Spain package hotel - hotel is closed but flights are flying

MartinNorx

I have a package holiday booking to Spain for September with AlphaRooms, who have been terrible throughout all this. The flights are with RyanAir and are currently flying but the hotel we have booked is closed and will remain closed all Summer. We found this out ourselves by emailing the hotel and we had to inform AlphaRooms, who have failed to acknowledge this or respond to it, they just asked me if I want to cancel and pay an extortionate cancellation fee! 
My outstanding balance is due in a weeks time. Please can anyone advise what my rights are, sould I be due a refund, if the hotel is closed and AlphaRooms aren't helping me and should I be paying the balance? Thanks

Caz3121

they may well be arranging alternative accommodation - as long as it is in the same resort and is of same or better standard, they can do this.
have a read of 17. Changes and Cancellations by the Supplier/Principal in the t&cs

MartinNorx

Thank you for the reply Caz3121, unfortunately I'm not so optimistic. We told AR the hotel was closed on 13th July, so I would have at the very least expected a courtesy phone call or email explaining what they were doing to rectify the situation. Their T&C's state they are supposed to do this - 
17.1 We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Supplier/Principal needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. 
Instead they just seem to want me to cancel the holiday, so they don't have to provide another hotel or a refund.

Time2Go_25

You will be entitled to a refund if they unable to supply you with an alternative hotel in the same resort and at least of the same standard. I imagine your best bet at the moment is to pay the balance.
No comment on your situation, but hopefully after all this is over people will stop just looking for the cheapest option they can find and take into account the whole deal.

Thrugelmir

Safe to assume that many customers have been impacted. Behind the scenes they'll be busy rescheduling the options. In such instances impossible to deal with queries on an individual basis. 

MartinNorx

Thrugelmir, really? They've had almost a month to contact me! Are you suggesting their Customer Services department, shouldn't respond to their customers with an email or a phone call, to update them on the status of their holidays? What do you think would have happened, if we hadn't made our own checks with the hotel? Would we be turning up at a closed hotel, like lots of other AR customers? It's funny how they manage to send me two or three emails a week, telling me about their amazing sales offers and low  deposit holidays?

Thrugelmir

Unless you can conjour up an army of fairy pixies to assist. Then there will be delays. Thousands of people have booked summer holidays. Telling them something they already know isn't helping anyone. Except clog up their phone lines further and occupy someones valuable time. Not defending the company. Simply stating the obvious. 

elsien

MartinNorx said:

Thrugelmir, really? They've had almost a month to contact me! Are you suggesting their Customer Services department, shouldn't respond to their customers with an email or a phone call, to update them on the status of their holidays? What do you think would have happened, if we hadn't made our own checks with the hotel? Would we be turning up at a closed hotel, like lots of other AR customers? It's funny how they manage to send me two or three emails a week, telling me about their amazing sales offers and low  deposit holidays?

My flight out was cancelled but I wasn't informed by the TA,  I found out myself by checking with the airline. Communication is seriously down the pan at the moment.