Booking.com Cancels $4K Hotel, Offers Same Rooms for $17K

UPDATE: A shocking incident involving Booking.com has emerged, where an Ontario woman, Erika Mann, had her $4,300 hotel reservation for the 2026 Montreal Grand Prix canceled, only to be offered the same rooms for over $17,000. This alarming situation highlights serious concerns about automated pricing systems and consumer protections in the travel industry.

Mann initially booked a four-room unit at the Holland Hotel in Montreal, excited to host family members visiting from the Netherlands for the race weekend. Weeks after confirming her reservation, she received distressing news that both the hotel and Booking.com deemed the original price a mistake. She was informed that to secure the same rooms, she would need to pay four times the original amount.

According to Mann, the hotel explained a “synchronization error” on Booking.com led to the issue, allowing incorrect pricing to appear temporarily. The hotel stated that their automated system updates prices, preventing manual corrections. After Mann sought assistance, Booking.com reviewed her case but ultimately sided with the hotel, claiming the posted rate was incorrect.

Although Booking.com offered alternative accommodations at a similar price, Mann found them unacceptable for her group of adults. “One was a single-room studio with two beds,” she complained. “We’re a group of adults, not backpackers.” Following inquiries from CBC Go Public, the company has agreed to reassess Mann’s predicament, but the situation remains unresolved.

In a separate urgent issue, a mother in Nova Scotia is raising alarms after discovering her 14-year-old daughter was targeted by online predators through a school-issued laptop. The mother found disturbing emails and chats on the Chromebook, which revealed conversations of a sexual and self-harm nature with individuals not affiliated with the school.

The troubling incidents occurred in October, prompting the mother to take the laptop to the RCMP for investigation by the Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE). Timestamps indicated that these messages were accessed both at home and school. In response, the school issued a warning to parents, emphasizing the importance of vigilance regarding online safety.

Officials from regional education centers assured that they have “robust” safeguards on student-issued devices, but cautioned that effectiveness may be compromised when the devices are used at home, relying on local Wi-Fi protections.

In a related story, a Sudbury teen faced a unique challenge during his Ontario G2 driving test when he was informed that dashcams are not permitted. Tristan Imgrund discovered that despite the Tesla’s built-in recording feature, the device was restricted during the exam process. After initially failing the test, dashcam footage proved his compliance at a stop sign, leading to a successful appeal.

Next Steps: As these stories develop, consumers and parents alike are urged to remain vigilant about online safety and travel booking practices. The repercussions of automated systems and digital vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly evident, with lasting impacts on families and travelers.

Stay tuned for further updates on these pressing issues as they unfold. Share your own experiences with customer service and digital safety at [email protected].