Hotel Encino

We visit Puerto Vallarta frequently (4 -6 times per year) and have stayed at Hotel Encino, as well as their sister Hotel previously, and found them to be likable. This time that was not the case (see below)

Our reservation was through "booking.com" for 2 adults, and we had specified a room with two separate beds. We also indicated a preference for an end or corner room on the quieter side of the Hotel. Our preference was acknowledged favorably by the Hotel. Upon arrival we paid for our two night stay with a credit card and were taken to a tiny room (I've seen closets that were bigger) intended for a single person, and with only 1 twin size bed. We pointed out that we had reserved a room for 2 adults with 2 beds. The bus boy who brought out bags up for us apologized and left to get us the keys to another room . We waited for a considerable period of time, enough so that a lady (not sure if she was a hotel employee or not) asked why we were sitting on our baggage outside this tiny room for so long. We explained,and she pointed out a room two doors down that had two beds, was an end unit, and the door was open, which she said meant that it had not been rented yet. At that point we went back to the lobby to see why the holdup, and were told that they had no two bed rooms available, and that even if they did it would be for approximately 400 pesos more than we had previously booked and paid for through "booking.com". I was perturbed but said no harm done then, just refund the money to our credit card and we will try to find another room somewhere else (not an easy task at 4PM on Saturday the week before Thanksgiving). I was then told "sorry - no refunds allowed"!!!. Arguing the point that either the Hotel or "booking.com" had screwed up and that the room was totally unsatisfactory for our needs, not to mention not what we had contracted for, did no good. Their policy was that once they had your money they were not going to refund it!. I will think seriously about using "booking.com" again in the future.