Who can I complain to about Travelodge?

chrisw99

Does anyone know if there is a regulatory body that governs complaints made to Travelodge (in the same way that if you complain to a bank they say you can write to the Financial Ombudsman if you are not happy).

To try and summarise very briefly. In July we were due to stop at a Travelodge, it was the hottest weekend of the year, my wife was pregnant, and the room was like an oven. Not just hot, but incredibly hot with no airflow. My wife fainted within minutes of being there, and we just couldn't stay. They had no fans to provide, etc. This was 8pm on a Sunday, and the people on reception didn't seem to give a damn about a pregnant lady in distress.

Eventually, by 10pm we found a Premier Inn who, because of my wifes condition and the heat, raided a few rooms, the pub next door, to find at least 3 fans for us and did everything they could to make her comfortable.

As the £45 was paid in advance, I tried to get a refund from the hotel manager, who said he couldn't for "weather reasons". (Premier Inn on the other hand offer a comfortable nights sleep guarantee and were aghast we weren't given a refund). I was told to take my complaint higher.

When I tried to complain to customer services, I was told I had to do it via email, which I did and they just forwarded it on to the hotel manager again.
A second email explaining to take my complaint higher and give me addresses of CEO, CFOs, MDs etc I could write to was sent. (Instant responses came back saying "We Will reply to ALL emails within 10 days"). After 10 days with no response I sent another email asking for some addresses, again a reply "we will reply within 10 days" ...

This was July/August and I've still not had responses from those emails. So in early September I wrote a letter addressed to "The Managing Director" to the head office. 6 weeks later no response or acknowledgement.

And finally I rang the head office on Monday to see if my letter was received, I was promised a call back and this hasn't come.

So sorry for waffling, but I'm getting fed up now and instead of complaining to Travelodge I want to complain ABOUT Travelodge, so if any one knows how I'd go about that please let me know.

Also, how likely am I to be able to get my £45 back. I know it says in their T&Cs refunds can't be given for lots of reasons, including weather, but in that particular situation where the room was simply inhabitable for my wife in her condition, and also the fact our entire Sunday evening was ruined and we had to fork out another £60 at a Premier Inn 30 miles from where we needed to be, I feel I am entitled and will not give up.

But a big big thumbs up to Premier Inn, it was a trillion times better..

sturll

I find this very unusual and a very sketchy area.
By that i mean usually in Travelodge there is at least some sort of climate control. However lets not forget we live in the UK and there is rarely need to have air conditioning in the rooms to the extent it makes it like a freezer.

I seriouly doubt you will get any form of 'compensation' or indeed your initial payment back. And in fairness i can understand why you cannot.
In most hotels if you were not happy i think you get something like 15 minutes to decide you dont actually want to stay there and you can leave with your money back. But with TL its an advance payment system and simply you pay and you have to be satisfied end of. It is made very clear in their terms and conditions and upon booking.

I have the greatest sympathy for your wife but in this case i would simply give up and direct yur energy and efforts to your wife and put your experiance with TL down to a bad day.

phatbear

When you booked with travellodge did you ensure that the rooms would be comfortable for a pregnant lady ie ventilation, fans, air con.

Have to admit ive stayed in a few travel lodges in my time and none of the above were standard and they werent mentioned on their website.

I get that your angry and of course you would be after all this is your wife and un born child you are talking about, but if the only room avaliable is a unventillated, un airconned non fanned room then im afraid you would have to put up with it. I have stayed at premier inns where in hindsight I wish I had mentioned I had kids as they put us in rooms with lots of outside noise etc but because I hadnt mentioned it on my booking form I couldnt really grumble.

You say that this occured at 8pm on sunday im afraid I would have to ask where did you expect them to get fans from at that time of night?

I understand that premierlodge went out of their way to help and fair play to them, i hope you have left feedback to this effect too, however I think that unless travel lodge are willing to give you a good will refund then I dont think youve got a leg to stand on.

I know this is an emotive subject but its just my opinion and im trying to be devils advocate and give you another perspective.

all the best

the bear

Blue264

sturll wrote: »

I have the greatest sympathy for your wife but in this case i would simply give up and direct yur energy and efforts to your wife and put your experiance with TL down to a bad day.

I feel the same.

I'm sure the whole situation was very distressing for your wife and yourself, and normally I would be more than happy to help you resolve this matter to your satisfaction, but I am only too aware that with Travelodge, you are banging your head in a brick wall.
I hate booking Travelodge for my clients (and only will if they have specifically requested them) as I know too well that if anything goes wrong, we have precious little recourse with them.

chrisw99

Thanks for the quick responses, and I fully understand your comments and am probably resigned to losing that £45, but my question was really more about complaining about the Travelodge complaints process itself.

After all, to be told when phoning "you have to complain by email", and then send several emails with the response...

"Thank you for contacting us today.

Your email has been forwarded to a Customer Relations Advisor who will be in contact with you shortly to answer your queries. We will reply to all emails within 10 days, and often sooner"

None of those emails was ever responded to (this was July/August), or the letter I sent to the MD 6 weeks ago.

Surely there is some kind of code of conduct about complaints procedures here that they have to respond to me? Even a negative "we have looked into your complaint and cannot give you a refund" would be better than this complete silence!

phatbear

You're right it would be better to get an email saying they would not be giving you a refund, but this isnt something which is enforceable its just bad practice not to get back to people.

The only thing you can do is use your voice to tell as many people who are willing to listen about your situation, after all people remember bad reviews and may think twice about booking with travel lodge after your experience.

If you still feel angry then drop an email to watchdog it may not get you anywhere but at least you have tried.

all the best to you and yours

the bear

wentywoo

Not really the in the same boat as you, but in june i wanted 1 night at the taunton travelodge, when i went to book it on the site, i mistakenly put the wrong month july and not only that, 2 nights instead of one. My mistake, i was hungover! So i went back and booked the original date i wanted (all withing 2 minutes), phoned them and told them my error, their answer was there could be no refund at all! So i payed £60 for two nights i wasn't even staying.
After many letters to them, the answer was an emphatic no!
So to be honest i guess i'm saying, no chance with a refund off travelodge!

chrisw99

phatbear wrote: »

The only thing you can do is use your voice to tell as many people who are willing to listen about your situation, after all people remember bad reviews and may think twice about booking with travel lodge after your experience.

Good thinking!! I think the whole unfortunate episode clearly highlights the vast difference in quality between Travelodge and Premier Travel Inn considering the comparable price of the two.

I didn't even mention we had a 2 year old toddler and booked a family room, which amounted to an unconverted sofa bed with a pile of bedding next to it. Correct me if I'm wrong but a family room should have at least one bed other than the double, that doesn't require assembly and making up. And of course the reception staff who were more concerned with their nails than my wifes fainting episode.

This is the STRATFORD ALCESTER one. Avoid like the plague. Go for Worcester Premier Inn. Considering by then it was 10pm I was surprised by the helpfulness of their staff, and as you pointed out earlier I should write a letter of praise to them. Everyone complains these days but not many do the opposite and I think I will.

phatbear

wentywoo wrote: »

Not really the in the same boat as you, but in june i wanted 1 night at the taunton travelodge, when i went to book it on the site, i mistakenly put the wrong month july and not only that, 2 nights instead of one. My mistake, i was hungover! So i went back and booked the original date i wanted (all withing 2 minutes), phoned them and told them my error, their answer was there could be no refund at all! So i payed £60 for two nights i wasn't even staying.
After many letters to them, the answer was an emphatic no!
So to be honest i guess i'm saying, no chance with a refund off travelodge!

Totally different case, the OP has what appears to be a genuine greivance with travel lodge and their lack of customer service and understanding of his circumstance.

However your post just highlights that you shouldnt do anything when drunk/hung over, hell it could have been worse you could have booked a holiday worth thousands.

all the best

the bear

chrisw99

phatbear wrote: »

However your post just highlights that you shouldnt do anything when drunk/hung over, hell it could have been worse you could have booked a holiday worth thousands.

Never a truer word spoken. A few years ago I once, under the influence of two bottles of red wine when the missus was on a night out and i was home alone, went on a casino site totally drunk. Lost £1. Tried to regain by betting £2. Tried again with £4. (this was on a 50/50 heads or tails game). By about £100 was panicking but surely I'd get one right and get back even. Before long I'd hit the £2500 deposit limit and spent the next couple of years severely regretting that night.

Although I still find it hard to accept that however drunk I was I got a Heads/Tails toss wrong 9 times in a row!!

Voyager2002

Chris, I suggest you contact Trading Standards (Consumer Direct). By the sound of things the service that Travelodge offered was not of merchantable quality. Check whether the Sale of Goods Act covers services such as a hotel stay.