Holiday Rights...Help!

vanillapink

Hi
In summary, in March I booked and paid for a holiday through Thomson which is due to be taken in June this year.

A few days ago I received an email stating that "the hotelier will be carrying out some work, this summer, extending the accommodation by four blocks and will also be completing work on a new snack bar and infinity pool". The email goes on to state that the development area will be "screened" but that "some work may be audible and visible from limited public areas".

Thomson advised me when I called them that the works are scheduled for June, July and August but since this call I have discovered that the work has been going on since at least November '14 and is expected to continue until at least October '15.

Consumer Protection have told me that the holiday "may" have been mis-sold but that in order to make a claim I will have to go or prove that Thomson were aware of the construction when I booked the holiday. Bizarrely, Thomson are still advertising the resort on their website with no mention of the construction works.

I have contacted Thomson several times but I keep being offered hotels that are not as good and to add insult to injury, are cheaper than I originally paid.

Finally, I did pay using a credit card, total cost was nearly £4000.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? I really wanted this holiday, at this resort but feel totally duped and pressured into changing to something I don't want.

PeacefulWaters

Do Trip Adviser reviews make any reference to the works?

Where we stayed last July had similar going on it was barely noticeable and had no detrimental impact on our holiday at all.

Probably worth doing before getting upset about it.

vanillapink

Hi

Unfortunately Trip Advisor does refer to it...often, that's how I know it's been going on since November. There are video's and photo's of what can only be described as a building site...complete with pneumatic drills. Horrendous!

Any suggestions?

Grumpelstiltskin

Presumably Thomson have offered your money back?


At least now tour operators are letting you know in advance, at one time they wouldn't. Websites like Tripadvisor have really forced them to do that.


What do you want to happen ? if you want to go to that hotel then you will have to put up with the disturbance, if you are happy to go somewhere else then cancel and book somewhere else yourself.

jhe

find an acceptable hotel of equal standard that is acceptable to you and inform Thomson of it.
failing that accept a full refund and book elsewhere.
In my experience Thomson were not to helpful when I needed to change hotels, the hotels offered were totally unacceptable. I had to take advice from consumer direct/ trading standards, when I knew my rights Thomson were more ''helpful''!

Just_caring

I am going to the same hotel as the OP and I booked in February, I am very annoyed that Thomson did not advice me of the work when I booked as I would not have booked this hotel, we are meeting friends we met on another holiday so I do not want to change hotel and to cancel the dates booked we be very awkward due to work and caring duties (they are stopping in another hotel in the complex) so the building work will not effect them.
I would not have been aware of the building work if I have not seen posts on TA and a Facebook page for the hotel set up by repeat guests.
My complaint is that they have not adhered to ABTA code of conduct but they assure me they have but will only give me verbal information nothing in writing.
You can still book this hotel online and there is no mention of building work, surely this is wrong.
Thomson did not contact me I had to contact them, so wrong but where do you go next.

Westin

You can still book this hotel online and there is no mention of building work, surely this is wrong.

Have you actually been through the booking flow to see if an errata comes up?

It's unlikely any reference or changes will be highlighted on the main accommodation pages. Normally changes and updates such as the building work you mention, will appear as you go through the process of making a booking and prior to the payment section.

Which hotel is it?

Just_caring

Yes, I went through the booking process and it's the Grand Bahia Principe Akumal Don Pablo in Mexico.

Westin

Well that's not so good, but;

We actually stayed at the Grand Bahia Principe complex two years back. The complex is massive. There are four hotels in the complex and you are free to wander and use all the facilities of all the sister properties. You may actually find that the work is not so intrusive especially as there are other pools, bars etc to use.

We had a great family holiday at GBP. I suspect you will to once you get there.

Just_caring

That's and I hope so.

You can no longer use all the hotels if you stop at Coba or Tulum, you can only use those 2 hotels, if you stop at Sian Kain or Akumal you can use them all, this is since Akumal was upgraded to Don Pablo status, hence all the building work & renovations and complaints.