Deposit charges never returned – deeply disappointing experience
We stayed at the British Colonial in July 2025 for three nights, and what should have been a pleasant stay turned into a nightmare because of the way the hotel handled deposits and charges. At check-in, the hotel withdrew $600 as a deposit from the card we presented. Before arriving, we had already seen on booking platforms that the deposit should be $200 per night, while on the hotel’s own website it clearly states it equals one night’s stay. Such contradictions create mistrust from the very beginning. To make matters worse, without saying anything at check-in, they also debited $213 from the booking card. Later, the invoice reflected this as if it had been charged and refunded on the same day, which is highly misleading. The hotel itself defined this as a deposit, not a verification, so presenting it this way is unacceptable. Even more troubling, the invoice makes no reference at all to the $600 taken from the second card at check-in, and this money has still not been returned. We checked out after paying the full balance, but weeks later both deposits remain missing despite repeated emails. After reading many other guest reviews, we discovered the same situation described again and again: deposits not refunded, unexplained extra charges, and invoices that do not reflect reality. Worryingly, most of these complaints seem to come from international travelers, not from U.S. citizens. We are now escalating this further, having already contacted our banks and preparing formal complaints to the European authorities, the Bahamian Consumer Protection agencies, and Booking platforms so these practices are properly investigated. ⚠️ This was by far the worst conduct we have ever experienced from a hotel, and we strongly warn future travelers to be extremely cautious if choosing this property.
By Cam