Once the free-cancellation deadline shown on your booking passes, the rate's penalty applies — and what that costs depends on whether it is a hotel or a car. Hotels commonly charge the first night, and in some cases the full stay. Car rentals refund what you paid minus a fixed administration charge. The exact penalty is stated in your booking's cancellation policy; any refundable portion goes back to your original card within 5–10 business days.
Where to find your deadline and penalty
- Hotels: open the booking in My Trips, or check your confirmation email.
- Car rentals: open the Manage booking page at dubairentals.com/manage with your booking reference and booking email — car rentals are not managed in My Trips.
Both routes show the cancellation policy word for word, including the deadline and what a late cancellation costs. Every booking is different, so always read your own policy rather than assuming.
Hotels: common penalty structures
- First night — the most common: you pay one night, the rest is refunded.
- A percentage of the stay — some rates charge a share of the total.
- The full amount — close to arrival, many rates keep the whole payment.
Cars: a fixed administration charge
A car rental cancelled after its free window is refunded minus AED 185, or three days' rental / AED 419 — whichever is the greater — up to a maximum administration fee of AED 1,256. The charge never exceeds what you actually paid. Cancelling the car also cancels any add-on insurance bought with it. The full detail is in cancelling a car rental.
Whatever remains refundable returns to your original card, typically within 5–10 business days.
Mind the clock — and the time zone
Deadlines have a date and a time, set in local Dubai time. If you are cancelling from another time zone, do not cut it close: cancel a few hours early rather than discovering you were minutes late.
Still going, just different?
If the plan changed rather than collapsed, changing beats cancelling: hotels can often move their dates, and car rentals can be amended at /manage.
Emergencies: it is worth asking
If illness, a cancelled flight or another genuine emergency stopped you cancelling in time, open a ticket at support with your booking reference and any evidence. Waivers are entirely at the hotel's or the rental company's discretion, but we can ask on your behalf — they do sometimes say yes.
More cancellation answers in hotels help and car rental help.