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.

Did you pay by credit card op? If so and based on what you've said you might be able to make a s75 claim on the basis that you didn't get what you paid for. Worth speaking to the credit card company but you'll need all the evidence to make the case.

My credit card has been helpful the couple of times I've needed to make a claim.

Can you upload the videos to TikTok/Twitter/You Tube and copy in/@ TUI? Send the You Tube link to customer services and say you cannot live like this for another night as it's horrendous.

Start tweeting, with pictures, video, name and shame #tui.

This worked for us

We had similar on our last holiday with tui too. Terrible run over the kitchen so a strong smell of cooking at so times. We asked to change room and then proceeded to wait all the next day - told to be at reception for 9am but didn't get new room until 3pm. Also told when they gave us the new key that the room was better so we had to pay €80. Spoke to another couple who'd done similar but hadn't had to pay. Complained when we got back and got the money back as well as another £300 in vouchers (offered £300 vouchers or £150 cash) for another holiday. Our new room was amazing though - sea view and family room so separate sleeping area for our daughter. We were very happy with the outcome.
Keep complaining - to everyone who will listen!!

I work for a company that deals with complaints once they go to ABTA. My advice is to make sure you have as much evidence as possible. Photos, videos, details of who you complained to in situ and afterwards, if you have spoken to Tui or contacted them via their app you can request copies of the calls and messages.

@JudgeRudy they paid for a 4 star holiday, 5.5k, come off it there should be better customer service than this

How much?? I never pay more than £1300 for 4 (sharing one room or apartment), for pretty basic but quiet accommodation and we’ve always had a fab time.

For that price, I’d expect nothing but the very best. You’ve been totally done and should ask for your money back.

You need to email tui with a list of your complaints, and any photos you have. Do this daily and also keep notes, with dates, times and names of who you spoke to. Do you have the TUI app ? If so you can raise a complaint on there and they will contact you.

I'd record the view at 5am from your balcony and post it to twitter tagging TUI in.

Covertly record the conversations with video on your phone and post it directly to TUI asking to be moved asap. If that doesn't work I'd be tempted to post that too.

Complain on twitter and make a big noise. Only way complaints seem to be dealt with these days. As a minimum they should refund the money you paid to move to nearby rooms.

At the time of my complaint there was a lady who had made it very clear she was disabled and needed suitable accommodation. When she arrived she was basically trapped because the accommodation was not suitable. No one listened to her at the resort or when she returned. It was so sad and pushed me on with my claim on principle. The complaints department was rude and dismissive . I would never book with Tui again .

get on their social media in resort, I went on instagram a few years ago in a ski resort and got a resolution in a few hours

You must make a formal complaint while you are still there. Gather evidence. Take photos and videos. Put complaint in writing/email.

If you still have plenty of holiday left, you could ask to be moved to another hotel.

I was there last year

It was awful. Don't do it

Erm, I don’t think it’s ridiculous. Other holiday companies are available, it would be fairly reasonable to just pick a different one.

Sorry, I am absolutely gobsmacked that someone would pay £5.5k for 1 week in Spain 🙄have I missed something??

IKR? For easy places like Europe we always just book scheduled flights/trains and a hotel or apartment ourselves. We were just in the South of France for 10 days and it cost us about £2000 for everything and we did not stint on eating out and drinks (went to a couple of Michellin starred places for lunch and spent a couple of days at a music festival)

I always book hotels myself, at least then I can own any issues!

5.5k for Spain for four people is extortionate. However the room issye was completely avoidable you rejected your original rooms. I don't know why you thought they would be next door, you have to request that and even then it's not guaranteed. Nobody should be in a room that noisy though.

We paid £3.8k for two adults,a 5yo and a 2yo for a week AI in Menorca in May. Pretty sure it was more than double during school holidays. Four star, nice place but nothing spectacular, and everywhere else was similar. Holidays are really expensive ATM. £5.5k in school holidays doesn't sound crazy at all.

(Crazy though that may be.)

1 week all inclusive for four £5,500 sounds about right?

In August.

Take lots of photos, write everything down. Make sure the rep has a full description of your complaints. Send a copy to Tui on your return asking for compensation. They’ll fob you off, offer you vouchers or money off another holiday. Threaten to take them to court through MCOL. I did and got the cost of my holiday plus compensation. Tui think that if they ignore or make some sort of apology, you’ll give up. And it’s true about Tui UK customers getting the worst rooms. I’d never travel with them. Look at FB Tui complaint groups.

Sounds awful, so sorry your holiday has been ruined. Tui have a lot of questions to answer.

Op it sounds absolutely horrendous no advise but I would kick up a stink.

Also showed them the this thread

Have to say we use tui as well, never had a problem. We always pay extra for seaview and balcony and do our research with reviews. When kids were younger we would request and pay for interconnected rooms if possible, but once they were teenagers we didn’t bother, they felt quite grown up being away from the parents and were perfectly safe. I don’t think for one moment you would get a joining rooms unless you had specifically requested them at any hotel to be honest.