Young women stranded on Portugal streets at night as Airbnb cancelled

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Two young women have shared their frustration after they were left “wandering the streets of Portugal” in the dark after their Airbnb booking was axed on arrival. Ami and Beth, both 22, say they were looking forward to a five-day break in Vilamoura but their trip descended into chaos when they reached their Airbnb apartment on October 17.

Due to their late arrival, the two students had agreed with the apartment owner to collect the keys from a locked box by using a code. However, the girls were given the incorrect code, and after several unsuccessful attempts to contact the host, the pair began to panic about their safety.

According to the Daily Record, Ami and Beth contacted Airbnb for help but the rental company left the girls to wander the streets for hours with their luggage as they desperately tried to find a room for the night.

Ami, from Glasgow, told the Record: “We arrived to collect the key from the lockbox after 9pm but we couldn’t get it open with the code we were sent. We contacted the host several times to say we couldn’t get into the box but we didn’t receive any response.

“Beth contacted Airbnb on live chat to ask for help as we were wandering the streets at night with our large bags and money. We told Airbnb that we felt unsafe, we couldn’t contact our host and we were two young girls wandering around in an area we didn’t know.”

Ami and Beth eventually found a room at a local hotel and claim Airbnb offered to pay for the night’s accommodation before backtracking on that promise. The holiday rentals company then issued a full refund – which automatically cancelled the pair’s accommodation for the rest of the trip.

The pals ended up £500 out of pocket after being forced to fork out on a last-minute hotel for the rest of their trip.

Ami continued: “We had already paid £233 for the accommodation with Airbnb and then we had to pay another £550 for a new place to stay – prices for rooms had almost doubled.

“Airbnb called us and said they would pay for the hotel if we sent over a receipt. They have since gone back on that and offered us a 20% off coupon which amounts to £47.

“After they cancelled our booking, they didn’t offer any alternative accommodation or offer to help us find somewhere to stay. We’re really upset with the way it was handled and definitely won’t be using Airbnb again.

“The stress of the situation and financial strain while were already in Portugal ruined our holiday.”

The refund is currently still being processed and Ami and Beth have requested to be compensated for their trip.

An Airbnb spokesperson said: “Our original handling of this matter fell below the high standards we set for ourselves, and we have reached out to the guest to apologise and make things right by refunding the booking, reimbursing expenses and issuing a travel coupon as a gesture of goodwill.

“In the rare event a Host cancels a stay, guests are protected for free through AirCover, and our 24/7 support team is on hand to help, including with rebooking assistance.”

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