My guest wants to cancel their booking. What happens next? (guest cancellation)
Learn what to do when your guest wants to cancel, why they need to cancel through their booking channel, and what to do if you haven't heard anything.
When this article applies
This article is for when your guest has decided they'd like to cancel their booking.
If you've asked your guest to cancel because you can't host them, please follow our I can't host a guest's booking instead, even if your guest agrees or submits the cancellation themselves. What matters is why the booking is being cancelled, not who submits the request.
Your guest needs to cancel through their booking channel
Your guest needs to cancel directly through the booking channel they booked on, such as Airbnb or Booking.com. We can't cancel a booking on a guest's behalf, and neither can you.
What happens next depends on whether they cancel inside or outside the booking's free cancellation window.
There's no approval button for a guest cancellation
You won't find a button or form in your Travelnest account to approve or request a guest cancellation, so please don't worry if you can't see one. If your guest is cancelling within the free cancellation window, there's nothing for you to approve. If they're cancelling outside it, our Guest Support team will check whether you've already agreed, as explained below.
If your guest cancels within the free cancellation window
The cancellation goes through automatically and you are notified. You don't need to approve the cancellation.
If your guest asks to cancel outside the free cancellation window
Guests often ask their host to agree before they cancel. When their request comes through the booking channel, our Guest Support team looks at whether you've already agreed. They'll check your messages with your guest (for example, a message saying you're happy for them to cancel) and whether you've been in touch with us about it. If it looks like you've agreed, we'll process the cancellation. If we can't see anything, we'll contact you directly.
Please don't use "Cancel this booking" for a guest cancellation
If your guest wants to cancel, they'll need to submit it through their booking channel. Using Cancel this booking in your Travelnest account starts a host cancellation, which comes with our standard host cancellation fee of £160 + VAT.
If your guest asks you to cancel on their behalf, please ask them to submit it through their booking channel. Neither you nor Travelnest can submit it for them.
If your guest said they'd cancel but hasn't
Your guest telling you they'll cancel isn't the same as them submitting the cancellation, and until they do, there's nothing for us to process. The best next step is to message your guest and ask them to submit it through the booking channel they booked on. If your guest doesn't want to cancel and you can no longer host them, please see our I can't host a guest's booking.
If your guest says they've submitted a cancellation but you haven't heard anything
If your guest tells you they've already submitted the cancellation through their booking channel and you haven't been notified or contacted, a human member of our Host Support team will need to check the booking.
It helps the team if you can share:
- Your Travelnest booking reference (it starts with TN followed by 9 digits)
- The booking channel your guest used
- When your guest says they submitted the cancellation