ibis Berlin Hauptbahnhof in Berlin

I booked a room at this hotel as part of a trip to Germany for an important medical treatment. Unfortunately, the treatment was unexpectedly cancelled – something completely out of my control – and I tried to cancel my hotel stay as soon as I found out. I requested a free cancellation through Booking.com and also contacted the hotel directly to explain my situation.

To my disappointment, the front desk manager, Katharina, informed me that a refund was not possible and that I should proceed to cancel the room. I explained that I was struggling financially due to the sudden cancellation of my treatment, and kindly asked if it would be possible to receive a voucher to rebook at a later date instead. Again, I was flatly told no.

I understand the policy of non-refundable bookings when someone simply changes their mind, but in the case of medical emergencies or unavoidable circumstances, there should absolutely be exceptions. The cancellation fee they charged was €102 – for a €110 room. That’s 92% of the total cost. Completely unreasonable.

I expected much more empathy and professionalism from a well-established hotel chain like Ibis. I would not recommend booking here if there’s any chance your plans could change – especially for reasons outside your control. Very disappointing experience.