Hotel Neptuno

I prepaid for this hostal through Expedia, but when I arrived they said the reservation had been cancelled and that I had to pay cash. I showed my receipt, but got the same answer. With my limited Spanish, I may not have understood everything. I knew Expedia wouldn't let me cancel on arrival day, so I paid cash and then contacted them to check on a refund. Expedia said the booking was still active and needed a receipt for the cash payment before they could act, so I got one. They then needed the property's permission to issue the refund. Expedia said they'd tried several times to reach the property, then denied the request, even though I'd shown that I paid twice. After more calls and messages, which were difficult with the weak WiFi, I finally used Expedia's Spanish phone option so they could talk directly to the property. That got them communicating, and I did get the refund in the end, but it shouldn't have taken 6 days. A couple of other guests were also surprised to be asked to pay cash on arrival. The receptionist and room cleaner helped me, and I give her credit for that, but overall it was a terrible experience. I almost booked a tour online with Rosedelco because their prices were best, but decided against it in case they asked me to pay cash again. I found out they're the same company. In Ecuador, 2 of my hotels had me prepay and 2 had me pay on arrival, and I understood Expedia allows either advance card payment or payment at the front desk, perhaps only in cash.