Absolutely appalling experience at Malacuna Hotel and Hostel, Birmingham
I booked a room at this property, paid online, and received both a confirmation and follow-up messages from the hotel. I was travelling from Oslo to London and then driving to Birmingham, planning to arrive around midnight for a few hours of rest before early morning meetings.
To my shock, upon arrival, I was told my booking had been cancelled, not through the booking platform, but by a message. My reservation was still showing as active on the app, so I had no reason to suspect any issue. The reception staff spent nearly ten minutes building up the courage to tell me the booking had been cancelled, leaving me standing there in confusion.
By this time it was past midnight, and the app wouldn’t allow me to book another room. I tried contacting Hotels.com, but their customer service was painfully slow and unhelpful. I ended up driving around Birmingham in the middle of the night trying to find somewhere else to stay, exhausted after hours of travel.
As someone who spends over 150 nights a year in hotels worldwide, I can honestly say I’ve never encountered such poor communication, disorganisation, and lack of professionalism. Completely unacceptable behaviour from a so-called “hotel.”
Avoid this place at all costs, if you value reliability, basic courtesy, or a good night’s sleep, book anywhere else.
