Hotel has been downgraded, what are my rights?

lilpeach1965

Hi, in desperate need of some help here. We (myself, hubby & 4 teenage kids) booked a holiday a year ago to Majorca, we fly out on Sunday. When we booked the holiday it was for a 3* hotel. We followed all the reviews on Tripadvisor for the last few months. All was going well up until about 3 weeks ago when every review went from bad to worse. The Hotel has been downgraded to a 2* (although our travel agent keeps denying it!) it clearly shows the hotel as a 2* on the travel agent website now. It was a 3* when we booked it, what can I do. We have paid nearly £3000 for a 3* holiday and will not be getting what we have paid for. All the reviews have stated the all inclusive food is disgusting, rooms are filfthy, cockroaches have been discovered etc..it is awful! I approached our travel agent (even printed off a dozen reviews, many stating that it had been downgraded and that is no good talking to holiday reps over there as they are no help!) and I have been told not to worry, take pictures, document everything and keep receipts for food if we have to eat out, then we can complain when we return. Who wants to spend their holiday doing that! Our holiday snaps should be happy ones, not of a hotel in ruin! My 4 kids have saved every penny for this holiday and we have all been looking forward to this for a year now..I am at my wits end with worry as I know its going to be a total nightmare! Any ideas would be gratefully received.

lilpeach1965

I forgot to mention, the travel agent said they cud possibly move us to another hotel if head office agreed to it but it wouldn't be easy as there were 6 of us, they suggested a hotel on a different part of the island but said we would have to pay so much more each. The reviews for that hotel were just as bad if not worse!

claire16c

I would go back in and insist on not staying there and ask what your options are.

Then see what the costs are and make your decision.

jhe

i would be telling them i booked a 3* holiday and that is what i want. if its thomson/first choice in my past experience i would not ask them anything i would tell them what i will accept which would be a 3* hotel acceptable to me at no extra charge.

pattycake

I booked a holiday with Thomson last year. A couple of weeks before we were due to go, having being monitoring the reviews on TA, I decided it was not the place for me.

I went into the local branch where I had booked and said I would not go to that hotel. In fact, I wanted to changed country. Initially, they said not possible but after I got fairly upset, they agreed to ring Head Office. I left the branch at that point. Within 10 minutes I got a call on my mobile to say I could change and where did I want to go instead?

I did have to pay some extra money although they did not charge me simply for changing. At that point, that was the 3rd Thomson holiday of 2011 with that shop if that made any difference or not.

I have to say though that I have not been back to them. I have booked two further breaks with Thomas Cook and a third one I did with First Choice but booked online.

cottonhead

I am with the others here. If it was 2* originally you wouldnt have booked it so I would stick to that.
I had a bad experience with Thomson a while back. The accomodation was not specified in advance as it was a tour and suject to change but we were told it would be of a 3* or above. When we arrived at the first place it was smelly and damp with holes in the walls, paper peeling off, the lights didnt work, the covers were dirty and the carpet stained etc etc. I rang Thomson there and then ( from sri lanka ) to complain and wrote a very strong letter upon my return. We did get compensation but I am with you - if you already have reason to believe its bad you shouldnt have to risk it.

Westin

Just a thought but who's grading system are you referring to? If it is the Trip Advisor one then that moves depending on the reviews being given. It is therefore possible when you booked, Trip Advisor showed a 3* rating and subsequently poor reviews have reduced the Trip Advisor rating down. If you are just going on the Trip Advisor rating then I don't believe you have grounds to demand a change. If however the official tourist classification rating has changed, or the tour operator you booked with has downgraded the hotel using their rating system, then fair play, you have reason to request to amend your holiday.

peachyprice

Westin wrote: »

Just a thought but who's grading system are you referring to? If it is the Trip Advisor one then that moves depending on the reviews being given. It is therefore possible when you booked, Trip Advisor showed a 3* rating and subsequently poor reviews have reduced the Trip Advisor rating down. If you are just going on the Trip Advisor rating then I don't believe you have grounds to demand a change. If however the official tourist classification rating has changed, or the tour operator you booked with has downgraded the hotel using their rating system, then fair play, you have reason to request to amend your holiday.

I think it's actually the tour operator who have downgraded it form this quote from OP:

lilpeach1965 wrote: »

The Hotel has been downgraded to a 2* (although our travel agent keeps denying it!) it clearly shows the hotel as a 2* on the travel agent website now. It was a 3* when we booked it

Elx

You have paid for a decent hotel and you should get a decent hotel BEFORE you travel. Peace of mind is what a holiday if for! Big companies should not be allowed to ruin it with avoidable mistakes.
I am currently in dispute with Purple Travel (a daughter company of Hays Travel). We booked a 3* room at a "multistar" Hotel in Bulgaria. we were put in a 2* room (as this is what we had booked!!!!). we paid for an upgrade. I have asked Purple Travel to reimburse, they say it was an admin error and will only give us 50% of the cost back. I have now contacted ABTA. our 1st day was totally ruined with all the hassle of trying to upgrade our room (2* had no air con). We would have happily paid a bit extra for room upgrade if purple travel had told us before we travelled. As it is I am soooooo annoyed at their attitude and blatant twisting of words to suit themselves that I will fight this.
By the Way Bulgaria is a beautiful country and will go back :-) -will NEVER use Hays or Purple Travel or low cost beds.
enjoy your holiday :-)