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Original poster

Royally fucked over by Diamonds Lodge on booking.com and can't contact anyone

162 replies

Gingernaut · 31/08/2023 19:28

I've booked 8 nights in a guest house in York

The pictures were fine and I've had no issues with booking.com before

I've arrived and it's a barely disguised HMO with drunks in the front garden, no reception, no one on site and my room is at the top of the house giving Rising Damp vibes

The hotel website Diamonds Lodge.com redirects to a China tourist page, the email is a Gmail and I can't get hold of anyone.

It is an absolute shit hole and apparently I forfeit the entire fee if I walk.

How do I remedy this

I've tried calling booking.com, but I'm cut off as soon as I speak to someone.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
18
ZadocPDederick · 01/09/2023 15:57

Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 13:50

Booking.com are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard

Refer them to the TripAdvisor reviews as evidence that you are obviously not making this up. Also point out that the publicity for this place is seriously misleading to the point of being fraudulent and ask why they are allowing that on their site.

DuesToTheDirt · 01/09/2023 16:04

Gingernaut · 31/08/2023 22:08

The reviews from booking.com were OK

Clearly something has changed since the reviews were posted

It's weird. I generally trust booking.com and hotels.com reviews more than tripadvisor, since they are from paying customers and anyone can put a review on tripadvisor. It can also be handy to sort by date, or look for particular keywords, e.g. noise.

But they have a lot of 10* reviews, so I guess they've found a way to do fake reviews.

Aavalon57 · 01/09/2023 16:13

It would be worth contacting the council as you are doing, the councillors in that ward and the local MP.

Crikeyalmighty · 01/09/2023 16:17

I am so sorry OP- we once had a similar thing with an Airbnb in London- fake pictures and truly awful-

Mumuser124 · 01/09/2023 16:36

Just had the same happen to me in Edinburgh. We only booked 1 night and arrived around 9pm so very Unhappily stayed.

Honestly, I went to sleep planning my families evacuation route in the event of a fire on the lower floors. We were on the 3rd floor with no fire escapes and it was a very, very old building with awful electrics. Everything just felt gross and dirty!

Urgh, home today thank god!

-To add, It had an 8.6 rating on booking.com and cost £180 for the night!

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 16:43

Mumuser124 · 01/09/2023 16:36

Just had the same happen to me in Edinburgh. We only booked 1 night and arrived around 9pm so very Unhappily stayed.

Honestly, I went to sleep planning my families evacuation route in the event of a fire on the lower floors. We were on the 3rd floor with no fire escapes and it was a very, very old building with awful electrics. Everything just felt gross and dirty!

Urgh, home today thank god!

-To add, It had an 8.6 rating on booking.com and cost £180 for the night!

God, it feels awful being scammed.

Glad you're safe now

OP posts:
Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 16:45

DuesToTheDirt · 01/09/2023 16:04

It's weird. I generally trust booking.com and hotels.com reviews more than tripadvisor, since they are from paying customers and anyone can put a review on tripadvisor. It can also be handy to sort by date, or look for particular keywords, e.g. noise.

But they have a lot of 10* reviews, so I guess they've found a way to do fake reviews.

Show quote history

That's what I thought.

All reviews are from verified customers.

I can't work out what's going wrong

OP posts:
NinaGM · 01/09/2023 16:56

I would be contacting the fire service…with your photos. Likely to be closed down.

MidlandCatGirl · 01/09/2023 16:59

Interestingly regarding refunds and the overwhelmingly positive reviews….

Click on the lowest rated review section.
scroll down to the Anon review left 28 Sept 2021 and it looks like (reading between the lines) people may only get a refund if they leave a positive review. I’ve copied and pasted the segment of the review which makes me think that bribery is involved somewhere. The rest of the review is actually negative so why would you agree with management to leave a positive review if you get your money back? All very odd.

“…..after speaking to the manager the next day and them offering a full refund i had agreed to leave a positive review HOWEVER.... they have dragged their heels with sending the money over, taking calls and returning messages to Booking.com (i know this as i have had regular every other day with booking.com customer services) which meant i had to wait just under 2 months to be reimbursed .... safe to say, i shall not be booking here again nor would i recommend it either!!”

Elderflower14 · 01/09/2023 17:26

Their Trip Advisor Reviews are shockingly bad!!

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 17:46

MidlandCatGirl · 01/09/2023 16:59

Interestingly regarding refunds and the overwhelmingly positive reviews….

Click on the lowest rated review section.
scroll down to the Anon review left 28 Sept 2021 and it looks like (reading between the lines) people may only get a refund if they leave a positive review. I’ve copied and pasted the segment of the review which makes me think that bribery is involved somewhere. The rest of the review is actually negative so why would you agree with management to leave a positive review if you get your money back? All very odd.

“…..after speaking to the manager the next day and them offering a full refund i had agreed to leave a positive review HOWEVER.... they have dragged their heels with sending the money over, taking calls and returning messages to Booking.com (i know this as i have had regular every other day with booking.com customer services) which meant i had to wait just under 2 months to be reimbursed .... safe to say, i shall not be booking here again nor would i recommend it either!!”

OOOOOOoooooOOOOOOO! 😵

That IS shocking

OP posts:
ASDMumof2 · 01/09/2023 18:31

Booking.com has the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Our hotel wasn't even open when I booked through them. The replacement hotel- 1 mile away- didn't know we were coming. They had no rooms tgat were disabled friendly so my mum couldn't use the shower and booking.com said well you have a room what do you want me to do?!

How did you pay? If it was credit card can they get your money back?

It's a shit show at the mo booking hotels. Government has comandeered so many....

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 18:50

Yeah, it looks like Diamonds Lodge has been bribing disgruntled guests

Royally fucked over by Diamonds Lodge on booking.com and can't contact anyone
OP posts:
MidlandCatGirl · 01/09/2023 19:02

Exactly - after experiencing all those issues followed by a vomit smelling room why on earth would you agree to give them a positive review?! I’d love to have been listening in on that phone conversation!

I’d screenshot the whole review and submit it to booking.com as there’s definitely something fishy going on.

tribpot · 01/09/2023 19:33

There are two reports on the first page of Tripadvisor alone of people being hoofed out of their room on the basis of a 'double booking'. Are the owners scamming booking.com by doing the double booking themselves, keeping guest 1's money (so they've not lost anything) and leaving the booking.com review themselves as a paying customer?

EwwSprouts · 01/09/2023 19:51

You could report them to York City Council Trading Standards.
Also if you think it was dangerous with the sockets etc a call to North Yorkshire Service. They can ensure all fire regulations are met with a visit and would be glad to do it.

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 20:02

EwwSprouts · 01/09/2023 19:51

You could report them to York City Council Trading Standards.
Also if you think it was dangerous with the sockets etc a call to North Yorkshire Service. They can ensure all fire regulations are met with a visit and would be glad to do it.

Done whilst sat in the council offices, using their WiFi.

OP posts:
EwwSprouts · 01/09/2023 20:17

Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 20:02

Done whilst sat in the council offices, using their WiFi.

Show quote history

Like your style!

ineedafairygodmother · 01/09/2023 20:24

We had this..... checked in at 6:30pm and checkout out by 7pm. Different 'hotel' to you but ended up paying for elsewhere then claimed a refund from booking.com who were actually really helpful, just did it all online. Took photos as evidence of the blood on walls, unmade bed, damp on walls, hair on chair, plaster coming off walls etc sent them all to booking.com and the property and had the refund within a day or so.

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 20:26

Took photos as evidence of the blood on walls

I'm sorry, what?

OP posts:
ineedafairygodmother · 01/09/2023 20:33

Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 20:26

Took photos as evidence of the blood on walls

I'm sorry, what?

Yeh no joke.... there were what we assumed was blood drops on the walls

Original poster
Gingernaut · 01/09/2023 20:46

🤢🤢🤢

OP posts:
SorrySadDog · 01/09/2023 20:56

I’m fairly certain there is an emerald lodge as well, always thought it sounded like a brothel.

Usually I am proud to live here

Elderflower14 · 01/09/2023 20:58

I stayed at a really rank hotel in Birmingham a few years ago.. Not my choice, paid for by the NHS.
The door didn't open properly as the bedside locker was behind the door. Marks on the wall, stains on the mattress, the loo rocked from side to side when you sat on it, cracks in the basin, the tv safety check sticker was out of date. I had a hair in my food when I ate in the evening. The next morning at breakfast I was put on a giant table full of complete strangers.
The general manager was unavailable but I took another managed up to the room the next morning. I forced the hotel to refund a large chunk of my room charge back to the NHS....