My hotel was cancelled. No money back. I had to pay again.

October 2012 I booked 10 nights in Mallorca with Travel Republic. I arrived very late as planned and the hotel was shut. I woke up the owner and she checked and found my booking had been cancelled, so she had not waited up for me. I had to pay again for my accommodation and when I got back, I complained to Travel Republic who said it was nothing to do with them (though they had taken my money), as they had booked the room through hotelbeds. TR just denied everything and did not want to know. As months went by, I have sent them proof of the cancellation and explained that if I had cancelled (just several days before, so no refund, so a waste of time cancelling), I would have done it through them who I paid money to, not knowing that hotelbeds was in any way involved. It became clear that Travel Republic cancelled and took my money to keep for themselves. This is just plain theft. Letters either aren't answered or you get fobbed off or lies, so over a year later they have an ultimatum that within 10 days I will complain to ABTA and ATA who they are bonded with. If I still lived in the UK, I would have taken them to the Small Claims court.