Holiday company advertised hotel as four start but it was terrible

Hannaho

I posted in the holiday forum re booking a package deal and choosing a four star hotel and paying extra for it. However, hotel was very far from four star - very dirty and old fashioned. Couldn't put air con on for any length of time as terrible snell of mould from it - hotel was in Malt so very hot at night. Very stained carpets, dirty paintwork and tiling, broken bits from door surrounds, mould stains on children's bed clothes, stained curtains etc. When I booked the package deal it was advertised as four star hotel which was why I took it. Just about a week before we were to go I looked on trip advisor to see what else was going on in the area for the children and I came across the hotel having terrible reviews - we had booked 8 months beforehand and completely relied on the holiday company's description of the hotel as four star. While Malta is lovely - it has affected our holiday as we haven't felt able to relax in our room at the end of an active day, but have gone to the hotel lobby - the best part of the hotel instead . Do we have any comeback on this with holiday company - have emailed them but no reply yet - took over 20 photos of how dirty place was - we are still on hols back home on Monday

Homer

If I recall different countries have different systems for rating hotels.. We booked a 4 star hotel in Lake Garda a few years ago and it certainly wasn't up to the standards of what you would expect for a 4 star hotel in Ireland/UK..

rawn

4 star refers to the available facilities rather than the upkeep/cleanliness

mdebets

Did you complain to the Hotel or the holiday company as soon as you saw the problems, so that they could rectify it?
If you haven't, you have no comeback when back home.

KidMeNotA1

Your contract was with the holiday company. Hope you have some photos. Contact them asap, log your complaint in writing & see what happens. If nothing, report them to the website/holiday guarantee group/ombudsman

VincePP

KidMeNotA1 wrote: »

Y report them to the website/holiday guarantee group/ombudsman

???? - Ombudsman?? - No Ombudsman
Holiday guarantee group?? - No such place either
Website? - report their own website to themselves?


To the OP - get the description that the holiday company gave you about the hotel. If that differs substantially (incl pictures) from what you experienced and it affected your holiday detrimentally then ask them for refund / partial refund of the hotel costs.

If they don't comply and you feel you have a strong case, you have the option of the small claims court.


If however you just accepted "4 star" and assumed that it would be equivalent to 4 star in UK/Ireland and did not check full description, then you would have less of a case. As above, star rating system differes between countries and 4 star in Malta does not have the same meanign as 4 star in Ireland. Generally I would always check trip advisor - it very easy to see through the persistent "moaning" type reviews of people who moan for a living to the more genuine reviews.

TheDriver

Big mistake to rely on any holiday company to describe on the ground conditions and with trip advisor, you can do it easily. Have you evidence that it's not 4*? Did you contact holiday company on arrival to register a complaint and see if it xan be rectified? Sorry to sound harsh but ranting on here isn't going to help if you didn't do your research and assumed everything is what it should be

ben.schlomo

OP, take VincePP's adice above, nail on the head.

Xterminator

OP just to re-iterate, go to brochure, website and get exact description of hotel as it was presented to you/

then detail in what way it was incorrect or misleading, line by line , item by item. if you find there is no substantial incorrect information, and that your complaint is not that the hotel is not as advertised, but that it was not clean to an acceptable standard, then change the title of your complaint to reflect this and mail along with photo evidence you have gathered.

Advise what action you took if any at hotel, eg who you complained to & when.

write a letter to holiday company asking them for a response within 14 days and ask for what you would consider a reasonable level of redress.
EG 20% or 40% of cost of holiday etc.

X

Dermo

From the Malta Hotel Directory 2016: http://www.visitmalta.com/en/file.aspx?f=23632
4* hotel means:
fully air-conditioned accommodation; all rooms must have a private bath
or shower, an ‘internal or external’ telephone and radio; room service from breakfast
to midnight; a bar, a restaurant and a lounge; a swimming pool or a private beach;
the front office must be manned 24-hours; it must also offer a laundry, pressing and
dry-cleaning service and have shops and a hairdresser.

You mention that there was a problem with the air-conditioning. Did you raise this with the hotel when you arrived and ask for it to be fixed?