Siliguri, May 5 — A tourist family visiting Darjeeling has alleged that they were cheated after booking a hotel through the Agoda platform. Vikash Jha, who was traveling with his family, said he had booked a two-day stay at the Pagoda Heritage Hotel via Agoda on May 3. However, upon reaching Darjeeling, the family was shocked to discover they had been redirected to an entirely different hotel with substandard facilities.
According to Jha, the hotel staff offered no assistance or explanation, forcing the family to wait for nearly four to five hours amid confusion and distress. He described the experience as harrowing and disappointing, especially during what was meant to be a leisure trip.
This incident adds to the growing concerns around fraudulent hotel listings and misleading bookings, particularly during peak tourist seasons in Darjeeling and nearby Sikkim. Tourists are strongly advised to thoroughly verify the legitimacy of properties before finalizing bookings through third-party platforms. Locals and tourism observers note that such scams have been reported multiple times and urge greater regulation and accountability from online booking portals.
