Bad experience with a hotel

[Habibi2007]

Having just returned from a short break in Larnaca, basically an overnighter. We have come back from this trip and feel we had well and truly been duped, both by the hotel and the site we booked it on.
We booked with Hotels.com and stayed in the Operetta Hotel which has a sister hotel The Opera opposite in St Lazarus Square,
On Thursday morning as we were travelling to Larnaca we got a phone call from the owner of the hotel telling us that there was a technical reason with the room and it would not be ready until 6.30 in the evening. They were very apologetic and said they would sort this out with a reduction in the room cost. Alarm bells didn't ring at that time. As we had plenty to do we weren't unduly worried and we thought ok that's the way it is we will deal with it. We arrived at the hotel and let them know we were in Larnaca. They said they would ring us as soon as the room was ready maybe 5 maybe 5.30.
When they eventually rang at approx 5.15 to let us know our room was ready. We booked in and the owner said we couldn't get a discount because we booked with Expedia, seemingly hotels.com are part of this group. And he wasn't able to give us anything in cash either.. But he would try to sort something out if we gave him our email addressi thought this can't be right if the ball was on the other foot and we had tried to book the room for longer than the 2pm departure that would have cost us at least a half days daily cost.
Anyhow got in touch with hotels .com by email when we arrived back in Paphos to query this and told them what had happened and that we weren't happy about this and the responsive from them was appalling, they said they had been in touch with the owner of the hotel and he told hotels.com that it was us that had requested a 6.30 check in. So another lie by this hotel,owner. I in turn sent another email back to hotels.com telling them again that it was the hotel that had changed the time. Another email back and they said that they had put this back to the owner of the hotel but he didn't reply. I wonder why not. So we are left basically feeling angry about all of this. No apology from either of them no discount on the room. It isn't about the money it was only €90 euros it's the principle of it all how many people has this been done to before. Hotels.com basically said we hope we are satisfied with the outcome and hope we will book with them again. And we were the victims here.
You judge a company by the way they deal with complaints and their attitude to their customers. Well I for one will never use this company again. Disgusted.
I have no idea why the owner of the hotel did this.

[Dominic]

Was there anything wrong with the actual room?

[Habibi2007]

No there was nothing wrong with the room it was fine. And we did take it up with the booking company as I said in my post they were called Hotels .com which I have found out are part of the Expedia group. The issue was not actually with the booking company although they should hold some responsibilities as we booked through them. It was a strange scenario when we arrived at the hotel and told them we were here they told us the room might be available earlier than 6.30. The owner then said we will try to make some amends for the late room availablility. The receptionist then turned to him and said sorry they cant have any refund or discount as we booked through Expedia. The owner then went on to say that he couldn't give us any thing back in cash as he wasn't allowed to. At no time was money mentioned about some sort of refund or discount by me or my husband to this owner. This was actually mentioned by him to us when he rang us initially on our mobile to,tell us about the technical problem with the room his words not mine.
No reasons were given to us about the problem with the room if there had even been one. I contacted hotels.com about the problem, just so they would be aware of what happened. I didn't ask for anything from the company. But they obviously contacted the owner to find out the problem after all if there is a problem with their rooms the booking agent needs to know.
But the owner actually told Hotels.com that WE had requested the room for 6.30. Which is a bare faced lie.
I don't know what this was all about. I'm just annoyed about the unfairness of it and does this hotel do this on a regular basis to others that is all. It's just to let people know. And yes we usually always book through bookings .com. Unfortunately this time we didn't but we have learned our lesson.

[PhotoLady]

All sounds a bit fishy to me.....

I gathered you didn't have a problem with the room when you eventually got in it, otherwise you would have said - so I'm just wondering if the previous occupants decided to pay handsomely to keep the room on for a few more hours. Basically, money in the hotel owner/managers' pocket in both directions.

Like Flossie, I pretty much book all our hotel accommodation with Booking.com and never had any problems, certainly for the last 14yrs.....

I did book once with Expedia to stay at the Apollonia Hotel in Limassol one night when one of my friends was staying there between Christmas and New Year. There was an offer of Half Board for the price of B+B so I took it.

When I got to the hotel they informed me at the check-in that they could not provide me with an evening meal for the room rate that Expedia were paying them and that I would have to pay for it myself if I wanted it.

I told them, no - my contract with them via Expedia was for half board included and I was taking it. It was their problem they should be the ones to get in touch with Expedia and take it up with them. They said it was too late to reach them. Again, not my problem but if Expedia contacted me directly after my night in the hotel to admit they made a mistake, then the hotel could also contact me at home (Limassol) either by phone or email and I would pay it....

An hour before I was due to go and eat with my friend in the restaurant, the manager phoned my room and told me he had spoken with Expedia and I could have my evening meal - at no charge

With hindsight, and the fact you were already in Larnaca - it would perhaps have been better to have asked to see the room and find out what the "technical" problem was. Suppose they hadn't been able to fix it in time, what options were they going to give you? It would have personally put him on the spot and it's always more difficult to lie blatantly to someone when they are standing in front of you, much easier to tell an untruth over the telephone.

At least you got your room eventually, but it's the frustration of it all that's more annoying and the fact you feel you've been had

[Dominic]

We always used bookcyprus.com, we found them to have the best deals by quite a margin.

[Habibi2007]

We have booked through all of the reputable companies everyone has mentioned and never had any problems before, I don't think the problem was with the booking company. I think they have been deceived by this scam as well and it was a scam I am in no doubt about that, as Photolady said it sounds fishy, I expect the outgoing occupant wanted to keep there room on for a while longer and so the owner seen a way of making a little more money. At our expense. By making up some cock and bull story about a technical problem. Why would he tell the booking company a down right lie, and say we had asked for a 6.30 check in when I emailed them and told them what had happened. We were well and truly duped.

[trevnhil]

Write a review on Tripadvisor.. But I am not sure if you have to become a member first..or not

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Revie ... trict.html

[PaphosAL]

I agree with certain above posters. This is clearly a fully-booked hotel, room-wise. The outgoing occupants of the room that Habib booked for 2pm occupancy (meaning room vacated by noon latest) must have paid the owner a surcharge, surely?

In order to keep the room until 4pm maybe, on account of early evening transfers and flights back? At the very least, the hotel owner should have given the incoming occupants a free evening meal on the house, don't you think? With complimentary wine and aperitifs!

My take on it, for what it's worth. Hotel owners always want clients coming back, and recommending them to family and friends. Not wearing short term blinkers, like this one was apparently...

AL

[Band]

Am I the only person who books direct with the hotel?

I normally have a quick look at the aggregator sites, but have never found one yet that offers a better deal than calling a hotel direct.

Anyway, if you aren't happy with what happened, try speak with the Cyprus Consumers Association, the are usually very good as resolving problems.

[kansas]

We also try to book direct with hotels. We have booked through an on-line booking comany and only on one occasion did we have a problem. The on-line booking company's site stated that this particular hotel in Protaras would not take money from our credit card until the day we booked in, but in fact the full amount was deducted as soon as we confirmed the booking. Neither the hotel nor the agent would take responsibility so we just let it go. We have stayed at the Hotel Opera several times with no mishaps. Hopefully this problem was just a one-off.

[PhotoLady]

I believe it was the Operetta House rather than the Opera Hotel that Habibi booked into although I seem to recall an article a couple of years ago that indicated they may have been part of the same concern.

[galexinda]

I use booking.com to book hotels and have found the deal is cheaper than through the hotel websites. About two years ago I used a Paphos agent to book a Christmas holiday in Larnaca and money was taken off card the same day (even though our paperwork stated payment would be made on arrival at the hotel). Another negative was that if there was a problem during the stay I would have to contact a UK telephone number as the local office was closed. Met a couple who had used booking.com and not only was their deal about €80 cheaper for the same package but the money was taken from their cards on arrival at the hotel! Twice this year hotels have stated 'no rooms available' on their websites but I have found a room on booking.com for the same dates. I usually check at least 3 different sites before making a booking, just to see what is available.

[PhotoLady]

I would happily try an apartment or airbnb but my other half wants a hot buffet breakfast with tons of choices on offer which limits us to hotels for short breaks.

I've never found it cheaper to book directly with the accommodation rather than through a booking website. Even my Hilton account doesn't get me a better price than with booking.com or similar and Trivago hasn't beaten the cost either.... There's an advert on TV every so often - One Hundred Rooms that I keep threatening to check but haven't got round to it yet!

[kansas]

Re. PhotoLady's comments. Yes, both the Hotel Opera and Operetta are owned by the same individual because last year we were booked at the Opera and were offered a transfer to the Operetta which is just across the square. Unfortunately we weren't happy with the suite as it was directly above a music bar and that evening they were having a Greek night so we managed to get transferred back to the Opera. We'd experienced the Greek night once before when we stayed at the Hotel Opera and heard the singing and dancing that went on until 2.00 a.m. Fortunately a call to the police brought it to a halt within quarter of an hour. We fully intend to stay at the Hotel Opera this autumn but not on a Wednesday night!

[Dominic]

Has nobody else tried bookcyprus.com?

We should do a comparison.

First of all, we need people to volunteer a site. Then a poster (I nominate Memory Man as he does lots of quizzes) names 5 hotels and a date range. We all come back with prices for the hotels using our site? Prices could be for twin / double room only, and 1/2 board.

Anybody game?

[Dominic]

I volunteer bookcyprus. Com

[Habibi2007]

It wouldn't have mattered who we booked through the problem wasn't with the booking company it was with the owner , he knowingly sold us a room which should have been available for us at 2pm. He obviously seen a way to make a little more money from both the outgoing and and the incoming occupant. Hence the reason why he used the technical problem with the room excuse. And why he lied to the booking company, telling them it was us that had requested the late check in.
Who knows maybe he has used this excuse before just because people on here have used this hotel before and never had any problems doesn't mean it hasn't happened to others maybe they didn't complain.
In the past we have used booking.com, bookcyprus, trivago and booked direct with the hotels, without any problems whatsoever. In fact we have never had any problems at all.
I just wanted to let people know what happened in case they had the same experience, it leaves a nasty taste in your mouth when you realise you have been duped. And that is what was done by the owner of this hotel to us.

[WHL]

Cant believe the amount of conspiracy theory's, on here.does anyone have one shred of prove , that the owner took a bung, if not I hope for your sake's he dosnt read this thread.

[Dominic]

My own personal take is that the room wasn't ready, and had you booked with the hotel they would have been able to refund some of your money. However, because you booked with a third party, they wouldn't be able to do the refund without incurring a loss, as the third party will always take a hefty chunk of the fee.

How they handled the event is another matter, but I don't see anything more sinister than that.

[Devil]

It seems to me a storm in a teacup over a couple of hours unavailability of a room that the OP didn't want in the first place.