I booked a hotel in Manali through Agoda for a three-night stay from 25 May 2026 to 28 May 2026. I chose Manali Castle because Agoda had given it good reviews and ratings.
Before my arrival, the hotel manager, Pankaj Sharma, called me and asked for a 25% advance payment for the booking. I transferred the amount online through Google Pay.
However, when I arrived at the hotel with my entire family on the evening of 25 May after an exhausting 8-hour journey, the reality was completely different from what had been shown online. The rooms displayed during booking were nothing like the actual rooms offered to us. The rooms they showed us were of very poor quality, damp, dirty, and poorly maintained.
I had specifically requested two adjacent rooms for my family, but the hotel staff informed me that the rooms available were on different floors. The overall condition of the property was unacceptable, and it was impossible for me to accommodate my family there.
As a result, I had no choice but to leave and arrange another hotel for my family. Finding alternative accommodation took until around 11:00 PM. We had been traveling since morning and were tired, hungry, and thirsty.
When I requested a refund of the advance amount I had paid to Manali Castle, the hotel manager flatly refused. I also lodged a complaint through the Agoda app, but no action was taken. Their response was that the issue did not fall under their policy.
Based on my experience, this was extremely disappointing. Travelers rely on online reviews and ratings when making bookings. When hotels that do not match their online descriptions are promoted with positive reviews, customers can end up losing both money and valuable vacation time. Unfortunately, neither the hotel nor Agoda provided any meaningful assistance in resolving the matter.
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