How to get a refund from a hotel?

misskool

Hi all,
can anyone help me?

I booked a stay at thistle city barbican through lastminute.com from 30 march to 1 april and both nights we stayed there, there was no hot water for a shower :eek:

We had a cold wash each day and when we complained they informed us that we would get a full refund for the stay.

Of course,we're now getting the corporate runaround, lastminute.com say they are waiting for the hotel, the hotel is now no longer responding to my emails or phone calls, I would just like my money back for what is supposedly a 4-star hotel but was ultimately rubbish!

My pillowcase for the entire stay had this evil yellow stain on it, I had to laugh otherwise it would have been an awful experience.

How is it that hotels in this country can get away with charging an absolute fortune for tat?

RDA

Why not give Thistle's head office a try :

Thistle Hotels Corporate Office
PO Box 909
Bath Road
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 9FH

An appropriately worded letter to their chief executive with copies to the travel editors of several broadsheet newspapers will probably do the trick.

Ultimately, Lastminute.com are a broker in this matter and probably can't do much more than chase Thistle on your behalf.

misskool

Response from the hotel, that because it was due to circumstances beyond their control, they are unable to offer a refund?

They have just lost a customer for good! The aim of a hotel is to provide bed and hot shower, anything else is extra IMHO.

edthedead

That's rubbish! - I presume you had cold water and power which must have meant that there was a problem with their boiler - that would come within their control, it's their boiler!

Do you know if any of the other rooms had water!

Might be worth writing to AA or RAC - who ever awarded them their stars to let them know - might apply some pressure!

moonrakerz

That's why I stay at Travel Inn or Travelodge, if you get a c**p room for £45 it's a lot better than paying £200 for a c**p room !

davey69_2

Hi, when you book through a site like lastminute.com, you ordinarily pay them on booking (so I am taking the assumption that is what you have done). When you check out of the hotel, the hotel invoices the agent for the contracted rate that the agent has with them (which will be less than you paid, and the hotel probably doesnt know how much you actually paid to last minute, just what last minute pays them). So it is lastminute.com that will still have your money, and the hotel will not as yet have been given that money. So I would suggest that it is lastminute.com that you should be chasing with your complaint, rather than the hotel direct as they cannot refund what they dont have! I know its a bit of a backward process but hope it helps you to get your money back!!