To push for a discount on a holiday booked?

[Hairydogmummy]

So we are off to Cornwall in August for a week I booked back in February. It's a self catered villa on a hotel complex with pool and all the usual facilities. They're re opening the self catering only, not the hotel, pool etc so we will literally be using it just as a regular self catering thing. I'm disappointed since that was the reason we booked and paid more than regular self catering place. I didn't want to be full self catering and wanted the pool for the teens so paid a bit more to get the best of both worlds. They're not offering a discount. Only a refund on the breakfast package. AIBU to push for a discount? I feel bad as I'm sure they must be struggling but then on the other hand, I'm not getting what I booked and paid for.

YABU.
If you don't want to proceed with the holiday on the basis that it wasn't what you originally booked you should have the right to a refund in return for allowing them to let the accommodation to somebody else (which it is likely that they'll easily be able to achieve) but you cannot expect to get a discount and still go considering their costs are still the same or greater and it is likely that others would be prepared to pay the actual price.

In the situation I'd probably cancel. They can't not offer the services but still charge the same amount for it.
If they refused a goodwill discount then I'd cancel and book elsewhere. If I'm paying for facilities I expect to be able to use them.

My worry is that I won't be able to get anything else suitable at this stage. I feel like I'm stuck between paying for something I'm not getting and having no holiday at all. I don't see how their costs will have increased if they've left all the staff who would normally run the hotel on furlough. Seems a bit odd that they'd miss the summer season at the hotel now they don't have to.

It’s for the same reason that we have cancelled our trip to Disneyland at Christmas. We received an email saying there would be no parades and fireworks and that some things would be closed so we cancelled and got a full refund. It’ll still be there next year.

In your shoes I’d probably still go to Cornwall but I would expect a partial refund.

I read a similar query today from a family travelling to Abu Dhabi in August and the pool no longer being available. The guidance given to them by the expert was that they wouldn’t be eligible for a refund ...and I suspect a discount won’t be readily agreed...

I would. Pool is significant part of the booking.

Sadly, these sorts of establishments are actually charging more than usual this year. So you're very unlikely to get a further discount when they've already had to refund so many who couldn't come at all.
I wouldn't book on the current terms and appreciate neither did you, but they're following government guidelines, so why should they be further punished?

If you can find something try, BUT we are struggling to find anything at the moment our first option is completely fully booked and everything else U.K. seems to be going up in price by the day.

Yes we will definitely go regardless, and I guess we're lucky to have the booking. The pandemic was already spreading in Europe when I booked it and it was difficult and expensive to get it then. We're a blended family with the two teens being steps and opposite sex, we need three bedrooms. I really wanted hotel rooms but we couldn't afford three so this seemed a compromise I was happy to get at the time but if I'm honest, looking at it now as just a self catering villa it's nowhere near as nice as the lovely cottages down there that I was looking at for same price (over 2k for the week). I've emailed asking for a discount but I suspect I won't get one because as a pp said, they could easily sell it to someone else for even more.

I believe outdoor pools have the go ahead to open now with indoor pools scheduled to open at the end of July so you may be ok OP.

We are going on holiday tomorrow and only the outdoor pool will be open. We will use the beaches a lot more (also a UK holiday).

I've just heard back from them...they have decided to open the pool which is good and are giving us £50 off which obviously isn't much (2.5% off) but at least it's only the restaurant and bar that's missing now.

Have you paid VAT on the accommodation?

Yes @Ginisatonic why?

Didn’t Rishi Sunak announce a reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% for accommodation, restaurants and attractions. Starts this coming Wednesday I believe for 6 months.

Ooh yes he did good idea @Ginisatonic. I will email them about that. I guess they don't have to pass on to customers but it is still showing on the confirmation as 20% VAT so technically, to charge me the same? They'd have to increase the price of the holiday. Love your username btw.