Help. Epic hotel choice failure

[BoffinMum]

So here we are in a family hotel in Italy on holiday, near Lake Garda. We are supposed to be here for two weeks and it's costing 5800 euros full board for four of us including DS2 (16) and DS3 (8). We have had a terrible year and this was supposed to be a special holiday to recover.

We all hate it. I hate it so much I could cry.

The hotel itself is really small and the things we thought we would use - spa and so on - are only open 4-7.30 daily (it said nothing about this on the website). We've just had a meal and it's reminiscent of school dinners - I could have cooked it better myself. You can only have dinner from 7-8pm. Nothing like the lovingly garnished offerings on the website, basically stodge. Even the teenager gave up ploughing through it. Our wine eventually came after we had fiinished the meal. There are no soft drinks for kids apart from Fanta, Sprite or Coke. The kids bedroom smells of smoke (as does ours) and has restricted ceiling height so DS2 is going to be banging his head the whole time. The decor reminds me of my grandmother's house about 30 years ago. There is nowhere to get away from the din because it's so small and i currently have a kids' disco under my window (it's 930 pm here) and DS3 is tired from travelling all day but it's too noisy to go to sleep.

I have been down the the manager to explain the problems but he just shrugged and said 'other people like it'. He said we have to stay at least a week otherwise they will have an empty room.

So we are trapped in this glorified youth hostel listening to a kids disco booming away under the window eating stodge and will have to spend 2900 euros for the privilege. And there may be nowhere else to go,

Help, what do I do?

[PovertyJetset]

Fuck, that sounds bad. Do you book though an agent? Do you have travel insurance?

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

Is it a package holiday? Is there a rep you could speak to? What did Tripadvisor say about it when you were booking?

[KitCatBisCat]

Sounds dreadful. You have my sympathies.

Is it possible to go through ABTA for compensation when you return? abta.com/holiday-help-and-complaints/key-facts-about-the-law

Clearly, your holiday is not as described.

I'd be down at the reception until they put me in a different room. Totally unacceptable putting anyone near the disco noise.

How long do you have left?

[LadyMaryofDownt0n]

WhatS on you terms & conditions ref cancellation/early departures??

Look at that first, get your facts straight then go back to the manager & negotiate ref the price & what your unhappy with.

After you've got the facts have a place to go incase you don't get a helpful response. Get on to trip advisor/booking.com and research/research/research read details and get moved.

Remember that hotels in Italy are not rated how we rate hotels here thay are much lower standards but much more expensive (with exceptions of course)

Ps I am a hotel manager, that's about the best you can do. I hate to say it but I don't think you really knew what you had booked. Anyhow good luck & remember all is not lost, you are in possibly the most beautiful place on earth.... explore!!

[LIZS]

Oh goodness, whereabouts are you? Could you at least ask for a refund of the full board to b and b so you can eat out. We last stayed in Torbole and found similar in the hotel but it wasn't as expensive and we basically had an apartment so could shit ourselves away. Unfortunately it is peak European school holidays and they do tend to like their kiddie entertainment and Europop.

[StealthPolarBear]

What a nightmare boffib
Can you at least find a couple of local restaurants so you have a nice meal and wine to look forward to?

[StealthPolarBear]

You could WHAT Liz?!

[LIZS]

Autocorrect fail! Shut

[SorrelSoup]

Cancel your credit card and go! Assuming you have other means of payment for your next place.

[seasonschooner]

That sounds horrible OP. You need to be doing all you can to get as much of your money back as possible and move somewhere else asap. I would go to the manager in the morning and sort it out. Trip Advisor etc . Stay focused.

First choice - refund as much money as possible and move hotels.

Second choice - partial refund and move hotel.

Third choice - move rooms and cancel the full board with refund so you can eat elsewhere.

Don't give up. Have a drink until the disco finishes. Then when refreshed plan your attack.

Good luck.

[seasonschooner]

On second thoughts what Sorrelsoup said cancel your card and go. Pay for one night.

[timeforabrewnow]

you poor sods - hope you find a way round it.

We once went on a camping trip in France and our fixed tent was next to the entertainment that was so loud it vibrated your stomach in the tent (!!!)

Next day - went to reception - and rented a caravan instead - right away from the entertainment zone- for 100 euros extra. Best money I ever spent..

Good luck

[seasonschooner]

Lizs sound like a cool holiday but expensive cleaning bill!

[silkpyjamasallday]

I don't think it's fair or legal for you to cancel your card and essentially run off without paying.

You can attempt to be refunded, but I imagine it is unlikely to happen unless the photos on their website are hugely misleading and it's likely to take a while. Did you read reviews on trip advisor before booking? If it is truly as bad as you say surely it's reviews would not have been great. It's a shame it hasn't lived up to your expectations as it is obviously costing you a fair amount of money, but I think this is down to not researching throughly before booking. Hopefully the kiddie disco won't be every night.

I hope you manage to resolve it, it's horrid when you've been looking forward to something and it isn't what you expected.

[IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday]

If it isn't as advertised on the website, you should be getting your money back.

Take photos of everything! Go and see the manager again and make him look at your photos and then what is on the website, tell him you want a refund. then go and find somewhere else.

[londonrach]

Lizs 😳💩💩😄😂😂😂😂😂

[BoffinMum]

Well the kiddies disco ended a few minutes ago and with all the windows shut and the fake damask (!) 1980s drapes closed it muffled it a bit. There is a bar outside near the kiddie disco but no seats left there, and there is a TV room with not very comfy seats and no bar service, plus another room that's really just a thoroughfare. Nobody was sitting in it.

We have had showers and we are all going to bed. I was tempted to get up at 7 and be the ultimate dreadful hotel guest by practising my opera singing for an hour (I am professionally trained and can be LOUD) to get us thrown out but DS2 made me promise not to.

The terms and conditions are about there being no escape. Once you have booked they can charge you the whole lot. Everywhere in the Alps is like that. We are trapped.

He said he would let us off the second week if we stayed to the weekend but I have no idea where else to go. Obviously it's very busy plus the wifi is crap and it takes a minute or two for each page to load.

We booked direct so no ABTA for us, but it's part of the Kinderhotel group of hotels so DH has told the manager he is going to ring their HQ in the morning. That was the only thing that got a reaction from him.

Please send gin.

[EmuBea]

Whereabouts on Lake Garda are you? Lots of lovely places in Malcesine.

[BoffinMum]

I did read the reviews actually and they looked fine. It absolutely baffles me why people are OK spending this kind of money for a glorified youth hostel. I have been to Italy several times before and never had this kind of problem.

[BoffinMum]

Haven't unpacked btw

[londonrach]

Ok.. the soft drinks you cant do anything about.

Return to reception saying you need to change rooms, if not you will be leaving tomorrow and need a full refund. If my mil was there shes amazing, polite but firm..we get rooms changed within seconds. Hope things get better. Do you have insurance

[londonrach]

Op id be tempted to find somewhere else tomorrow. Visit tourist office tomorrow morning for other places to stay. Sending you gin?

[AndroidsConundrum]

Is there any way they'd move you to a (hopefully less depressing) sister hotel?

[LockedOutOfMN]

Are you near the lake? That's the main asset so I'd recommend getting out of the hotel and spending as much time in or beside the lake as possible - swimming, paddling, sunbathing, reading, walking, strolling, gazing into space...

I'd head to the lake straight after breakfast, and spend the morning swimming, sunbathing, walking and enjoying the beautiful lake, then head back to the hotel for lunch and the spa from 4pm to 7.30pm then have dinner, then go out again until late, promenade and enjoy evening life at the lake (maybe have a late night ice-cream or drink too).

If you have a little Google or ask the hotel staff, you can find different spots on the lake within 30 mins. walk in either direction to go to each day.

There will also be a market at least one morning a week that will be fun to have a wander around, looking at the random stuff the stallholders think lake dwellers and tourists will want to buy! Ask the hotel which day(s) there's a market in your local area.

If the wine at dinner is not included in what you've paid, don't bother and save that money for nice coffees, drinks and ice-creams out in the town.

Agree with other posters about seeing if you can negotiate to cancel week 2 with the hotel at this stage and then find better accommodation for the second half of the holiday.

[SelmaAndJubjub]

Can you record some of the noise and take photos of the crap food? Because those will be going on Tripadvisor unless the manager is more helpful, won't they?

Then follow Season's plan