Fury as Airbnb hosts cancel bookings in Liverpool during Eurovision and relaunch price hikes
Airbnb hosts are canceling pre-existing bookings in Liverpool for Eurovision weekend.
Just days after it was confirmed that the song contest would take place in the city on behalf of Ukraine, pre-booked accommodation was canceled with little explanation.
Since the announcement, prices for staying in the city over the Eurovision weekend, which takes place on May 13, have skyrocketed, with some Airbnb hosts offering accommodation for over £10,000.
Booking.com said 99% of its accommodation in the city was fully booked, with the few remaining hotels costing up to £2,000.
A one-night stay on May 13 at the Eleanor Rigby Apartments Stanley Street will cost some £5,760, a ‘comfortable’ two-bed house in Liverpool will set you back £5,375, and a house that sleeps 10 will cost upwards of £8 £000.
Some savvy Eurovision fans who had pre-booked accommodation in the city ahead of the contest, however, were left disappointed after the hosts suddenly canceled their reservations.
AirBnb hosts are canceling pre-existing bookings in Liverpool after it was announced the city would host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine
On Friday night, Graham Norton announced on the BBC’s One Show that Liverpool would host the world famous song contest on May 13.
A man said he booked and paid Airbnb for the song contest, but was canceled 12 hours later. He claims he was then put back on the site for an extra 204%
Another man, who had booked a hotel ahead of the competition in Liverpool, had his reservation canceled saying his credit card had expired.
Some even saw the accommodation they had booked re-advertised online with a huge price hike.
Many have taken to social media to call out accommodation sites and vent their frustrations.
Events manager Buzz O’Neill-Maxwell said: “I was on the go a long time ago and had hotel rooms waiting in Liverpool and Glasgow in anticipation of the announcement of the Eurovision on @bookingcom.
‘Then this message and the reservation is canceled (nothing wrong with my credit card of course.) Total chancers. The prices are now crazy.
A map of accommodation available on Airbnb for May 13 in Liverpool, prices ranging from £1,510 to £10,105
Another person had booked an Airbnb to stay in Liverpool in June and was shocked to find the owner canceled the day after the city was confirmed to host the contest.
The email read, “We are so excited about your stay. However, the property will no longer be available on these dates. Please accept the cancellation request to receive a full refund.’
When asked why the cancellation was made, the host said “apologize for an error in the booking schedule.”
And they’re not alone – a woman had booked a hotel in Liverpool for a wedding that was taking place the same weekend only to find it had been canceled and the price of a room at the hotel had skyrocketed .
Lastminute.com has also come under fire, with some claiming rooms have been canceled because of Eurovision
A woman had booked a hotel in Liverpool for a wedding which was taking place on the same day as the song contest. Later she got it canceled and saw the rooms sold for thousands
A woman says her lastminute.com booking was canceled due to a ‘rate increase’
She said: ‘We had booked four rooms for a wedding in Liverpool on May 13, we suddenly received an amendment to my booking telling me my booking is now for the 14th.
“My reservation which was £260 is now £3,500. Booking.com is now fighting for us.
Another man wrote: ‘Booked and paid for an Airbnb in Liverpool for Eurovision for the weekend.
’12 hours later and the booking was canceled and rebooked with an eye-watering 204% increase. Well done guys, you absolute lucky ones.
Online booking site lastminute.com has also come under fire after some of its Liverpudlian hosts began deleting pre-existing bookings.
One woman wrote: ‘Shocking taking advantage of Liverpool hoteliers. I had booked and paid for two nights in May and have just been told my reservation has been cancelled.
‘No reason given. I booked through lastminute.com who told me it was due to a “rate increase”. I’m really disgusted.
Liverpool will host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine – who won the 2022 contest in May
Another added: ‘Disgusting greed and lastminute.com profiteers
“I booked a room in Liverpool for Eurovision but the company won’t honor the booking as they realized they could now sell it at a much higher price.”
‘I will never use them again. I have now lost space and cannot afford to book an alternative.
The announcement of where the song contest would take place was announced on Friday night by Graham Norton on the BBC’s One Show.
Liverpool had battled with Glasgow after the two cities were named the final picks for the song contest.
The winner of the previous year’s contest usually hosts the following year’s song contest.
In May Ukraine triumphed at the 2022 contest in Turin, Italy, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ruled the show could not be held safely in the country after Russia invaded.
United Kingdom, who were runners-up thanks to the performance of Sam Ryders, said they would host the competition on behalf of the war-torn country.
AirBnb, Booking.com and Lastminute.com were all asked for a statement.
The claimed behavior is believed to be prohibited.
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