Please HELP! Honeymoon hotel cancelled 1wk before!

Money_Saving_Mandy_2

Hello all

Please can anyone offer any advice on this (sorry for long post)....

Had a call at 3pm today sot say our hotel booked for honeymoon (next Tuesday) is no longer available (no real explanation) and we have been offered an alternative.

The alternative is way below par standard (even though similar benefits of the honeymoon package) compared to the one we'd booked and importantly is not adults only.

Rang company (Broadway Travel, same as teletext hols so all ABTA and ATOL protected) back to say can we go through our options. I was told:

1) They can ask for more alternative hotels.
2) Or refund would be for accommodation& transfers only (not flights). I queried this as out ATOL cert said in full. She told me it was because we had made our own tailored package not a package deal.

So I went away and checked. We definitely have a flights plus sale ATOL cert which says the complete amount is protected (teletext is the ATOL cert provider) and includes accomm, flights and transfers.

Called back to say that I want to double check their understanding of the change in ATOL law (Re flight plus sale protection).

I was then told that ATOL is only for reasons of insolvency (i.e. company has ceased trading) which the company /nor the hotel have ceased trading, hence why if we were not happy with the alternative accommodation offered they would refund the accomm but not the flights.

So basically, can anyone help;
1) is ATOL only for companies going bust?
2) What else can we do if we don't like any alternative hotels offered?
3) Or how do we ensure we really are getting "like for like"?

Many thanks for taking time to read this

Ax

duchy

I'd start by looking to see what alternatives are offered ...or look around yourself for alternatives if they will refund the money -and just use the flight.

What hotel was it-and what alternative are they offering ?

littlereddevil

That is such a shame. What a way to treat people. Hope you get it sorted

Money_Saving_Mandy_2

We booked Barcel! Bavaro Beach (adults only) club premier honeymoon package and was offered Occidental Grande Punta Cana (grande romance deluxe upgrade) and while had many similar "honeymoon type benefits" it was def a lower quality and much poorer reviews on Trip Advisor.

BB hotel No2 our of 99 punta cana hotels, OG was 54/99!!! Reviews said it was tired and needed updating and for a honeymoon just good enough.

We have asked for a list of alternatives and will look ourselves on the hotel supplier (low cost beds / holidays).

Checking earlier the OG hotel for our time period could be booked on low cost hols for £449 per person. We have paid £950 per person for our current booking, so we intend to state that as we are OBVIOUSLY not being like for like alternative. Does that sound reasonable?

Also, we have already booked a hotel for Gatwick airport for night before due to distance to travel and early flight, and paid for chosen seats on the flights etc that we wouldn't get back no doubt.

Money_Saving_Mandy_2

Whoops - Barcel! Bavaro beach

Money_Saving_Mandy_2

Don't know why the o(with a hypen when typed) comes out as a ! Barcelo...

Archergirl

Does make you wonder if they were ever going to put you there. Can you contact the hotel direct and enquire I would email them or even phone them if you can, try to find out if you ever had a booking there.
Make a list in order, of hotels you are wiling to accept
Good luck

Babymumbles

I work for a travel company and when a booking needs to be relocated (this is usually down to overbooking or contractual issue) then from an agencies point of view they only need to ensure they provide another hotel (same standard or higher) and in the same location. Also with my company we cannot provide you with a cheaper hotel and not offer you a refund of the difference in rates unless obviously we have agreed higher rates but usually you can check this by calling the hotel and asking them what their walk in rate is.

To be honest agencies rarely take into consideration trip advisor reviews. I would also check the alternative hotel has the same facilities as the hotel you have booked.

If they do offer you different alternatives, I would stuggest you just try and chose the best one. You could request for compensation i.e honeymoon treatment etc.

Good luck

ferf1223

Babymumbles wrote: »

when a booking needs to be relocated (this is usually down to overbooking or contractual issue)

Exactly why I book my hotels direct with the hotel and never through an agent, even if it might cost me a little bit more (many times it doesn't or is less).

I do hope the OP gets it sorted out to their satisfaction...I cannot even imagine this close to a honeymoon how awful it must be to have this thrown at them. I do think that TA reviews need to be sifted through - there are plenty of people who will give a hotel a terrible review for some petty little thing...and sometimes if you look at the "top" hotels in a particular city you will be scratching your head as to how that's possible. Though I appreciate with not long to go there's minimal time to do full scale research.

claire16c

Have you gone on the hotels website and checked the availability yourself?

Bob_the_Saver

Money_Saving_Mandy wrote: »

"honeymoon type benefits

What are these exactly? - it's been a long time.