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Original poster

Do I have any rights if holiday room type has changed

21 replies

Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 06:00

Last year I booked a quadruple room, advertised as quadruple room with bunk beds and a double bed. This is for myself, husband and two girls 15 and 10. We are due to travel on Friday. A month ago I was contacted by holiday company and told name of room and hotel name has changed. Ok did not think much of it. Went to look on web site today as getting excited for holiday so wanted a look at room again. It is now advertised as max 3 persons with either 2 doubles or 1 king size and a single sofa bed. I tried to see what they would offer if I booked the same holiday next year on the holiday companies website and for the same price it would have been interconnecting rooms. It was a lot of money for us and I want comfort and not for my kids to have to share a bed or possibly me and two kids in a king size and husband on sofabed. Have I any rights to kick off at the holiday company because this has really stressed me out before going.

OP posts:
LG93 · 01/08/2023 06:15

I don't think you necessarily need to kick off, have you actually spoken to them? Might they have already allocated you interconnecting rooms, or kept a handful of rooms with bunk beds for those who had already booked for this year? Did the booking you made set out you had 4 in the room? If it's listed as 'max 3' and you booked for 4 I'd be surprised if they hadn't taken that into account already but it wouldn't hurt to check to put your mind at ease, and if they haven't then you can calmly explain why what the website now shows isn't suitable for your family set up. Kicking off at the poor agent on the phone is unlikely to help as you probably don't have much in the way of legal rights (these places are good at making sure they aren't legally liable!) But as someone who deals with complaints in a different sector I can guarantee you're likely to get more help to find a resolution if you're polite, courteous yet firm than kicking off at someone who's trying to help you!

pinkfondu · 01/08/2023 06:17

Did you book it for 4 people?

Mindymomo · 01/08/2023 06:22

You really should have contacted them when you first got notified of the change, it is a major change to your booking so you should get offered a cancellation and full refund, but you need to contact them today, you don’t say if it’s a package holiday or just a hotel booking and whether you’ve booked independently or through a travel agent. Either way, I doubt they would put 4 people in a room for 3, so you may have been allocated interconnecting rooms.

MavisChunch29 · 01/08/2023 06:22

If it's booked for four people they should be giving you enough beds for four.

I'd ring them and say you appear to have been changed to a smaller room which will not fit four of you and see what they say.

Lochroy · 01/08/2023 06:23

Just phone them and find out what you will be getting before you get worked up.

MavisChunch29 · 01/08/2023 06:26

LG93 · 01/08/2023 06:15

I don't think you necessarily need to kick off, have you actually spoken to them? Might they have already allocated you interconnecting rooms, or kept a handful of rooms with bunk beds for those who had already booked for this year? Did the booking you made set out you had 4 in the room? If it's listed as 'max 3' and you booked for 4 I'd be surprised if they hadn't taken that into account already but it wouldn't hurt to check to put your mind at ease, and if they haven't then you can calmly explain why what the website now shows isn't suitable for your family set up. Kicking off at the poor agent on the phone is unlikely to help as you probably don't have much in the way of legal rights (these places are good at making sure they aren't legally liable!) But as someone who deals with complaints in a different sector I can guarantee you're likely to get more help to find a resolution if you're polite, courteous yet firm than kicking off at someone who's trying to help you!

What absolute nonsense. The OP has a lot of legal rights, and companies can't just write shitty terms and conditions of contract to get themselves out of statutory consumer rights - well, they can try, but the terms would not be enforceable.

iwasthewalrus · 01/08/2023 06:27

Often king beds in hotels can be split into two singles so if you’ve been allocated interconnecting rooms you could ask if the second room could be made into a twin. That would seem better than what you originally booked

WhatNoRaisins · 01/08/2023 07:05

I'd start by contacting them and seeing what they say? It could just be an error and they'll move you to another room once it's pointed out.

Original poster
Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 07:12

Thanks for taking the time to reply . Yes going to ring this morning and see what they say. Sorry stupid wording to use kick off. Of course I will be polite with the customer service agent. When it was changed there were no pictures of the room so I had no idea it would not be the same , bunk beds and a double. Wish me luck. Hopefully it is an interconnecting room that’s been allocated or I will follow the up the complaints procedure.

OP posts:
Changingplace · 01/08/2023 07:19

I’d get on the phone to them today and explain you’ve booked for x4 people and need the correct number of beds you’ve paid for, leaving it a month isn’t ideal but you’re entitled to what you’ve paid for.

Was it booked via a travel agent? They might need to swap you to a different hotel to be able to honour the number of beds required.

LIZS · 01/08/2023 07:25

Is it a different hotel? Or just a different room in the same one. Speak to the holiday company and confirm it has the capacity for four people.

LG93 · 01/08/2023 08:24

MavisChunch29 · 01/08/2023 06:26

What absolute nonsense. The OP has a lot of legal rights, and companies can't just write shitty terms and conditions of contract to get themselves out of statutory consumer rights - well, they can try, but the terms would not be enforceable.

Show quote history

I don't think it's necessarily nonsense. It would have to constitute a 'significant change' for her to have recourse, and them removing the bunk beds and replacing with a sofa bed, If they have the space to add an extra camp bed to sleep a fourth person, for example, or if the sofa bed is considered a 'double' is unlikely to count as a significant change. If it did count as a significant change, I would have expected them to have mentioned this in the email they originally sent to op with details/a deadline if she wasn't happy to accept it which has probably passed now

Original poster
Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 08:27

It is the same hotel but a different name and has been refurbished. Sent a WhatsApp last night as very late on and phone lines not open. Had a reply and they are looking into it but will chase up later if they don’t get back to me.

OP posts:
Original poster
Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 08:31

There were no details of the beds in the room in the e-Mail. No indication at all just to say hotel name has changed and the room name has been changed. I have been left none the wiser as there has been no pictures etc of the room.

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 01/08/2023 08:40

Did you book it for 4 people?

Original poster
Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 09:05

Yes it was booked for four people

OP posts:
Original poster
Midnightstar76 · 01/08/2023 09:07

Looking at the actual hotel sight for that room it says maximum 3 which is what has prompted me to look into it further. When I first booked back in September 2022 it was advertised and named quadruple room for four people.

OP posts:
JaukiVexnoydi · 01/08/2023 09:13

If you have booked for 4 people to each have a proper bed then that's what they need to provide. I wouldn't be accepting a sofa bed as an adequate substitute for a proper bed. If the substitute hotel doesn't have actual quad rooms then they should give you 2 interconnecting rooms.

hopeishere · 01/08/2023 09:13

So it's the same hotel and room but no longer has the bunk beds?

Lochroy · 01/08/2023 09:21

hopeishere · 01/08/2023 09:13

So it's the same hotel and room but no longer has the bunk beds?

Nobody knows! OP suspects, hence the first step is to clarify which she is now doing

Dinnertime22 · 05/08/2023 16:50

We have had similar with Tui. It's been a nightmare in that the room is not what we actually booked. Enough beds, but not the apartment, so downgraded. It is all now a holiday village with those who booked over a year ago (cheaper price) being given the poorer rooms. We got some compensation straight away, so they know what they are doing. Double check before you go. Not booking with Tui again.

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