Handling emergency closures

Updated 2 years ago | 4 min read
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In the event of an emergency, you may have to close your property, cancel reservations, or relocate guests. Here we’ll take you through the steps you’ll need to consider if you have to close temporarily. 

Our Force Majeure policy covers emergencies where it is/was impossible or illegal for guests to travel to or stay at properties they’ve booked – for example, during a natural disaster or a pandemic like COVID-19.


In this article


What to do if my property has to close temporarily

If an emergency or local government mandate means your property has to close temporarily, make sure you do the following:

  • Cancel any upcoming reservations for the period your property will be closed – guests will be refunded unless you can arrange new reservation dates
  • Close your rooms or units on our platform to avoid receiving new reservations
  • Contact any guests who are scheduled to arrive during the closure to let them know they won’t be able to stay at your property 
  • If you can’t get in contact with your guests, inform Customer Service and our team will attempt to follow up with those guests

If guests are due to arrive soon, their booking will be canceled free of charge. If you’re unable to find alternative accommodations, Customer Service can help. You have to cover the cost if the alternative accommodation is more expensive, but we’ll always try to find something with similar standards and rates. If guests are booked far enough in advance, their booking will be canceled free of charge, but Customer Service won’t attempt to relocate them. 

In some regions, the local government holds us responsible for arranging temporary closures and/or restrictions on new reservations. In these situations, we’ll act on your behalf and keep you informed via email. 


Refunding bookings canceled due to emergencies

Guests can request to cancel their reservations via their Booking.com account. Then you can accept their cancellation.

Guests can also request to cancel the reservation by calling or messaging you directly. In this case, you must cancel the reservation yourself on the Extranet. Click Request to cancel booking in the Extranet’s Reservations section. Once the guest confirms your request, the reservation will be canceled. The reservation will remain active until the guest confirms the cancellation.

In emergency circumstances, guests won’t have to pay to cancel the reservation, even if they had a non-refundable booking.


Relocating guests if my property is closed

If relocation is possible (e.g. if other properties in the area remain operational), you should find your guests alternative accommodations. Our Customer Service team can help with relocation, and they’ll also evaluate if we can waive the relocation costs.


Contacting Booking.com for support

You can contact us for more information on emergency temporary closures. Use the dedicated phone number on the Extranet, or send us a message via your Extranet inbox.  

Once the emergency situation has passed, you can find out how to reopen your property in this article

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