Accommodation missing a bed!

edthedead

We booked a short break in a lodge on a holiday "resort" in the UK for a few nights last week. Having 2 teenagers we needed a double room and Twin room, we also wanted a hot tub. We found suitable accommodation through an ABTA travel agent, clearly advertised as having one double room and one twin room. We booked it months ago. On arrival we found the lodge had 2 double bedrooms, clearly 2 teenagers are too big to share a double bed! It was now 6pm and we were 4 hours from home!

The staff at the resort told us they were fully booked and offered to supply bedding so one child could sleep in the sofa, which was not a sofa bed or in anyway suitable to sleep on. The only thing they could do was give a refund in up to 10 working days. Clearly this was rather stressful.

Thankfully we had access to funds to rebook alternative accommodation and, by some miracle in the first week of the Easter Holidays, we able to book suitable accommodation through AirBnB. The cost of this was within a few pounds of what we had paid for the lodge as well.

Having looked at the resorts own website I now see that they,  correctly, advertise the lodge as having either 2 double or one double and one twin bedrooms. It is clearly the travel agents error inaccurately describing the accommodation on their website.

I have complained to the travel agent, no reply as yet. I have complained about their description of the accommodation being in correct, the lack of any kind of concern or assistance offered at the time and the fact that we lost the use of the pool etc at the resort and the hot tub at the accommodation. 

My questions are, are they legally obliged to pay compensation? What sort of compensation should I be expecting?

TELLIT01

Why are 2 teenagers too big to share a double bed?  Do you mean they are too old as they are different genders?  If they are both male or both female, although not ideal I don't see it being a deal breaker.  As you have been given a full refund I doubt you will get anything else.  The travel agent may say they were told it was a twin bed room, so it will get down to proving who was wrong, the resort or the agent.

elsien

I’ve had to share a double bed with parent and grandparent (not both together!) at various times. And also a friend I was holidaying with, when our twin beds turned into a double.

As long as you get a duvet each so that one person isn’t hogging it all, it’s not great but it’s perfectly doable.

powerful_Rogue

edthedead said:

We booked a short break in a lodge on a holiday "resort" in the UK for a few nights last week. Having 2 teenagers we needed a double room and Twin room, we also wanted a hot tub. We found suitable accommodation through an ABTA travel agent, clearly advertised as having one double room and one twin room. We booked it months ago. On arrival we found the lodge had 2 double bedrooms, clearly 2 teenagers are too big to share a double bed! It was now 6pm and we were 4 hours from home!

The staff at the resort told us they were fully booked and offered to supply bedding so one child could sleep in the sofa, which was not a sofa bed or in anyway suitable to sleep on. The only thing they could do was give a refund in up to 10 working days. Clearly this was rather stressful.

Thankfully we had access to funds to rebook alternative accommodation and, by some miracle in the first week of the Easter Holidays, we able to book suitable accommodation through AirBnB. The cost of this was within a few pounds of what we had paid for the lodge as well.

Having looked at the resorts own website I now see that they,  correctly, advertise the lodge as having either 2 double or one double and one twin bedrooms. It is clearly the travel agents error inaccurately describing the accommodation on their website.

I have complained to the travel agent, no reply as yet. I have complained about their description of the accommodation being in correct, the lack of any kind of concern or assistance offered at the time and the fact that we lost the use of the pool etc at the resort and the hot tub at the accommodation. 

My questions are, are they legally obliged to pay compensation? What sort of compensation should I be expecting?

The few pounds difference you mention, at a push.

Lavendyr

How was it stressful to wait 10 working days when you had the funds to secure an alternative?

Not really sure what you're after but as others have said, if you're getting a full refund then the max compensation would be the difference in cost. You aren't legally entitled to compensation above and beyond your out of pocket expenses. 

Spendless

Why are 2 teenagers 'clearly too big to share a double bed'? Are they boy/girl? When we've had accommodation like this when ours were teens, I would share with my DD and my husband share with son. It's not ideal but it's do-able. I thought you were meaning there were 4 people but only 3 spaces for people to lie in.

In this case you got a refund, found suitable alternative accommodation and had the means to pay for it. It will be nice if the travel agent offered an  apology and something as a goodwill gesture but I don't think you can expect it to happen.  

heatherw_01

You got a refund.
You won't get compensation too for something like this.
They rectified the issue by refunding you.

Compensation isn't for this type of situation.