBB,
  
  The following is my final attempt to request a full refund (190€) for the booking******* that I made through ZenHotels for 2 nights at ***** Hotel, New York. This has been going on for more than half a year now and I don't feel like neither the health circumstances at the time nor my financial situation now have been taken into consideration or cared about at all.
  
  My father received a positive covid test one day before the stay at ***** Hotel. By the time, were were in Washington, DC, where he lives. I had flown all the way from The Netherlands, where I'm studying, to spend time with him after not being let into the country for more than two years due to the pandemic.
  
  I had planned this special trip to New York for the two of us and it was going to be my Christmas gift to him. I had to cancel everything when the positive test result arrived. I understand that the free cancellation deadline had passed, but these were extraordinary and unpredictable circumstances. I'd also like to note that all the other accommodations that we've had to cancel as well because of this and through whom we did not book directly, had no problem, despite also having passed the free cancellation deadline, to refund me the full amount of the stay.
  
  I'm incredibly upset that ZenHotels is not willing to grant me the full refund and only refunded me 87€, when this had already been a huge disappointment and expense. I'm an undergraduate student in my second year. I simply can't afford to loose out on over a 100€.
  
  Best regards,
  *********************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2022/10/18) */
  Thank you for your letter.
  
  We ask you to set the guest's email into a copy to your request and write a complaint in a reply to this email. Please do not send links to other websites.
  
  Thank you.
  [email protected]
  
  --

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On August 28th I made a booking for a Junior Suite at the hotel called ***************** Hotel in Walvis Bay, Namibia, that was listed on the website zenhotels.com for 15-19 September 2022 (4 nights) with the booking number********** Following this booking, I received an email confirmation from zenhotels.com stating that my booking is confirmed, it was paid in full and should I ever receive any emails from the hotel itself to pay more, these should be ignored. I then went ahead and booked my flight to Walvis Bay in order to enjoy my stay.
  
  A few days later, since I am traveling to a foreign country and wanted to be sure everything is order, I went to zenhotels.com and connected to their chat support. I spoke with an individual who confirmed my booking and proposed that should I wish, he can contact the property and send me their own booking confirmation number. I asked to proceed that way. A couple of days went past and I followed up, I was told to wait. Another day went past, I followed up and was told to wait and advised that hotels can take "weeks to reply to an inquiry". This did not sounds promising right at this stage. The following day, I followed up again and received yet the same response.
  
  Irritated by lack of proactiveness from zenhotels.com and their "copy and paste" approach to customer inquiries without necessary attention, I contacted the hotel by myself. I received a prompt response that they received a "provisional booking" but it has not been paid. I was shocked to hear that and asked the property to explain. Within 15 minutes I received an email from zenhotels.com stating that there was an error and I can cancel my reservation without penalty. I did not agree to that even though zenhotels.com were trying to confirm my consent with the hotel itself.
  
  My plans are now ruined, a few days till departure and I am left without a hotel. I demand that zenhotels.com make it right and honor my reservation that was confirmed and paid for. Thank you
  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 18, 2022/10/28) */
  The Company is not responsible for inaccuracies or errors in the descriptions, prices and other information about the Hotels and the Rooms including non-compliance/partial compliance of the Hotels and Rooms with photographic images submitted by Hotels and included in the database of the Service.
  
  Considering the fact that the Service is a technologically complex system, which may cause errors at any time, the User is hereby notified that upon detection of inconsistency of information contained in the System about Hotel Services (including their cost) to actual data and information, the Company reserves the right to unilaterally cancel the Booking made by the User on the basis of incorrect information.
  
  --
  
  Best regards,
  Ekaterina M.
  Emerging Travel Group
  
  
  Consumer Response /* (3000, 20, 2022/10/29) */
  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  What Ekaterina M. described in her delayed response to this complaint is false. My booking has never been cancelled. I received a few emails from zenhotels.com that they "allow me" to cancel the booking without a penalty which I found unethical, not in line with standard business practices and did not agree to. The company also tried to pretend that they misread one of my emails where I apparently agreed to a cancellation. I never did, emailed them back, and the booking remained active.
  
  I incurred unexpected expenses due to the lack of professionalism and lack of responsibility taken by this company. The response from Ekaterina arrived with a significant delay (almost 2 months), well beyond my hotel booking dates in Namibia. My stay can no longer be accommodated since it's too late. I incurred unexpected expenses by staying in a nearby accommodation that should be refunded to me by the company and this is my expectation at this point.