Holiday Swap?

joanne551991

Hi having booked a holiday to the Domincan Republic last year with Thomas Cook, and checking the reviews to what I thought seemed a lovely hotel, I am not due to go until August but the reviews have gone downhill big time. They are all complaining about locals being allowed in at weekends, and basically trashing the place pushing people around, stealing, having sex in the pool, eating all the food and drinking themselves into oblivion. I am no snob but I have 2 small children who are my main priority and I really dont want them subjected to this. Thomas Cook have admitted a problem with the locals at weekends and have offered to pay my admin costs £35 per person for me to change to a new hotel (thank god I thought) BUT because I have got such a good price I will have to pay £800 TO DOWNGRADE. This can not be right surely this holiday has been mis sold as if I had been aware of this I would never had booked the holiday in the first place.

Caz3121

you mention the reviews have gone downhill, is this since since you booked? You say that you think you were misold as you would not have booked but I don't know what you can do assuming that the reviews were all good before you booked it, or were the reviews bad back then but you had not checked?

kuczer2

It might be best to name and shame the hotel on here to help others avoid booking this one and suffering as a consequence.

Very sorry about your experience, btw

joanne551991

Hi had not really checked the holiday reviews before I booked but after booking I did, locals were mentioned then as being allowed to come in. I contacted TC when I first found this out and asked why I was not told this at the time of booking, they told me it was not a real issue but I feel that was my chioce to make, until as I mentioned before the reviews just got worse....Then I got back in touch and was told they had recieved over 400 complaints about it, my arguement is I think I should have been made aware when I booked then I could have made my own choice. We are not well off by any standard and have saved hard to have this holiday which I am now dreading and feel totally let down by Thomas Cook.

joanne551991

Hotel is the Riu hotel if any one has ever been or knows anyone who has would love to hear there take on it.

stephb34

We went to the Dominican in April stayed in the Gran Ventana, playa dorada and yes the locals do stay in the hotels at weekends but its only 2 days and i cant say they were much worse than the americans and canadians or some brits for that. The only thing that annoyed us was that the kids just helped themselves to my daughters lilo, toys etc, but once i realised they were doing this i fetched them back and told them to ask in future. Certainly didn't see anyone having sex i would have said this was probably a one off incident not the rule. Rui are generally a good hotel i wouldn't consider moving especially if i was down grading, what happens if you move and these things happen you'll be even more disappointed, i should stick with it and if it happens protest to the rep and the hotel manager who hopefully would deal with it by removing them from the hotel.

littlestar1981

Which Riu hotel? There are quite a few in Dom Rep and some are excellent so better to ensure you name and shame the right one!

Incapuppy

littlestar1981 wrote: »

Which Riu hotel? There are quite a few in Dom Rep and some are excellent so better to ensure you name and shame the right one!

The OP stated which one in post #5 but then edited it and removed it.

redmalc

We went to the DR last September and we observed a number of couples having fun !!! in the pool,it must be the thing to do so go and enjoy yourself.This was a very high rated hotel on TA and everthing else was perfect,just shows you what the sun can do?

johnnyroper

redmalc wrote: »

We went to the DR last September and we observed a number of couples having fun !!! in the pool,it must be the thing to do so go and enjoy yourself.This was a very high rated hotel on TA and everthing else was perfect,just shows you what the sun can do?

it is not just DR where it happens i saw couples getting friendly in the swimming pool when staying at the aquamarina beach hotel cancun some years ago.needless to say i did not make use of the swimming pool during my stay.