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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

All inclusive holiday

14 replies

Lynned · 16/08/2012 15:35

Ok help me! We are due to travel on Saturday. We are going with two dcs 11 and 13, have two rooms and paid adult price x4. - there was no child price in the brochure. The brochure advertises 4 course evening meal and salad buffet. On 11 August I noticed a tripadvisor review saying children had to choose from a kids menu. We chose this hotel as our 11 year old is fussy, our nearly 14 yr old eats a full adult meal and will be horrified by a kids menu. I have contacted the tour operator and they will not at the moment back down, and say I paid full fare because I have two rooms! I have told them I want it sorted out before we arrive. What else can I do? I do not have time to go to Abta. This may make our holiday stressful. Hope this makes sense.

OP posts:

ClaraDeLaNoche · 16/08/2012 15:41

What a pain. Have you got a breakdown anywhere of how the cost was composed, ie how much for flights and how much for accommodation? This might help. If not, complain more ( I always get DH to do this as I get a bit shrill in times of stress).

Original poster

Lynned · 16/08/2012 15:45

No, no breakdown, apart from 3x adult and non discounted child ( same price).
I know what u mean by shrieky, trying to stay calm, we are lucky to be having such a holiday, but I just hate feeling ripped off! My dh is away in Scotland until this evening, but he tends to leave stuff like this to me anyway!

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ClaraDeLaNoche · 16/08/2012 15:55

Right then email the travel company to notify them that your DC will be eating from the regular menu and ask them to confirm that the hotel has been made aware of this. Any rumbling tell them that you paid the same price as an adult for them to eat as they chose, and ask them to refer you to documentation which would have made you aware that they could only eat kids stuff. Then blah blah about trading standards, and final threat that they will be liable for any additional cost that you suffer because of their lack of clarity. Do in nice, firm manner without raising voice or starting to weep

Original poster

Lynned · 16/08/2012 16:11

Lol at weeping! Do u know me! They are already liaising with hotel, the hotel wont budge. I can see what's happened, Crystal have only passed on the child's fare to the hotel, so it's not the hotels fault. If necessary I will pay a supplement, although its hard to know how they will charge it, and claim it back via Abta.

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TequilaMockinBird · 16/08/2012 16:14

Are you sure there isn't a buffet restaurant? We always go AI and I've never heard of this before.

SecretSquirrels · 16/08/2012 18:19

If it's AI then it's likely to be a buffet for every meal and no-one cares where you get the food from. I've never been AI where there was only A La Carte.

Original poster

Lynned · 16/08/2012 20:06

No! It's a salad buffet, and then 3 courses. They sent a sample kids menu for today, which was clear soup with dumplings, chicken, spinach and rice crackers, and chock ice cream. That will send my 11 yr old running for the hills, and the soup would make me run too!

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TequilaMockinBird · 16/08/2012 21:33

Where are you going? That's really weird. Usually they have a couple of a la carte restaurants but also a main buffet restaurant.

Original poster

Lynned · 16/08/2012 21:48

We are going to Austria, which is quite unusual. We went to Greece last year, and they didn't bat an eyelid when the kids ordered from the main menu in the a la carte. Dh got bored there, he wants to mountain bike, white water raft etc, which is fine, he can leave me sitting by the pool with my book!!

The hotel is tiny, I suspect they don't get many kids, and the matter has not arisen before!

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SecretSquirrels · 17/08/2012 09:34

Yes that sounds like Austrian food! Lots of clear soup and dumplings. (Spent a week there many years ago). If any consolation I suspect the adult menu is very similar.

Original poster

Lynned · 17/08/2012 10:13

Yes, we have been before, you are probably right! Feeling a bit nervous now, food is a stressy issue for my ds. Will have to fill him up with fruit, crisps and biscuits! I'm sure we will still have a great time.

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Original poster

Lynned · 17/08/2012 18:05

Just in case anyone was worried, I know you all were! After going round in circles with crystal hq, we finally got a very prompt and curtious reply direct from the hotel sorting the problem out.

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copycat · 17/08/2012 21:52

That's a relief Lynned! Have a great holiday

Isla77 · 18/08/2012 15:54

So pleased you have sorted it out. My kids would have a fit if they had to eat off a children's menu. It's our own fault as we have always encouraged them to eat what we eat (once past toddler stage). I will never forget the look on the owners face in a tiny bar/cafe we went to in France when my just 4 year old, when asked what she would like sai
d "moules frite s'il vous plait". He was stunned and delighted when she ( and her brother and sister who also had moules frite) ate the lot. He gave them some shells to take home and a large ice lolly each free of charge!
Have a great holiday.

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