Piotr N.
I stayed at Malaga City apartments Barceló, at Alameda de Barceló 30, Malaga Centro, 29014 Málaga, Spain, and I believe guests should be aware of what happened. The online check-in was unusual and required a lot of information. The host sent a form that demanded a 200 EUR deposit to complete the process, though this had not been mentioned when I booked. I was told it would be returned within 24 hours of checkout, but a week later it still hadn’t arrived. The host said it was being processed. After 30 days, there was still no money back. I contacted Booking for help. The first time, support said to wait another 14 days. The second time, they said the property had confirmed the refund had been sent a few days earlier, and that processing could take up to 30 business days depending on the bank and card operator. They advised checking with them after that period. There’s no email or chat history available now to follow up with the host. It has been over 30 days since the host and Booking last assured me the refund was being processed, and a few months since my stay. The room also didn’t look like the photos, which I found misleading. The dirty terrace was several floors above, and the blinds didn’t work, leaving no sunlight in the sleeping area. Scam is how this experience felt to me.
