Planning their German vacation far in advance proved to be a good decision for four Israeli families, who faced an unexpected obstacle in their accommodations arrangements. They were told they are simply not welcome at a guesthouse they had already reserved for next August, due to their nationality.
One tourist, Igor Tsehansky, posted to Facebook a Google-translated message from the guesthouse's administrator, who notified the travelers they had to find alternate lodging because rooms in Mattenhof were not meant for people with Israeli citizenship.
"We don't Want have Guests from Israel, because our apartments are Not for them [sic]. Please cancel the Booking," the message, originally written in German, read.
The Booking.com platform through which the reservation was made is reportedly trying to resolve the issue by offering alternative accommodations or financial compensation for the frustrated customers.
"At Booking.com, we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Period," a Booking.com spokesperson told the Jerusalem Post on Monday. "As soon as we were made aware of the comments made by the owner of this property to our customers, we immediately investigated and closed the property on our site."
Tsehansky told reporters he is considering filing a complaint against the booking company.
