How to get a refund from a hotel that advertised free cancellation but then refused?

The thing is, hotels sometimes claim free cancellation in their ads but then bury the real terms in the fine print - so you might actually be covered even if they're saying no. Check your booking confirmation email first, not just the hotel's website now (they sometimes change policies after you book). Screenshot everything from that original confirmation showing the cancellation terms you saw. Then look at what the booking site (Booking.com, Expedia, whatever you used) says about the terms - sometimes the OTA has different protections than the hotel's own terms.

Once you've got your evidence together, contact the hotel's customer service in writing (email, not phone) and reference the specific cancellation policy from your confirmation. If they still refuse, escalate to the booking platform's support team - they often side with customers on this stuff because it's bad for their reputation. You can also dispute the charge with your credit card company if the hotel outright refuses a legitimate refund claim; most card issuers will reverse it if you show them the booking confirmation saying free cancellation. The credit card route shouldn't be your first move, but it's there if the hotel digs in.

Charge back through your credit card company or payment method - that's your nuclear option and often works faster than arguing with the hotel directly. Before going that route though, send one firm written message (email, not phone) referencing the exact free cancellation terms they advertised, include screenshots, and give them 48 hours to respond. Most hotels cave when they see you have documentation and aren't bluffing. As others mentioned, the fine print trap is real, but if their main ad said free cancellation and you booked based on that, you've got a solid case either way.

I had this exact mess happen to me last year - booked a place that said "free cancellation until 48 hours before," then when I cancelled within that window they claimed the policy only applied to direct bookings, not third-party sites. What actually worked was screenshotting the exact wording from their listing at the time I booked (Google cached pages help here), then filing a dispute with my credit card company with those screenshots attached. The card company sided with me in about a week, reversed the charge, and suddenly the hotel's cancellation department got very apologetic. If you're in the same boat, don't waste energy on back-and-forth emails with the hotel first - go straight to your payment processor with proof of what was advertised versus what they're claiming now.

Pull up your booking confirmation and the hotel's cancellation policy as it appeared when you booked - that snapshot matters way more than what their website says today, since they can change terms anytime. If the policy clearly stated free cancellation and you cancelled within that window, a polite but firm written message (email to the manager, not the front desk) referencing the exact policy language usually gets results before you even need to escalate to your credit card company.