Hotel Rural La Pradera

I was relieved in the end that we found somewhere else, with a better location and a lovely owner and staff. That doesn’t excuse what happened here, though. We had a valid, paid reservation, yet when we arrived we were told the place was full. The person was extremely rude, offered no apology, and made no effort to sort it out. We’d been accepted hours earlier, but were told that the booking system’s confirmation was nothing to do with them, even though we’d spent hours getting there. That’s completely unacceptable. Being polite, apologising, and trying to find a solution should be the bare minimum. I’m glad I didn’t stay somewhere that felt so unpleasant, but this was a dreadful experience in a lovely part of a lovely country. After reading other reviews on Google, Booking, and elsewhere, I wondered if there might be a scam going on. I could be wrong, so people can draw their own conclusions. The hotel is part of Booking’s preferred partner program, where properties pay more and get favoured placement. My suspicion is that a very competitive price is used to lure people to this remote property, then they’re told Booking confirmed a room that doesn’t exist. A hotel can’t just check its computer once a day. I also read that guests may be sent to an even more remote, worse place the owners have elsewhere. If people refuse, they’re met with rudeness and unprofessional behaviour. I can’t say for certain that this is what happened, but it made me question the good reviews. Read the worst ones too and think about the kind of place you’re booking. This place should be removed from these platforms and inspected by the government tourism authority. It’s a shame this can happen, and a huge black mark on a lovely region. I wasn’t personally at risk because I had a car, speak the language fluently, know my rights, and won’t let anyone disrespect me or blame me for their incompetence, whether real or deliberate. But other people may be in a more vulnerable position.