Dear travelers,
You may want to consider reading this to avoid such a terrible experience like mine unfortunately was this time at Julien’s place.
I had booked for the room that has a nice view toward the train station of saint-jean 13 days before the checking-in, Julian accepted my booking request since it’s not an instant booking. When I arrived, he was not there and had to wait but that’s not a big deal compared to what was coming next.
He came with another traveler while I was already waiting, turns out that person had booked for the same room on another booking platform (booking.com) !
This could be anything but I’m just not buying that it was just a mistake, because instant booking is not allowed for that room and Julien was definitely sure about its availability before accepting my booking request 13 days prior to the checking, however, he could simply cancel one of our two bookings before the checking-in time to avoid this mess or just write to both of us to find a solution together, but again, before the arrival time.
As we entered the house, he walked the other man straight to the biggest room that I had paid for, and took for granted that I was just going to take the other one that is smaller, has a parking view and usually costs around 15 dollars less !
As I insisted that It wasn’t OK for me, the only thing he kept saying is that the other man paid more on Booking.com (50€) which makes it difficult to make him change the room, and if I didn’t like the second room, all I can do is to leave, go find a room in one of the two hotels at the corner, and wait for a refund, but that was way after we checked-in and the curfew time had already started at 7pm, I felt humiliated and helpless because I didn’t really have a choice, so I stopped complaining and stayed.
So whether people who come from Booking.com are simply more welcome than those who choose Airbnb, or may be foreign travelers who speak some French with an accent are more likely to be treated in a painful discriminatory way.