Holiday room mess up!

[MummyChocolateMonster]

On holiday in Greece with DH and our teens DD18 and DS17. When we booked we specifically searched for a place with 2 separate bedrooms. We found a self catering hotel apartment - 2 bedrooms (1 x twin, 1 x double) with a separate living room/kitchenette.
On arrival we were told we’d been “upgraded” only to be dropped at the room and find it’s 1 bedroom with 2 single sofa beds in the living room/kitchenette.
We went back to reception to be told the new room is superior and newer. We specifically wanted 2 bedrooms with the separate living room/kitchenette so we asked to have what we booked. Apparently there is not one available.
It seems they overbook the 2 bedrooms then try to “upgrade” you to a 1 bedroom with put you ups.
The head receptionist isn’t here until 9pm but we’ve been told there’s not a 2 bedroom to move us to. It’s a small hotel.
We booked with a reputable well known tour operator. They’re investigating but have also been told by hotel no one available to speak until 9pm.
I don’t want to overreact but we have no separate living areas. The teens and their luggage are in the living room. DD has ADHD and doesn’t sleep great so we won’t be able to get a cup of tea/breakfast etc until they’re awake each day.
I don’t even know what option we have but to put up with it! Had a horrible few months and I know there’s worse things and that this is minor for 14 days.
Realistically what can the tour operator do when in reality we have enough beds to sleep on and the hotel is saying they don’t have a spare 2 bedroom for us? I just feel what we have is not what we paid for. I’m not after money.
I think I just needed to vent a bit. I’m probably tired, up since 2.30am. I’m irritated too that they tried to tell us it was an upgrade!

You are absolutely right to stand your ground on this OP. It is not what you booked and it’s not an upgrade. I hope you get it sorted.

Fingers crossed for the morning.

The whole upgrade thing is actually incredibly sneaky imo. It obviously isn't and the hotel knows this

Well done on stand your ground OP. I hope you get your room tomorrow. What a shit show.

She was loud and irritable and she said she was really confused as she didn’t know it was criminal to offer an upgrade. She then told me it made no sense that I was upset. She was explaining the cost is the same and the upgraded room is often used for families.

If the cost is the same then how is it an upgrade anyway?

Fingers crossed you’ll get something that actually suits your family tomorrow.

And you weren't 'offered an upgrade'. You had no choice!

Good luck for tomorrow! Keeping everything crossed for you 🤞

How frustrating. There must be a room being vacated tomorrow.

We had this through TUI a few years back - Kalithea. Myself and DD and my sister in law and her DD who was super stressed as is autistic and was very much in need of her space.
Kept telling us it was a upgrade!! We were roomed correctly next morning. But a total waste of our time the day we arrived and then the next day packing and moving again

Lesson for the future. Don't book with Tui. They didnt get their awful reputation for nothing......hope it gets sorted.

Let us know op. newer and nicer is irrelevant and they know it. If it’s not two bedrooms- ‘We need two bedrooms and it doesn’t have two bedrooms, I don’t know why you keep calling it an upgrade, two bedrooms to one bedroom is a downgrade and tui will understand that perfectly, we can’t stay here and Tui will have to compensate us. Perhaps you could tell someone else staying in a 2 bed here they’ve been upgraded to a one bed and see if they jump at it? But perhaps they too will call it a downgrade and say no.’

Well done for standing your ground.
If the room tomorrow is not acceptable, then refuse it until you get what you booked (or better obviously). Use your TUI rep if possible as well.

What a shitty start. Bad google review once you've left

Hope you get the 2 beds in the morning! I’d be fuming too

Phew. I would have found that beyond maddening. Fingers crossed that all will be okay in the morning.

This is why I'm reluctant to book package holidays! Good luck for tomorrow OP!

Well done for standing your ground.

If the rooms not sorted in the morning, id be expecting a hotel move. And I work for a tour op!

This brings back memories of a holiday in the Hebrides. Me, DH and DD travelling.

We booked a double and a single for DD. But the hotel in their wisdom upgraded us to the large family room with a double bed and a child bed ... which was a bit problematic as DD was 18. They were full so we had to live with it.

I bet you find out it’s not actually ‘nicer’, room aside, when you move too.

If no 2 beds, ask they give you 2 one beds and see what they say

I’d say the opposite tbh. It was the hotel that tried funny business… OP complained to TUI, who called the hotel manger, who found a solution. Next day is better than nothing if you’re there for a fortnight.

The Package Travel Regulations are a huge bonus for those who know what they are and how to get them enforced. TUI would have had to pay compensation after the holiday if they hadn’t found a way to give OP what they paid for, so it’s in their interests to get angry with the hotel on your behalf - and it sounds like they did exactly that here.

What a nightmare! Well done OP. Hoping you get a lovely alternative.

What’s the name of the hotel? I don’t want to stay there, just reading this enrages me.

I know it's not the same situation, but last year we booked with Tui to go to Corfu. We paid extra for a Seaview and it clearly said this on all our booking information. We were overlooking the rear car park. The difficulty we had getting a refund of the extra we paid was ridiculous. We explained to the Tui rep that we would stay in the room if the Seaview rooms were all taken BUT they could not keep our money as well. We had to say this a few times before it finally dawned on her what we meant.