What To Do If Your Airbnb Host Cancels Your Accommodation At The Last Minute?

Have you ever had your Airbnb accommodation canceled at the last minute by your host? Don’t you hate that? You have already paid the full amount of your reservation and thought you were on your way. Moreover, you are left with a few hours to make changes to your plans.

Well, the night before our check-in for one of our recent trips, we were notified by our Airbnb host that he missed to check his calendar and his unit was actually fully booked so he cannot accommodate us. 

We messaged the host right away to clarify and get more information. He apologized that he failed to confirm availability from his end before accepting the reservation. Note that there was no offer of help from him in finding an alternative accommodation. When we asked what we need to do next, he advised us to cancel the reservation. However, when we checked in Airbnb's website, they discourage guests from canceling reservations for the host as it would mean the guest cannot get any refund.

So what to do if your host cancels your accommodation? Airbnb offers two options: transfer your payment to a new Airbnb reservation or get a full refund. 

But these two options are only available when your host cancels the reservation within the cancellation window. In our case, since we were notified less than 24 hours before our arrival, neither the host nor us can cancel the reservation. We told our host that he needs to find a way to cancel the reservation as we cannot cancel it and at the same time we wanted to avoid being penalized if we were the one to do it. He told us that he is unable to cancel as it was already close to the arrival. He then offered to personally refund the entire amount of the reservation by doing a wire transfer of the money to my bank account. Though Airbnb recommends processing monetary transactions and communications through its secure platform. Airbnb protects the money of its guests by not releasing payments to the hosts until 24 hours after check-in. This gives guests an alternative should problems arise with the reservation.

To avoid further complications, we went through the website's Help Center to find a way to cancel the reservation and request for a refund. Yet, this self-service tool was not useful as it only contains common questions and scenarios. Our concern did not fit nicely into what were provided in the Help Center. 

Since the Help Center was not so helpful, we were getting frustrated and we felt the urgent need to get in contact with an Airbnb Representative to handle the cancellation and refund of the reservation. However, finding the phone numbers to call directly Airbnb was difficult. The numbers are well hidden it's like searching for treasures inside the website. If you also need to contact Airbnb to resolve your issues, you can just check the list below of all the local Airbnb phone numbers.

Country	Phone Number
United States	+1-415-800-5959 or +1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)
Argentina	+54 11 53 52 7888
Australia	+61 2 8520 3333
Austria	+43 72 08 83 800
Brazil	+55 21 3958-5800
Canada	+1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)
Chile	+56 229380777
China	+86 10 5904 5310 or 400 890 0309 (shared-cost)
Denmark	+45 89 88 20 00
France	+33 1 84 88 4000
Germany	+49 30 30 80 8380
Greece	+30 211 1989888
Hong Kong	+852 5808 8888
Ireland	+353 1 697 1831
Israel	+972 3 939 9977
Italy	+39 06 99366533
Japan	+81 3 4580 0999 or +81 800 100 1008 (toll-free)
Mexico	+52 55 41 70 4333
Netherlands	+31 20 52 22 333
New Zealand	+64 4 4880 888
Norway	+47 21 61 16 88
Peru	+51 1 7089777
Poland	+48 22 30 72 000
Portugal	+351 30 880 3888
Puerto Rico	+1 787 919-0880
Russia	+7 4954658090 or 8 800 301 7104 (toll-free)
Singapore	+65 6622 7306  or +65 800 723 1238 (toll-free)
South Korea	+82 2 6022 2499 or +82 808 220 230 (toll-free)
Spain	+34 91 123 45 67
Sweden	+46 844 68 12 34
Switzerland	+41 43 50 84 900
United Kingdom	+44 203 318 1111

We contacted the Singapore number as there was no local number in the Philippines. We talked to a helpful representative named Gabrielle who asked us to explain what happened. After hearing our situation, she then confirmed that the reservation can no longer be cancelled by the host. She offered to cancel it from her end and request for a full refund of the payment. She also sent an email to make sure we have a reference in writing regarding our conversation. Lastly, she surprised us with a US$50 coupon welcome gift that we can use for any future reservation.

Hopefully this entry will make it easier to contact Airbnb regarding last minute cancellations. Let us know if there are numbers that are not working and we'll try to update it right away.

Kota Beach Resort aka Camp Sawi: Where Broken Hearts Go?

Located at the southeastern side of Bantayan Island, Kota Beach Resort is one of the famed shooting locations of the local movie Camp Sawi. According to the filmmakers, they chose the scenic island and the resort because of the need to have a beautiful setting for their story. 

We would have to agree that a beautiful and peaceful beach experience is one of the few that the sawi or the broken-hearted needs to get away from all the pain and have some quiet time for reflection.

But does Kota Beach Resort live up to this screen name and provide a perfect destination for the hurting? Read through to find out.

Location
Kota Beach Resort's location is one of its main advantages. It is nestled on the southeastern point of Bantayan Island which is blessed with a long stretches of white powdery sand and pristine blue waters.

Kota is blessed with white powdery sand
and pristine blue waters

The entrance to the resort is situated at the very end of F. Duarte Street in Sta. Fe giving it a bit of a secluded and quiet ambiance. 

It is a 25-minute walk and a 10-minute drive from the Sta. Fe Port. It is only a few meters from the municipal police station and two blocks from Batobalonos Street which is lined up with a number of restaurants geared toward both local and foreign tourists. 

Kota Beach Resort offers free round trip transfers from the port to the resort. The resort confirmed on the morning of our arrival that we just have to send them an SMS for the schedule of our ferry service so they can pick us up. Sadly, they called off at the last minute advising that their driver went on half-day. They told us to just take a tricycle to the resort for PHP20 and they'll reimburse it but they forgot as soon as we arrived at the resort - just like how your years of love have been forgotten.

Reservation
Kota Beach Resort has its own website for reservation of rooms. The rates published on its website are the following:

Room Type	Published Rate Per Night (in PHP)
Standard Non-Aircon Room	1,000
Standard Aircon Room	1,600
Deluxe Cottage 3rd-4th Row	2,100
Deluxe Cottage 2nd Row	2,800
Beachfront Cottage	3,600
Beachfront Suite	4,000

The hotel is also listed in online travel agencies Agoda.com, Hotels.com, and Booking.com. Since the rooms are offered at lower rates plus a credit card discount through BPI cards, we decided to book through Agoda.com. For a Deluxe Cottage in the 2nd row, we paid PHP1,781.44 nett per night.

Moving on may come at a very high price but not the rooms at Camp Sawi.

Check-in
After a long 6-hour bus and ferry ride to Sta. Fe, we arrived at the resort at around 4:00PM. The resort's Front Desk is located towards the right side upon entering the gates of the resort. It is seen after passing through the Camp Sawi signage. 

Check-in was a breeze as our cottage was ready. But it was not the warm and memorable experience the broken-hearted would like it to be.

Resort Layout
The resort is blessed with its own private beachfront and beautiful white sandy beach. Its shoreline changes form on a daily basis due to the winds and tides. The beach front offers generous sundecks for hours of relaxation under the sun as well as beachfront pavilions where guests can lounge with a book, simply take in the fresh sea breeze, or to let things go. A good number of coconut trees also dot the property providing partial shade from the hot Philippine sun and preventing the sawi from adding sunburns to their pain. 

The beautiful beachfront

The pavilions, perfect for relaxation and reflection

The pavilions, perfect for enjoying the views
and taking in the fresh sea breeze 

The resort's cottages are arranged in rows. The 1st row cottages come with unobstructed views of the blue waters of the Visayan Sea while the 2nd row cottages come with porches that allow guests to still enjoy the ocean breeze and semi views of the beach. The 3rd and 4th row cottages also have private porches but no longer have views of the sea. At the back of the resort is a multi-story building where the Standard Rooms are located.

Coconut trees dot the property

At the right side of the resort is the open-air Kadlawon Restaurant and the adjacent bar. As it is just a few steps from the rooms, it is a good spot to shamelessly get drunk.

Kadlawon Restaurant

The bar with pool table

Our Cottage

We booked and stayed in a Deluxe Cottage in the 2nd row. The cottages are bahay-kubo inspired units where almost all materials are made of wood and light materials. 

The cottage lacked the modernities of a TV, phone, or Wi-Fi connection. But it has a homey feel and a nice bed. It's perfect for finding your own quiet place.

The Deluxe Cottage c/o Kota Beach Website

Service and Experience
Although already popular, service at Kota Beach Resort leaves so much to be desired. Aside from the staff missing to provide their "promised" free round trip transfers, they lacked friendliness and warmth throughout our stay. Certainly not rude but service was really stodgy. All interactions with the staff were mere transactional moments and there were no attempts to personalize and provide a touch experience. Sawi, parang ex mo lang.

Overall, we generally have mixed feelings about Kota Beach Resort. We loved the beauty of the place and we still had reasons to enjoy. We just hope they could be inspired to work on improving their service so the resort can live up to its Camp Sawi name and be a perfect destination for travelers, broken-hearted or not.

For more information about the resort, visit their website here. You may also contact +63 32 438 9042 or +63 956 276 4410.

Read about our other Cebu posts:

Bantayan Island: A Good Source of Vitamin Sea

Self-Guided Tour: Experiencing Cebu City in a Few Hours for Under PHP150

Self-Guided Tour: Experiencing Cebu City in a Few Hours for Under Php150

Half a day in Cebu City is nowhere near enough, but if it's all that you have, here’s an itinerary that we’ve put together to help you make the most of your remaining few hours in the queen city of the south.

Since Cebu has a rich historical heritage, this itinerary includes:

• Cebu Provincial Capitol
• Fuente Osmeña
• Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
• Magellan’s Cross
• Malacañan sa Sugbo
• Fort San Pedro

Stop #1: Cebu Provincial Capitol
An iconic building in Cebu City, the Capitol is among the most beautiful buildings in all of Cebu. Built in 1937, this neoclassical/art deco building, designed by Juan Arellano, was inspired by the US Capitol Building. It is dramatically positioned at the province’s kilometer zero and at the end of Osmeña Boulevard. 

The Cebu Provincial Capitol

The building’s façade is distinctly characterized by a central concave pavilion crowned by a dome. The concave side is inscribed with one of the main principles of our democratic government: The authority of the government emanates from the people. It has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute. 

Inscription: The authority of the government emanates from the people

Historical marker

Map of Cebu

Lapu-Lapu sculpture in the capitol grounds

Since we stayed in a hotel located in Capitol Site, we just walked over to the Cebu Provincial Capitol and got there in less than five minutes.

Stop #2: Fuente Osmeña

Fuente Osmeña or Osmeña Fountain is an important landmark in Cebu City. It stands in the middle of a park and a roundabout also known as Fuente Osmeña Circle. 

Osmeña Park

Built in honor of President Sergio Osmeña, the area plays host to important events in the city like the Sinulog, and other cultural shows, social gatherings and political events. During regular days it serves as a perfect place for picnics or for walking and jogging.

The fountain

The Crown Regency Towers at the background

Trivia: The original master plan of Cebu was to have the circle serve as a city center where everything radiated outward from the rotunda similar to Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately, the plan has not been fully realized.

Fuente Osmeña is one kilometer away from the Capitol, so we just took a twelve-minute walk to the park.

Stop #3: Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

From the Fuente Osmeña circle, we exited onto the side of B. Rodriguez St. There, we hopped on a 06B jeepney to Basilica Minor del Santo Niño which is located along Osmeña Boulevard. We just asked the driver to drop us off at the church. It was a quick fifteen-minute ride to the place.

Considered as the oldest church in the Philippines in terms of founding date, the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño or the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child was established in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fr. Andres Urdaneta. It was built on the site where supposedly the unscathed Santo Niño was found among the debris of burnt houses in the local village. This was believed to be the original image given by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon and Hara Amihan during their baptism in 1521. Since then the Santo Niño has been venerated as miraculous and is used as the centerpiece of the annual Sinulog Festival. 

The beautiful church facade

Church interiors

Devotees flock the church for blessings

The church complex also houses a museum with exhibits relating to the history of Christianity in Cebu. Antique relics, century-old furnitures, and various Santo Nino vestments are displayed in the museum.

Church courtyard

Church fountain

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Stop #4: Magellan’s Cross

After our brief visit to Santo Niño, we made our way to the south side of the basilica complex where Magellan's Cross can be found. 

The octagonal chapel

The huge cross, housed inside an octagon-shaped chapel, is Magellan's legacy to the Philippines. However, the one displayed here is a mere replica of the original cross. The sign below the replica states that the original is encased inside it. This was done to protect the original cross from being chipped away for souvenir or in the belief that it possessed miraculous powers. 

The cross replica

While in the chapel, we offered candles in varying colors. Each color symbolized a particular intention: pink for happiness and thanksgiving, green for prosperity, blue for career success, yellow for health and peace, and red for love. We bought ten candles for Php10 each which include a Sinug prayer. It's a dance prayer done with two steps forward and one step backward while waving candles and chanting intentions. One half of the candles were piled up before the cross while the other half were lighted outside the church walls. 

Candle offerings

Stop #5: Malacañan sa Sugbo

From Magellan's Cross, we walked east along Magallanes St. till we reached Plaza Independencia two blocks away. Then we went to the south side of the plaza where Malacañan sa Sugbo is located. 

Malacañan sa Sugbo is the official residence of the President of the Philippines in the Visayas. It was the city's Bureau of Customs Office before it was converted to its current use.

A powerful house

It can be identified with its all-white facade and landscaped grounds. The front side of this century-old building is inscribed with the name Malacañan sa Sugbo. And just like its counterpart in Manila, the structure is situated next to a body of water for immediate evacuation in cases of emergency.

Visayas' own Malacañan

The building is currently inaccessible to the public after portions of it were damaged during the 2013 Visayas earthquake. But it's in the news that the building has been reopened for inspection and repairs. It is targeted for conversion to a museum and to serve as the office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas. For now, only photos of the exterior can be taken.

Barbed wire laden barriers

Stop #6: Fort San Pedro
On the east side of Plaza Independencia is another historical structure known as Fort San Pedro. 

Fort San Pedro marker

Fort San Pedro is a military defense structure that was built during the early times of the Spanish era. It dates back to the 17th century and is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country. 

Fort San Pedro is a well preserved stone fort

The fort has served various purposes such as a fortification, a military barracks, an emergency hospital, a school, and even as a zoo. These days, part of the fort is a museum which houses well preserved Spanish artifacts, documents, paintings and sculptures. Statues of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Antonio Pigafetta can also be seen outside the fort walls. 

Welcome marker

Paintings displayed such as the Blood Compact, portraits of Pigafetta and Rajah Humabon

Various photos exhibited inside the Viviende del Teniente

Landscaped interiors of the fort

Walled garden

Walled garden

Since Fort San Pedro is a quiet, walled garden, we purposely chose it as our last stop and spent half an hour inside to rest before we decided return to our hotel. After all, it was a tiring four-hour tour of the city's most important historical landmarks. 

So there are our suggestions on how to make the most of your few hours in Cebu City. Below are the expenses (excluding breakfast and bottled water):

Cebu City DIY Tour	Total in Php
Jeep (Fuente Osmeña - Santo Niño)	7.00
Magellan's Cross Candle Offering	100.00
Fort San Pedro Entrance Fee	30.00
Jeep (Plaza Independencia - Capitol Site)	7.00
Total Per Person	144.00