India Calling - 1st little annoyance, hopefully the last!

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I booked the Crowne Plaza Kochi hotel thinking I had picked free cancellation option - for 3 nights over the Christmas period - apparently I was sorely mistaken. Unfortunately I had to book 2 rooms as there are no family suites which is why I was looking for free cancellation option.

Now that I have found something else that suits our needs better with young children, I have tried to cancel but am being hit with not 1 but 2 cancellation fees. Both rooms x1 night. I selected the waive option in booking.com to no avail.

I have also contacted the hotel via booking.com explaining my mistake and offering to pay for 1 room for the first night. No dice.

It's like as if it's not peak holiday season & they won't be able to re-sell the rooms!! But apparently rules are rules & I have encountered a jobsworth in a international hotel chain who cares nothing about good will. As a past customer of other Crowne Plaza's I'm a bit shocked that my compromise was turned down out of hand.

They have now offered interconnecting rooms, which, I thought they'd have provided at a minimum in the first place, seeing as I had to provide the children's ages on booking. Guess I was wrong about that too.

I am staggered by the Crowne Plaza's mean spiritedness, pettiness & inflexibility.

I don't think I can use Crowne plaza or IHG for that matter again and certainly won't be recommending them. Customer service = 0.

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