I’m in holiday hell is it even worth complaining to TUI?

[Thisisnotaholiday]

We are currently on holiday at a H10 hotel in Spain booked via TUI. It has been the holiday from hell and we are counting down the days until we can go home. We paid 5.5k for a weeks all inclusive at a 4 star hotel for me, DH, and DC who are 14 and 16. We saved up
for this holiday, read all the trip advisor reviews (rated 4.5 out of 5) and were looking forward to it after an incredibly stressful few months but it’s been the worst holiday ever.

We booked it as a family of 4 under one booking but when we arrived were told we’d be in 2 separate rooms, both on opposite sides of the hotel. We explained at reception we needed adjoining rooms or rooms at least near each other. We were told no. We did consider one adult sharing with 1 of the DC but both rooms only had double beds and what teenager wants to sleep with their parent. And why should they? Eventually reception said if we paid 200 euros we could have 2 rooms on the same corridor which we felt forced to do. I was not comfortable leaving my 14 and 16 year old in a foreign hotel room miles away from me.

DH and I were given a room overlooking the service entrance which means we are woken at 5am every morning by delivery trucks. At 7 am the sewage truck arrives and they spend hours pumping shit into the truck. The noise is horrendous and obviously from 5am we get no sleep. Can’t sit on balcony as view is of delivery trucks all day. Complained at reception and told TUIs contract with the hotel is for the worst located rooms and people booking through TUI are put in the non refurbished rooms. A reminder this is meant to be a 4 star beach hotel and we paid thousands to stay there.

The hotel is about 50% German and 50% Italian. We are the only Brits here it seems who booked via TUI. As a result there is no TUI rep here and we were told the rep is at another hotel about 30 minutes away. We walked there to find the German rep who was horrified and said she’d talk to the hotel. The outcome was that they could move our DC next to us but we said no as their room is on the opposite side of the hotel away from the service entrance we face and I didn’t want them being woke up from 5am too.

I could go on with the other horrendous things that have happened but would be here all day. Is it even worth complaining to TUI, will they even care? It seems like TUI have a shit contract with this hotel where the very few guests they send there way have the worst rooms but still paying expensive prices.

As someone who worked years in hotels/hostels and hospitality, I urge you to speak to the hotel manager. I would say in a polite manner, explain you understand this is not their problem but the agency's you booked with and seek help from the manager to provide further evidence (rooms, locations, problems, food issues etc.). You need to write down everything with photo records else TUI will not act. I would definitely also shame them on social media such as Twitter - companies are usually very quick in responding to negative PR. You need to know this is TUI issue not hotel issue - I am sure hotel is doing everything they can to help you out. But they also have their own obligations to the agency - you might have paid thousands but that doesn't say that hotel has been paid those thousands, as you say TUI seems to be securing the lowest rated rooms and bagging the excess money without providing any further support on the ground. This all gives you enough for a proper complaint which needs to be in writing (not email, proper letter) and sent to the TUI agency directly. They will then need to act upon. It is also worth checking on their webpage what complaint procedure they follow so you are prepared.

Next to a sewage plant - that is disgusting and probably bad for your health. I would probably sue TUI given the stress and literal shit conditions, especially given how much money you have spent. That is extremely unfair, and awful.

Besides all the really good advice to get evidence, videos, things in writing, claims etc I would create tik tok videos, IG, and YouTube videos of your terrible experience.

You need to make a major fuss with TUI to get put into another hotel. Failing to tell you about the constant smell is a major misrepresentation.

Disgraceful! Get on Twitter & tell Tui what’s going on Your rep needs to pull their finger out! how dare they treat you like this!!

Doesn't help you now but Tui are well known to be rubbish for customer service.

100000%

Ditto, will never book with them again. We had a very negative experience twice, no third chance.

i wouldn’t bother complaining - there’s nothing much to complain about! Your ‘kids’ are old enough to be in a different part of the hotel, I’m sure they’ve got phones but even if the haven’t the rooms will have room to room phones. Put them in the noisy room - they sleep through anything at that age, and you take the room in the other side - sorted. As for the rep, there will be a phone no or email for him/her.
you cannot seriously want to complain about the nationality of other holidaymakers? That’s nuts, talk to them, they will almost certainly speak English and may be very interesting.
you are NOT having the holiday from hell at all.

Had a very similar experience with Tui a few years back. We complained whilst we were there, to both Tui and the hotel manager, took photos, videos etc and complained by email when we got back. Never even got a response. We voted with our feet and have never and will never use Tui for anything ever again.

Complain to TUI now whilst you’re there.
Video the trucks showing the time!
Photograph everything. Keep notes. Names dates etc etc.
Post on Facebook, Instagram.
Contact the CEO of TUI. Get name from google.
Do it now. Enjoy the rest of your holiday and chase compensation for the days you’ve already endured already when you get back.
Dont worry about complaining. You’ve paid a fortune for a well deserved holiday and you need this nightmare to end.
If you do when you get home you will have had an awful holiday and then spend stressful time when you get back getting this sorted rather than enjoying the last bit.
Don’t be too British. Why do you care what the hotel thinks. You will never see them again. TUI are at fault and need to rectify this now.
Tell TUI that you are forwarding all the evidence to all the holiday scam programmes Rip off Britain etc. Tell them you’ve posted on all social media etc etc.
They are relying on you accepting this and you shouldn’t.

We’ve just noticed there is a sewage plant opposite the hotel which explains the constant stench of shit.

Oh please, please name this hotel and town so that we can all avoid it!

You haven't read the posts thoroughly have you? She's not complaining about other holiday makers, she has stated 3x that they have representatives there while there's no representative for British tourists. She is pointing out TUI for UK is not doing the job the same way Italian or German TUI is.

If kids have the same surname as parents any respectable hotel will book them in two rooms that are next to each other. It will depend on how TUI processed the booking and stated this is a family. Again, underage children are by default put together with parents, as per guidelines in hospitality. Hotel has responsibility to follow these, especially if this is a 4* hotel.

And advising to sleep through the noise because you are a teenager is degrading to the children, sorry. It is dismissive as so many times people do with students for example - it is projecting on how they should behave, irrespective of how the service should be delivered. Hospitality has to have standards irrespective of the guest's background and putting them in the rooms they did has a background story - I suspect TUI has booked the cheapest rooms which were these ones.

This.
how awful for you. I wouldn’t want to be separated from the family I’d booked with either, even if they were older…
It’s also odd that they gave your DC a double bed…. Are they both the same gender?

'seems like TUI have a shit contract with this hotel where the very few guests they send there way have the worst rooms but still paying expensive prices' was something said or did yiu see something that mafe you think this?
That would be absolutely terrible and surely not allowed, not sure of the exact words I'm looking for but against your consumer rights. Coukd you ger to see the cintract somehow ' freedom of information'. Because if this is the case and you were not told before booking I totally thibk you should be entotled to a full refund

really!!!

No advice, but wanted to say sorry you've had such a miserable time. Over £5000 on a holiday and you're opposite a sewage works, which you can smell all night 😒 That would drive me nuts 💐

You have given Tui the opportunities to help you. Now you need to post the full horror video and story of your wasted five and a half grand! Trustpilot, Twitter, Facebook, copy Tui in.

People need to RTFT. Op has been moved and says the situation is much improved.

They probably have the same surname so they assumed they are adults, a couple. Someone didn't do the job right, that's what is wrong here and it would have been TUI not the hotel because TUI acts as a middle man and need to ensure that this type of information is shared. They should have double check before guest arrival that the rooms are correct.

Yes, I read it how you meant it, and I have no implications that you meant other than people ftom other countries are receiving different t&Cs because they booked through companies other than UK tuition, and tbh I can't see why anyone would take that any other way unless they have a very large chip on their shoulder. You/other guests/family could be green/purple/blue skinned and it wouldn't make any difference to your post so those that have an issue with it should have a good hard look at themselves. I believe the word troll comes into play and I'm beginning to think mumsnet should have a report troll button. BTW troll me all u like Idgaf.

That said, I don't know whether you'll get any money back but yes, complain like crazy when you get back, and post negative reviews where you can. Otherwise Tui and their ilk think they can get away with carppy treatment, because no one complains.
Sorry you've had a carppy holiday, we're on holiday in Scotland, it's rained everyday and I've currently got the heating on its so cold lol.

See if they have a Twitter page and put it all over that.

God how awful, especially as you’ve no doubt been looking forward to it all year! Which one is it? I’ve just been looking at booking the h10 Mediterranean!