Hotel sold...

[mackem67]

Wonder if anyone can help?

 

We booked our holidays for 2008 last september with Thomson.

Returning to same hotel as last 2 years to meet up with friends.

 

As we were thinking of adding someone to the booking I just happened to be looking at the hotels website (Fiesta) and noticed that it along with another of their hotels is no longer on the site.

Thinking it was strange went onto Thomson site and tried searching availability etc and our chosen hotel did NOT appear.

Even stranger I thought as it seemed a bit odd to be fully booked already!

Anyway I emailed Fiesta and they confirmed that they no longer own these two hotels!

Also they wont tell me who does and what arrangements there are in place with the new owners regarding bookings, food and entertainment arrangements.

Thomson are denying knowledge of any of this and said if we wish to move to another hotel we have to pay!

Anyone help please regarding our position??

We have paid the minimum £50 deposit per person.

Thanks

[shywazz]

Firstly bring this matter to the attention of thomson again, and get them to investigate whether the holidays will be honoured by the new owner ? If you think you no longer want to trust them, think about going with another hotel that is close to the one you have booked, but really think it is up to thomson to obtain the information for customers that have already booked.... just think if you got there and the hotel owner sent you packing, save the hassle now before you travel and save what might be hassle later... You could laways ask the new owner if there have bought the customers aswell as the hotel...but thomson should do the running around after all said and done....

[mackem67]

Hi Shywazz, well I'm being a bit of a detective and have now got contact details for the new owners.

Am waiting for email back from them hopefully.

Do we have to pay rest of our deposit if we cancel this holiday due to the hotel no longer being what we actually booked??

[Michael Browne]

Do we have to pay rest of our deposit if we cancel this holiday due to the hotel no longer being what we actually booked??

How do you know this? Other than a change in ownership, the hotel should be the same.

 

If you are concerned that the booking or food and entertainment arrangements may be different, you should ask for confirmation from Thompsons (in writing) since they are the company with whom you have a contract.

[mackem67]

I realise that but it was a part of the Fiesta chain of hotels.

They offer certain facilites that we like, therefore booked to go back for the third time.

We collected points to spend with them etc

They no longer own it therefore cannot possibly have the same conditions.

Thats why I think the change of ownership is a BIG change/

[shywazz]

Hiya

 

Did you visit your local thomson and explain the thoughts you have, also have you took a read through there terms and conditions on cancelling bookings and deposit returns, i'll read through them later, as ive booked through thomson for the last 7 years with no problems.....

You mentioned something about points, that you earned at the hotel last year, sadly that was with the last owner, if the new owner doesnt part-take in such, then the points will be worthless, its like gaining points at a store, that store sells up, the next owner doesnt have to honour the points...as that system was with the last hotel owner... unless of course the new owner agrees to buy everything, even such as the points you mention....

My own 1st port of call would be thomson, and take things from after that visit, you never know there might have the answers to your worries....

 

Have you already taken any insurance out for the holiday or have you a yearly policy, not saying you should follow this route, but what does it read about you cancelling the holiday, and if any what terms are there in doing so, ie refunds etc...

[mackem67]

One of our party visited and rang Thomson.

They deny any knowledge of it, even though she took prints of the emails I have from Fiesta.

I have read the terms and conditions of online bookings but ours was in shop and I dont actually have a brochure. The online one says if you use low deposit and cancel then the whole deposit becomes payable.

I dont want to cancel but if they dont tell us whats going on then I dont think I have many options.

We asked to be moved to the hotel next door but they said we had to pay the difference even tho its the same grade and same facitlites etc as the one we booked.

As for the points, they are just an added bonus, but my point was that we booked this hotel because of its facilites including the points system and now we have absolutely no idea what facilites they will be offering and Thomson arent telling us anything.

Now what?

[Loubychew]

Hi,

 

Visited & rang Thomson...you mean the travel agents shop?

If so, the guys & girls in the shop probably don't know because the news has not filtered down to them from either their HO or from resort itself.

 

TO's have to wait for absolute confirmation from the hotelier, to them, not to you. This can sometimes take a while as it is notoriously slow getting info and proper confirmation from foreign hoteliers.

 

However, now that one of your party has asked the questions, this should hopefully make them flag it to their HO.

 

I would follow this up with a phone call to Thomsons & a letter too (not to the shop, the HO) and don't give up.

 

Change of ownership is not classed as a major change though if advertised facilities/services are no longer available I think they do they have to inform you of them. EG, gym/sauna/jaucuzzi/kids club now not available etc etc

 

If the hotel is no longer available, this is classed as a major change and you do have options. Click the link below and scroll down to number 4:

 

Terms and Conditions

 

Hope this helps.

[mackem67]

Hi yes she rang HO and they wont say anything.

So if they take all the facilities that were there , away, it doenst mean its a major change??

Well there's something sadly lacking there then.

I'll ring HO and write to them and see what they say this time.

Thanks for your help

[Loubychew]

mackem67,

 

Its highly unlikely that they will take away all the facilities, but if they did then in my opinion it would class as a major change. Really, this is not going to happen, surely the new owners have taken over what sounds like a good hotel (you like it and have been a couple of times) so they will want to carry on with the existing facilities.

 

If this happens in the company I work for (not Thomson) and they take away a brochure advertised facility, say gym/sauna/jaucuzzi/kids club then we are obliged to let you know - assuming the hotelier has bothered to tell us and then you make a decision as to how much it bothers you.

 

For example, if we write to you and tell you the gym is not available and you are not a gym goer then you would not be affected and would still go. This is done in so that you can't then complain on return that the gym was not available.

 

Its possible that Thomson are still negotiating a contract to provide rooms with the new owner and sometimes this can be a bit of a wrangle.

 

Keep on at them, as posted earlier, you do have options. If you are set on going to the same hotel, cancel and rebook with the hotel directly and find your flight seperately.

[mackem67]

Hi Louby, if we cancel we lose our deposit plus have to pay the rest of it .............we only paid low deposit.

The main facilites we are worried about is the choice of whether to have all inclusive or not.

Plus we would like to know if its going to be full of 18-30's.

Fiesta told me that Thomson are arranging things with the new management.

I still dont understand why they blatantly deny it all

[mackem67]

Just an update in case anyone else booked to go here.

I have now changed hotels at the rate it was when I booked the original without any admin fees.

I was given either that option or to cancel and have deposit refunded.

I don't know if Thomson are actually informing people or if they told me because I queried it.

They do have a tiny piece of info on the website when you try to book the hotel it says this is no longer part of the Fiesta Group, it does still, however ,have the Fiesta benefite info in the other details.

 

The hotels involved are Fiesta Algarb now owned I believe by Grupo Sol and the Fiesta Bahamas now known as Hotel Bahamas but still has info about Fiesta ie: this is a Fiesta Hotel when it is blatently NOT

[Carriep]

Hi,

 

I work for a BBC1 consumer affairs programme called "Don't Get Done, Get Dom", in which presenter Dominic Littlewood attempts to resolve issues that have arisen between consumers and companies.

 

Having read your story, we would be extremely keen to hear from you to see if there is anything we might be able to do to help.

 

If you would like to talk to us, please get in touch at:

 

[email protected]

02072785052

 

Thanks very much,

 

Robert Gershinson

Don’t Get Done, Get Dom (BBC1)