AIBU that a holiday costing £1650 per day (!) should come with a reasonable standard of accommodation.

[Domino20]

So my Mum retired earlier this year after defering for several years to take the money as a lump sum. As a very very expensive indulgence for her grandson (8 in January) she decided to take the three of us to Lapland for a short break. The trip is two nights and includes flights, transfers, half-board, snow suit kit hire and a day of activities at an 'arctic centre' which includes a 'majical' search for Santa. The total cost is £3355:70. Yes, a fucking huge sum for 2 nights.
The problem however is that the accommodation is APPALLING. Truly totally and utterly inapporiate for that level of cost. 'Basic' doesn't even begin to describe it. If I had paid £29.99 for a Travelodge I would still feel ripped off. I approached 2 different reps, emailed the company, tweeted them ( copying in Simon Calder ), no one has taken my complaint seriously. The trip is over tomorrow and it's really been ruined. I'm heart broken for my Mum who was trying to give us an amazing treat.
Please avoid this Company, 'Santas Lapland' who haven't even had the decency to reply to my email. I've been fobbed off with utter bullshit by the resort reps and had to spend the last two days fake enjoying myself so that my son's holiday isn't ruined. Awful awful experience.

It is crap for that money but you have now paid the money which I presume is so high because of the dates etc so enjoy it and try and not worry about the accommodation!

What was wrong with it?

keep trying to 'fake enjoy it' and then complain like hell when you get home!

Yanbu op but your post is very identifying-I only had to search the company name on twitter and it's obvious which poster you are. Please consider asking MNHQ to alter your post.

What is actually wrong with the accommodation?

I doubt an 8 year old would care about the standard of accommodation. It's not really the point of the holiday is it.

but.... your holiday is costing £1650 per day for 3 people, including flights at a HUGELY POPULAR time...

so your flights were how much? could have been up to £600? poss more, maybe depending on where you flew from / to

accomodation would be in short supply for a a short time, so you would be paying a premium,

Googling the company they have different accommodation including one which is described as basic. Which one are you in?

Hmm I would have expected fairly basic accommodation tbh. The sort of money you are paying is more for the flights and activities rather than the hotel room. How have the activities been and the rest of the experience?

I did the Lapland trip with DD1 when she was 8 (so 10 years ago now) and it cost around £600 for a day trip. A lot of money. But it was flights, transfer from airport and lunch plus snow clothes and all the activities. It was wonderful.

I would imagine that going to somewhere like the north of Finland (I presume that's where you are?) you are going to be staying somewhere pretty basic in a lodge type place.

What is your complaint exactly?

We used that company previously with no problems. Where are you staying?
The cost includes all the activities as well as everything else. None of the accommodation is luxurious which it does show on their website.
It is an expensive trip but you are paying for the experience as well. We found little things amused us - such as having frankfurters with every meal - even our Christmas dinner (we were there for 4 days including Christmas Day).
Dd still thinks of it as one of her best Christmas's and that was the whole point of the trip.

£1,650 for 3 people in Lapland in December.

Ridiculous title.

I've just looked at the website and the different room options. The pictures of one place does look VERY basic (and not particularly inviting) but having said that you can certainly tell from the pictures that you will be getting a no frills room so I don't think they are miss-selling

Champagne...(real question no sarcasm) why does it matter if I'm identified?
The accommodation is the most basic, we paid far in excess of the 'from' price though.
What's wrong...Tiny room, awful awful beds, one small square pillow each. Extra bed for child is a metal frame pull out sofa that can only be used in an inclined position as part of base missing. Mysterious vent without controls that spews out variously heated air depending on its own temperament (V V cold this morning). Two (kind of) bath towels between the 3 of us. And a general air of having been dragged here from a 1970s holiday camp.

It doesn't if you don't mind being-I've never worried too much about people recognising me but I know that a lot of users here name change etc to avoid identification. So long as you're happy for people to naje the association then there's no problem at all

Looks lovely from what I can see

I think you're being a bit unfair here as you write as if your accommodation is 1600 a day and it's not.

Subtract three return flights from the 3.3k, it's probably half the cost, then subtract your snow suit hire for three people, then your activities, then your transfers and what's left for your half board accommodation for three people. That's really how much the accommodation is costing at peak time of the year.

Your mum booked this as a present for you, she will have seen the rooms and uoure complaining like mad and saying how appalling it is. I think maybe your expectations were unrealistic. This isn't a huge cost for this time of year and where you are.

Ah, ok Champagne, think I'm more than happy to be associated with my indignation but longer term I guess I couldn't get involved in any truly bizarre MN conversations without changing my user name.
Yes badbad, the brochure does a great job of selling it and we spent some time today at another hotel for a swim, it was lovely. Ours isn't though.

You should have gone to the manager of the hotel and asked for the bed to be fixed, extra pillows and to have the heating vent sorted.

If you didn't ask for this to be sorted on site, I'm not sure why you are expecting the tour company to sort it now?

Dear god. I'd never have accepted such a trip. Fuck that! Royal Caribbean cruises are so much nicer. I'd have expected it to be shit - it's fucking Lapland in Winter.

We went with them 2 years ago, the cots for the 5 of us was abut £1000 each We stayed that the main restort with the pool (it had the angry birds thing too). We'd done some research before and knew that the hotel wasn't great, but the food was much, much worse than we'd imagined. We just ate out. I did complain as one of the beds was broken and they moved us to a similar standard room.

But....have you had your search for santa day yet? Ours was amazing, we also had a "gala" dinner on the last night and the food was lovely.

I do not think you're unjustified complaining, i think the issue is the hotels they use are so under-utilised most of the year that they aren't great. I have friends that have stayed at better chalet type places, but the issue then there is that there's nothing to do after dark.

Wait for the santa day....I think you'll be placated

Finland is an expensive country to visit, especially with supply and demand in Lapland at this time of the year. As others say, a lot of it will be the high cost of flights at this time of year.

Please tell me you haven't been complaining to, or in front of, your mum?

It does sound grim. Take lots of photos.

Honestly. How much time have you spent in the room? And I'm sure your 8 year old is happy enough in any bed on such an exciting trip!