Originally Posted by
clarkef
I had a similar situation. In March of this year, I booked a one-week timeshare getaway at the Westin Desert Willow in Southern California. A week later, the resort closed. Interval World, the timeshare company, refused to provide a refund, only giving the getaway holders the option to rebook the getaway to a different date which had to be before years' end. Screw that. I paid cash for the getaway, and if the hotel couldn't provide me the getaway on the date requested, then they had no right, morally or legally, to keep my cash. Accordingly, I filed a credit card dispute against Interval which I easily won.
This is the correct approach. The contract itself may be non-refundable, but it also implies that the vendor is open and able to provide the service. If it is not, then you are due a refund and have an easy chargeback if it is not. As with all chargebacks, file them promptly and back them up with the paperwork which proves that you are correct, e.g., a copy of the contract provision providing for refundability, a copy of the notice from the hotel cancelling your reservation because it is closed, or even screen shots otherwise showing that the property is closed during the period of your reservation.
No need to spend hours on the phone or to up your blood pressure.