Can we have our money back, please?

Dear Mr. B*,

My family and I booked a room at the Holiday Villa for the evening of July 8 to accommodate us during a layover on our way home to Boston. The reservation was not honored as requested and we spent the night at another hotel and I am writing to request a full refund.

Rather than try to explain what happened, I will share with you the letter I plan to send next week if I do not receive a satisfactory response. I also plan to make less polite comments on popular travel sites like TripAdvisor.com and Booking.com.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you and to receiving a credit on my Visa card.

Sincerely,

Shane Keats

July 13, 2011

Datin Mavis Masri Azman

Holiday Villa Hotels & Resorts, Managing Director / CEO

Dame Judith Mahew Jonas, DBE

London and Partners Board Chairperson

James Berresford

VisitEngland CEO

Dear Ms. Mavis Masri Azman, Dame Mahew Jonas and Mr. Berresford:

I am writing to express my extreme disappointment with Holliday Villa, a hotel near Paddington Station (35-37 Leinster Gardens, W2 London).

I reserved a room for me, my wife and our two children, ages 9 and 12, for one night July 8, while we lay over before returning home to Boston. When we arrived that evening, we discovered that our tiny room was cramped with a single bed, a double bed and a baby’s crib.

Ms. A*, the evening manager, clearly understood that the crib would not accommodate a 9-year old child, but would not upgrade us to a suite without paying an additional £360.

I showed her the confirmation email which clearly stated that we were a family of two adults and two children and needed a triple room with a cot. Ms. A* responded that in England, a “cot” is considered a “crib.” I responded that this was a simple trans-Atlantic miscommunication, and that customer service and common courtesy dictated that the Hotel upgrade us at no additional charge. After all, there were larger rooms available, unused and unbooked. There was no incremental cost to upgrade us.

Ms. A*’s unwillingness to extend this courtesy to a family with children who had been travelling for much of the day and had an early flight the following morning was bad enough. But she compounded the error by repeatedly lying.

§ She said that we had not told the hotel that we were a family of four. Why then had the hotel placed a crib in the room?

§ She said that the hotel had previously fit fold-up beds in this room, but the valet was unable to fit one in, no matter how hard he tried.

§ She said she did have the authority to upgrade us. She was only the Night Manager, and her supervisor was the only person who could make this decision and he was not reachable, even though it was only 8 p.m.

§ When I began calling other hotels to see if they had any availabilities, she told me she could upgrade me to a suite after all, but would still need to charge me an additional fee, albeit less than the full £360.

By then, I’d had enough. A block away, we found a kind receptionist at the Cleveland Hotel who had a cancellation, and we enjoyed our evening knowing that we’d given our money to an establishment that was friendly and honest.

If the original booking had been for a £75 or £100 room, I would be less bothered, but this was not an airport motel, but a list price £280 room a few blocks from Hyde Park.

I have written to R* B*, the manager, asking for a refund of the room charge. I hope he agrees.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Shane Keats