Jet2Holidays - change my hotel 30 days before Travel

owlsabout

Hi, apologies if there is another recent thread on this matter. I have searched and there are related threads however they are from many many years ago.

In May 2022 I booked a package holiday for myself and my family (partner and 2 kids) via Jet2 to Costa Del Sol Spain.
Our requirements were pretty basic, a nice hotel with a small splash park for the kids, kids entertainment with direct access to a beach - we booked a hotel that met these requirements. We paid in full, on time.
We were due to Travel at the beginning of August 2023. Last week I noticed on the Jet2app our hotel had changed (note I noticed, Jet2 DID NOT inform me!).
I contacted Jet2 and after very lengthy conversations they advised the original hotel had been oversubscribed and therefore basically there wasn't room for us!
The booking had been amended to what Jet2 classed as an equivalent hotel. 
In my opinion the new hotel wasn't we wanted, and didnt meet our original requirements. It was more of an adults hotel, with a spa, however no kids pools and what looked like limited kids entertainment.
After spending 5 hours on the phone to Jet2 we were offered a full refund, or they explained we could transfer the booking to another hotel however we would need to make up any difference in cost.
When searching for alternative hotels we couldn't find anything in the price range that met our original basic requirements.
Due to the short notice the options available were limited, and the fact the cost of holidays have increased as its over 12 months since we booked everything was a lot more expensive.

Jet 2 gave me the options, full refund, or find something else. If it was purely me id of taken a refund, however my kids were in tears thinking they weren't going to get a holiday they had been looking forward to for 12 months.
We eventually found a hotel in a different resort (Costa Dorada), that met our original requirements, however it was £696 more expensive - which I paid.
The flight dates were also slightly different. My parking fee at the airport had to be amended and my costs doubled from £60 to £120.00.
Im nearly £800 out of pocket as a result of a booking / administration error of some form from Jet2. And we are now at a Hotel that it feels like I have settled for to keep my kids happy.

It just doesn't feel right, and I'm really annoyed. I saw the cost of the hotel we booked increasing, the cynic in me thinks the holiday company have cancelled the booking as the prices have increased and it was no longer profitable for them? I have lodged a complaint with Jet2Holidays however I am yet to receive any response.

Has anyone experienced anything like this and is there any advise you can offer. I feel like i should be compensated in some way. Its not just that peace of mind / compensation for me. I'm fortunate that I could manage to get together the extra £800 required, my kids are happy again they are going away. However I am sure if this happened to some families in the current climate it would completely ruin there holiday.....its not right.......

Thanks in advance

TELLIT01

Wait to see what response you get from Jet2 and take it from there.  If you aren't satisfied with the response write/e-mail the chief exec detailing what happened and requesting some form of contribution to the additional costs.

turnitround

Which hotel were you booked in to originally?

tightauldgit

See what they say and if they offer you anything. At the very least you should have been informed of the change when it happened which might have given you more options. 

Unfortunately in terms of going beyond that then I think Jet2's terms probably allow them to make changes like this or offer you a refund without having to compensate you more. There may be legal options you can pursue but it's complicated and probably better to see what Jet2 say first.