Refund + compensation for nightmare hotel

Thundercloud

I booked a four night stay in a Blackpool hotel. I chose this hotel because it was advertised as having a childrens entertainer, X Boxes, Play Stations, Wii and other child friendly activities. I was told check in was 3pm-4pm so i arrived at 3.30pm to find the car park was full. I drove around looking for somewhere to park but found nothing available. I went back to the hotel just as someone was leaving so i quickly grabbed the space and went to check in. We went to our room and found it in a disgusting condition. It was badly in need of decorating, the carpet was filthy and the toilet wouldn't flush. I went to reception and asked to be moved but they said there were no other rooms available. They said someone would be up to fix the toilet (nobody came) I told my wife to take the children swimming while i tried to find the manager as the reception staff had no interest in helping. We were told the swimming pool was closed as it closes at 4pm and it was now 4.30pm. The website says it is open until 6pm. The manager was nowhere to be found and the children were tired and hungry so we went out for dinner. When we returned we found more problems. The mattresses didn't fit the beds, the windows looked like they had never been cleaned, i found crisps and a lollipop stick in the bed, there were hairs in the shower. The corridor stunk of smoking. It was in disgusting condition, nothing like the clean fresh looking photo's on the website. We decided we couldn't stay so we packed our things and my wife took our bags to the car while i went to reception to demand a refund. I was told there were no staff on duty authorized to issue a refund but the manager would phone me as soon as possible. Then my wife returned to say someone had parked in front of us blocking the exit and we couldn't get out. About half an hour went by while someone apparently tried to find the idiot to move the car without success. None of the staff had any interest in helping us. We went to the childrens play area and found most of the X Boxes, Play stations etc were broken and the childrens entertainer was not there. I asked about this and i was told he is only there in school holidays. It was a school holiday but apparently not for them. As we couldn't get out and by now i had two very upset children crying i decided we would have to stay and find somewhere else in the morning. The children went to the bunk beds but the noise from the bar meant they were unable to sleep. It sounded like a very bad karaoke. I went to reception again and told them this noise was unacceptable. I was told it would end at 11pm, my children go to bed at 9pm. When the noise ended we noticed a loud clicking sound coming from outside the window from something that looked like a broken air conditioning unit. The children were too scared to sleep so they got in the double bed with my wife and i tried to sleep in the bottom bunk without much success. In the morning we put our things in the car, the other car was still blocking us in. I went to reception and said i wanted a full refund and if they didn't get this car moved i would knock on every room until i found the owner. The receptionist said he would deal with it but he was only night staff and he couldn't issue a refund but he promised the manager would phone me later that day. After about half an hour someone returned with the key and moved the car so we could get out. None of us had managed to get much sleep. I knew a hotel about a twenty minute drive away that was clean and had helpful staff but it didn't have childrens entertainment. I phoned them and a receptionist said they were almost full but she would find something for us. They only had a suite available for two nights and it was £350. With two tired children i didn't want to go running around Blackpool looking for an alternative so i took it and the children spent most of the day asleep. So our break was reduced to not much more than one day. I complained by e-mail to the first hotel and i phoned them twice but they have ignored me. I wrote to them by post and i did a chargeback on my credit card for the full £518 i had paid. I also complained to booking.com as i booked it on their website. So what i want to know is what i should do next. Can i sue them and if so would that be done through the small claims court and what amount should i ask for? My expenses are £518 for the first hotel plus £350 for the second plus the extra costs of entertainment which i had already paid for and the fact that a four day break became little more than a day.

powerful_Rogue

Thundercloud said:

I booked a four night stay in a Blackpool hotel. I chose this hotel because it was advertised as having a childrens entertainer, X Boxes, Play Stations, Wii and other child friendly activities. I was told check in was 3pm-4pm so i arrived at 3.30pm to find the car park was full. I drove around looking for somewhere to park but found nothing available. I went back to the hotel just as someone was leaving so i quickly grabbed the space and went to check in. We went to our room and found it in a disgusting condition. It was badly in need of decorating, the carpet was filthy and the toilet wouldn't flush. I went to reception and asked to be moved but they said there were no other rooms available. They said someone would be up to fix the toilet (nobody came) I told my wife to take the children swimming while i tried to find the manager as the reception staff had no interest in helping. We were told the swimming pool was closed as it closes at 4pm and it was now 4.30pm. The website says it is open until 6pm. The manager was nowhere to be found and the children were tired and hungry so we went out for dinner. When we returned we found more problems. The mattresses didn't fit the beds, the windows looked like they had never been cleaned, i found crisps and a lollipop stick in the bed, there were hairs in the shower. The corridor stunk of smoking. It was in disgusting condition, nothing like the clean fresh looking photo's on the website. We decided we couldn't stay so we packed our things and my wife took our bags to the car while i went to reception to demand a refund. I was told there were no staff on duty authorized to issue a refund but the manager would phone me as soon as possible. Then my wife returned to say someone had parked in front of us blocking the exit and we couldn't get out. About half an hour went by while someone apparently tried to find the idiot to move the car without success. None of the staff had any interest in helping us. We went to the childrens play area and found most of the X Boxes, Play stations etc were broken and the childrens entertainer was not there. I asked about this and i was told he is only there in school holidays. It was a school holiday but apparently not for them. As we couldn't get out and by now i had two very upset children crying i decided we would have to stay and find somewhere else in the morning. The children went to the bunk beds but the noise from the bar meant they were unable to sleep. It sounded like a very bad karaoke. I went to reception again and told them this noise was unacceptable. I was told it would end at 11pm, my children go to bed at 9pm. When the noise ended we noticed a loud clicking sound coming from outside the window from something that looked like a broken air conditioning unit. The children were too scared to sleep so they got in the double bed with my wife and i tried to sleep in the bottom bunk without much success. In the morning we put our things in the car, the other car was still blocking us in. I went to reception and said i wanted a full refund and if they didn't get this car moved i would knock on every room until i found the owner. The receptionist said he would deal with it but he was only night staff and he couldn't issue a refund but he promised the manager would phone me later that day. After about half an hour someone returned with the key and moved the car so we could get out. None of us had managed to get much sleep. I knew a hotel about a twenty minute drive away that was clean and had helpful staff but it didn't have childrens entertainment. I phoned them and a receptionist said they were almost full but she would find something for us. They only had a suite available for two nights and it was £350. With two tired children i didn't want to go running around Blackpool looking for an alternative so i took it and the children spent most of the day asleep. So our break was reduced to not much more than one day. I complained by e-mail to the first hotel and i phoned them twice but they have ignored me. I wrote to them by post and i did a chargeback on my credit card for the full £518 i had paid. I also complained to booking.com as i booked it on their website. So what i want to know is what i should do next. Can i sue them and if so would that be done through the small claims court and what amount should i ask for? My expenses are £518 for the first hotel plus £350 for the second plus the extra costs of entertainment which i had already paid for and the fact that a four day break became little more than a day.

Some paragraphs would greatly help.

A lot of what you wrote can be disregared. It's not the hotels fault the car park was full when you turned up at check in time, not that someone blocked you in.

You say you've claimed a chargeback - So why would you want to sue for the £518 from the first hotel?

If you've got the £518 back, then why would you be claiming for the second hotel that was £350? That still leaves you with £168 for 'entertainment'.

I may have got the above wrong, but your post is not verly clear or easy to read.

Sandtree

You've done a chargeback so you have the £518 back

£350 is not an expense because you were planning on spending £518 for your stay away and at present have only paid the £350.

You need to wait to see the outcome of the chargeback but if its not challenged then you have no financial losses and so it would be foolish to attempt to go to court simply for a "loss of enjoyment" claim.

If the chargeback is reversed at that point you may have a claim, subject to the terms of the booking, but you cannot reclaim both hotel expenses because you always planned to stay in a hotel and did indeed stay in a hotel. 

Aylesbury_Duck

You claim for whatever sum you have actually lost.  By my calculations, you haven't incurred any extra expense.  You have had a full refund for the first hotel, and the second hotel is blameless here so they owe you nothing.  Had the second hotel been more expensive than the first, you have an argument for claiming the extra from the first one, but it wasn't, it was cheaper.

born_again

I would fully expect the chargeback to be rejected as you stayed one night. 

In fact I'm surprised that they even actioned one. On what basis was the chargeback?

Thundercloud

The second hotel was £175 a night (no entertainment). The first was £129.50 (entertainment included). I have not received a refund or any communication from the hotel. The credit card company told me they will contact the hotel as part of the chargeback rules, so i have not received any money yet. The hotel have 45 days to challenge the chargeback. I booked the first hotel because i could leave the children in a safe playroom with a professional entertainer while i had a relaxing break by the pool. The holiday was ruined for all of us. Here are a few photo's of what we got compared to what was shown on the website.

JJ_Egan

What is the relevance of the outside pipework ?

Thundercloud

JJ_Egan said:

What is the relevance of the outside pipework ?

Covered in cigarette ends, filthy windows and that was the view from our room, nothing like the clean bright look on the website photo.

Sandtree

Thundercloud said:

The second hotel was £175 a night (no entertainment). The first was £129.50 (entertainment included). I have not received a refund or any communication from the hotel. The credit card company told me they will contact the hotel as part of the chargeback rules, so i have not received any money yet. The hotel have 45 days to challenge the chargeback. I booked the first hotel because i could leave the children in a safe playroom with a professional entertainer while i had a relaxing break by the pool. The holiday was ruined for all of us. Here are a few photo's of what we got compared to what was shown on the website.

So you have already gone down one path that will more than cover your financial losses and so you need to wait to see how that process plays out first.

The night rate doesnt really matter as you are looking at the whole weekend and the cost of the new hotel was less than the total cost that you are reclaiming from the other hotel.

It does clearly state that some elements are only available in school holidays and that management can vary the hours of the pool. Ideally the detailed terms and conditions would state that its their local school holidays but I don't think its beyond the wit of man to realise that school holidays are not globally the same and so its going to be local dates... else an Australian visitor could demand why there is no mid week entertainment for the whole of January given that's there summer school holidays.

Thundercloud

Sandtree said:

Thundercloud said:

The second hotel was £175 a night (no entertainment). The first was £129.50 (entertainment included). I have not received a refund or any communication from the hotel. The credit card company told me they will contact the hotel as part of the chargeback rules, so i have not received any money yet. The hotel have 45 days to challenge the chargeback. I booked the first hotel because i could leave the children in a safe playroom with a professional entertainer while i had a relaxing break by the pool. The holiday was ruined for all of us. Here are a few photo's of what we got compared to what was shown on the website.

So you have already gone down one path that will more than cover your financial losses and so you need to wait to see how that process plays out first.

The night rate doesnt really matter as you are looking at the whole weekend and the cost of the new hotel was less than the total cost that you are reclaiming from the other hotel.

It does clearly state that some elements are only available in school holidays and that management can vary the hours of the pool. Ideally the detailed terms and conditions would state that its their local school holidays but I don't think its beyond the wit of man to realise that school holidays are not globally the same and so its going to be local dates... else an Australian visitor could demand why there is no mid week entertainment for the whole of January given that's there summer school holidays.

People booking a hotel would not be locals so it would make more sense to put actual dates rather than say school holidays. I booked four nights and only got two. The first was wasted due to constantly complaining about things, each time i went to reception i had to join a queue of other angry parents with similar complaints. The second hotel could only accommodate us for two nights in the suite. They did offer two separate double rooms for a third night but that was even more expensive.

maisie_cat

According to tripadvisor it's a 2 star hotel so expectations need to reflect that.