Beware Barcelo discount codes, conditions of use may not be clear

Silver5491

I've stayed in a number of Barcelo hotels in Spain and the Canaries and book direct. I've always used a discount code. This time round I have booked a hotel stay in Fuerteventura and used a code found on the internet (internet explorer suggests them). When using the code it gave no indication there was a condition attached. I paid in full on booking and when I received the booking confirmation by email it said there was a condition attached the the code (I need to be an employee of a certain group). I raised this immediately, hoping to change the code however I have been told I cannot modify the booking.  The booking cannot be cancelled. I have tried the call centre and hotel direct and Bareclo have no interest in offering a solution. I received a couple of curt emails and now nothing. I have been told I need to pay an extra 400euro on arrival (obviously I haven't budgeted for this).

Any ideas?

marcia_

Silver5491 said:

I've stayed in a number of Barcelo hotels in Spain and the Canaries and book direct. I've always used a discount code. This time round I have booked a hotel stay in Fuerteventura and used a code found on the internet (internet explorer suggests them). When using the code it gave no indication there was a condition attached. I paid in full on booking and when I received the booking confirmation by email it said there was a condition attached the the code (I need to be an employee of a certain group). I raised this immediately, hoping to change the code however I have been told I cannot modify the booking.  The booking cannot be cancelled. I have tried the call centre and hotel direct and Bareclo have no interest in offering a solution. I received a couple of curt emails and now nothing. I have been told I need to pay an extra 400euro on arrival (obviously I haven't budgeted for this).

Any ideas?

 Are they asking for evidence of your employment? 

eskbanker

Silver5491 said:

I've stayed in a number of Barcelo hotels in Spain and the Canaries and book direct. I've always used a discount code. This time round I have booked a hotel stay in Fuerteventura and used a code found on the internet (internet explorer suggests them). When using the code it gave no indication there was a condition attached. I paid in full on booking and when I received the booking confirmation by email it said there was a condition attached the the code (I need to be an employee of a certain group). I raised this immediately, hoping to change the code however I have been told I cannot modify the booking.  The booking cannot be cancelled. I have tried the call centre and hotel direct and Bareclo have no interest in offering a solution. I received a couple of curt emails and now nothing. I have been told I need to pay an extra 400euro on arrival (obviously I haven't budgeted for this).

Any ideas?

Sorry, but I don't see that Barcelo have done anything wrong here - you've gone scavenging around third party sites for discount codes, presumably without any idea of whether you're actually eligible to use them, and have come unstuck on this occasion by using one that you weren't entitled to.  There's no reason to expect Barcelo to include extensive validation of terms at the point of code use on their website (beyond simple checking that the code is a current one), so it's not unreasonable that this would be done at confirmation, and it sounds like they have offered a solution, i.e. you can retain the booking but without the code, or are you saying that the €400 takes it above the undiscounted published rate?

Travelbug17

Hi Silver5491, what happened to you at the hotel in the end? 

My partner has done the same thing for our next holiday so I would be keen to get us a sense of what to expect 🙂

Many thanks for your help

NoodleDoodleMan

Best to join the Barcelo club (or whatever it's called) if you want their deals without any third party involvement.

We regularly get these having joined some years ago after a hotel stay.

swimbikerun162

What was the outcome at the hotels? I have a room booked on my mums BARCELÓ account and she is now not well enough to come away with me I will have the payment card but obviously she won't be there