What do you do if your accommodation turns out to be awful?

[Notmyusual80]

Rather hastily booked a lodge in the UK in the summer as we only decided to go last minute and there's not much available. Paid in full. Quite expensive.

I briefly scanned reviews before booking but now I've looked into them more, I'm worried - lots of mentions of poor cleanliness, really uncomfortable beds and accommodation being a bit tired. Realistically, if we get there and it's a bit grim, what can we actually do about it? I think I'd complain straight away and demand alternative accommodation but if nothing is available, we're just screwed, aren't we? Anyone been in this situation and resolved it successfully? I mean chances are, it'll all be fine (I hope) but I'm a massive stresser and am worried I've booked a dud!!

Any experiences/suggestions?

Can you cancel ?

I think unless you are able to cancel there is not much you can do. Hopefully the weather will be good, you’ll be super happy to be somewhere that isn’t home and you won’t mind if it’s a bit run down. No holiday house is perfect and grumpy people often leave bad reviews so hopefully it won’t be too bad. Take your own cleaning stuff and pillows and things to make you more comfy and make the most of it I guess

Can't cancel (well, not without losing a large chunk of money).

Yes, I'll be happy to be somewhere outside of my own 4 walls but we've paid quite a lot of money and I'll be really annoyed if the accommodation doesn't live up to the price.

I agree - I'm usually of the mindset that people who post bad reviews are often picky misery guts - I've stayed at some beautiful places that I've read bad reviews about. It's just although this place has some lovely reviews, the bad ones all seem to say the same things.

Is it worth emailing in advance to say I'm concerned about some of the things I've read online and perhaps asking if they can send me pictures of the exact lodge we'll be in or something like that?

We had the opposite. Reviews all gushy and lovely (I can only now assume they were made up), got there and it was bloody grim.
We did complain to the cottage company (a well known one) but got nowhere.
We left 3 days after arriving.

Which company have you booked with? Often the reviews are down to expectations.....(not always)....
We have been to lots of different types of parks/caravans/lodges in the UK. The more I pay the higher my expectations are. So we went to one place with the Sun holidays - paid almost nothing and it was grim. Think black feet for walking over the floor. Lol. We upped our standards after that. I didn't bother to complain - the whole thing was just poor standard.
We've had Haven that are amazing and Haven that are ok.....they have different classes of accommodation too.
We are going back to a lodge in a park we have been to multiple times before - they are always clean and tidy so I would complain if it wasn't. They might not be able to move us but they may get housekeeping to clean it there and then.

Booked with Hoseasons. Have booked with them a few times before and never had a problem. I'm not so worried about cleanliness - well, I mean I am, because dirty accommodation is just grim! - but at least that can be sorted. I'm just worried it's going to be old, tatty accommodation and there seems to be a lot of complaints that the beds are really uncomfortable - one or two grumbles wouldn't worry me as I know people can be really picky about things like mattresses but there are a LOT of complaints from people say the beds were really bad -as in horrid cheap mattresses that you can feel the springs through.

@MissyB1 - yes, that's what I'm worried about - once you're there, if the management aren't bothered about responding to complaints, you're basically stuffed aren't you - and they know it!!

With Hoseasons I thunk you can change your accommodation for a small fee provided your holiday is more than a certain number of weeks away. It may be worth checking the Ts &Cs to see if that's possible and if there is anything else available for your week.

If not then forewarned is forearmed. Bring along a mattress topper if you have one to make the beds more comfortable and anything else you can address specifically. Plus if you're anything like me, it will just be so wonderful to be somewhere else, that hopefully anything else will be a minor irritant only.

Thanks @rookiemere - hopefully, you're right!

It says you can change up to Balance Due date.

Yes, but because we booked for just 2 months time, we had to pay the balance in full upon booking.

Can you take some thick mattress protectors with you to make the beds more comfortable?

Hoseasons are normally quite alright. I'm sure you will be fine. (No one expects a hotel quality mattress in a lodge anyway). Maybe take some extra alcohol of you think it will be bad....a bottle of wine before bed makes any bed more comfy!!

I think speaking to the managers before you sounds a good idea.

Hope so @Mumdiva99 ! To be fair, I've stayed in some beautiful lodges that were cheaper than this one and as good as a really lovely hotel. Think the price made me assume this place would be fine but I was forgetting that everywhere in the UK has ramped up their prices this summer and I booked it in a panic as there aren't many holidays left in this country!

@crosstalk thank you - I'm thinking if I contact them in advance for reassurance that the lodge won't be crap, and then the lodge still turns out to be crap, I'll have a bit more leverage to moan about said crapiness.