To ask for advice re cancelled holiday?

[BumpyGrindy]

My sister has just called me to say that the holiday she booked to Lanzarote this year with Thomson has been changed. She's paid 2 and a half thousand for a certain hotel and they've emailed to say that due to building work, her holiday is now in "X hotel" which is 5 miles away from a beach!

This is no good..my sister is disabled and can't walk far...her DH isn't and has worked hard to pay for this holiday...their first in 8 years! She's very worried as the small print says that Thomson aren't liable for any changes....the issue will always apparently be with the hotel.

What should she do now? How can she approach this? She doesn't mind changing hotels but to one which is appropriate!

Bumpy

Has she spoken to them?

No Nicky because she's heard so many awful stories about this type of thing that she wanted to see the best way to proceed. SHould she just email back explaining? Will they cause bother?

Yes, contact them, explain the situation, if they don't sort something she deems suitable, take other advice. ABTA should be able to help.

Tell her to ring ASAP, or go into a shop and complain, if she's gets nowhere she can complain to ABTA but before she's spoken to them it's impossible to say what they'll offer, it might be fine

Right....thank you.

They will possibly give her the option to cancel. She should phong them and seek a resolution and if that isn't to her satisfaction she should check her legal position. Tell her to check her documents as it will say what will happen in this circumstance.

Before she panics I suggest she speaks to them.

Not much help I'm afraid, but Thompson did the same to my parents after they landed recently. The hotel they placed them in involved a climb of 100 stairs - it was nearly impossible for my mum to climb them as she's disabled, no ramp access and vehicles couldn't get to the hotel door. They spent their few days break in the hotel (which was hideous and unclean) as they had no other choice.

The rep was no help at all, and after the fact they complained and were given £50 towards the cost of their next break! I think I'd go to speak to someone in person and explain the fine details in the hope that they would sort it out - but TBH I have no faith in them at all anymore.

They will give her the option to choose a different hotel. The hotel they have chose is most prob the same rating and similar set up. Thomas Cook changed out flight on out honeymoon to a flight we couldn't make due to getting married and they was very helpful in the shop getting us different holiday and we was charged no extra to change. Go to the shop and talk to them.

I had similar with thomas cook.

They were great tbf. Offered a full refund or total change of hol at no extra cost.

Tell her to speak to them in person.

hi I think I know which hotel this is - I have pm`d you, if its not the right one sorry,but if it is def look and join the face book page because lots of people were in the same boat

As a 'professional complainer'. I would speak to them before putting things on facebook etc. You sound like you have a really good chance of getting a refund but be nice... State the situation and see what they say.

How long is it before the holiday? I would definitely complain and also read the small print about the changes they make as that is a very significant change. There might be something in there about what they can and cannot change and your rights in those circumstances. I would have thought that they have to offer an equivalent holiday and if they chose one with easy access to the beach - they should get the same thing.

For everyone, not just a disabled person, moving 5 miles away from a beach means a completely different holiday - you have to get in a car and find parking etc rather than just stroll to the beach every day - that would completely ruin my holiday to have to do that.

I don't think there are any hotels in lanzarote that are five miles from the beach. The island is so small.

Squeaky she's told me since that having looked again, there IS a beach but it;'s not "the main one" and she's realised that this isn;'t always a bad thing...she's going to the shop where it was booked later and has spoken to them too...they've offered her a couple of options including waiting two months till the building is complete but she says that the holiday she HAS been offered looks ok now she's stopped panicking...the hotel is far nicer than the original and there is a free bus into town and a beach nearby too...she's much happier now she's spoken to them.x THanks all!

the power of communication... :-)

This has happened to me. We are off to Lanzarote in May and have been told our hotel is closed and that they have changed hotels for us. It must be the same hotel.
My husband and I looked up the new hotel on TripAdvisor and were very happy with the replacement. We also went into the shop to discuss the situation.

The new hotel is better, there is a small beach nearby and it would have cost well over a thousand pounds more if we had booked this hotel ourselves.

It sounds like it might turn out to be a really good change then. I love lanzarote, it gets a lot of bad press which is very unjustified.

Well done BumpyGrindy - a happy ending on AIBU!

With so many ways to check what a replacement hotel is really like most holiday companies would not try and push you into just any old hotel.

Always think that trying to appeal to the better nature of people works.

Start shouting and screaming and you might end up in the hotel you originally booked and then find the repalcement was MUCH better.

She's really pleased...she went to the shop and the woman was very helpful...showed her pictures and reviews and discussed it all as well as the options. Sister chose the hotel change and is excited to be in such a posh one! Thanks all!

I'm glad it got sorted.

I work for Thomson and would bend over backwards to find a good alternative hotel for my customers. Hope she is looking forward to her trip, I love Lanzarote.