Our wonderfully f....ed up holiday

[wiseheart]

Well, it started like a bad joke. After twice three hours on train (plus one hour waiting between the two rounds) we finally arrived to our hotel, where we learned that we don't have a room, after all. Never mind that I booked almost two months in advance and it cost me a month's salary and had the voucher and the bill and everything. So we had to sit there another half an hour until they reached the travel agency to check if I had, indeed booked the room.

After this part of the comedy was cleared they told us that they can't do anything to days because they are booked out, but they will redirect us to a similar hotel. That was annoying enough, but they paid the cab fare, so we moved on to the new location that was actually better, unpacked every thing (and for ten days that means a lot of stuff) and went on exploring our surroundings.

What I hadn't understood in all the "excitement" was the fact that we apparently were only supposed to spend the one night in the other hotel and then go back to the original one. So you can imagine my surprise (and not a pleasant one at that) when we got back from our explorations to Hotel #2, only to be told that Hotel #1 call ed that we should stay another night and only go back to them the day after tomorrow. I was, like, WTF??? I thought we were supposed to stay in Hotel #2 for good!

But apparently, that is not possible, because I booked via travel agency or for whatever reason. So, the day after tomorrow we will pack in everything again and I will drága my 82-year-old mother back to the first hotel. Were we will have to unpack everything again.

I am so mad I can't even begin to describe!!!

Edit:
Help has come from unexpected source. See next entry.

Comments

[red-day-dawning.livejournal.com]

That's appalling. Hope things improve.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

So do I. But even then, a bad after taste will remain. And we were so looking forward to this trip!

[bk_forever]

That's not right! They screwed up, you shouldn't have to suffer for their mistakes! *hugs* So sorry things have got off to such a bad start, I just hope the rest of your holiday goes better.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

So do I, really, but a lot of the joy has already gone out of the whole thing. Sigh.

[bk_forever]

*hugs you and your mum*

[ideealisme.livejournal.com]

That's absolutely outrageous. This f***-up is their fault entirely, not yours. Why the hell should you and your mother, who is elderly, be forced to move? I would stay exactly where I am. Unless they plan to move you by physical force, surely they will have the decency to back down.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

This should, but the millás of bureaucracy...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I'd demand the first hotel or the travel agency paid for those two nights due to their mistake.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

As the second hotel was more expensive, the original one did pay the difference. It isn't about the money, though. It is about the stress.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! But they should pay for the stress caused to you and your mother.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yeah, because that is going to happen...

[saki101.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry to hear this! I don't know if you will be able to put it out of your mind once you move back to the original hotel, but if you can focus on the nice things you and your mother will be doing perhaps you can salvage some of the fun of the trip. The travel agency or the hotel (whoever made the mistake) should offer you some sort of compensation for all this stress, inconvenience and loss of holiday time spent trekking back and forth.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Not bloody likely. We will try to focus on the right thinhs of course, but...

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Oh that totally sucks... I've had something similar happen once, but the hotel found a room (an upgrade) for us. But that sick feeling when they say that...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[sammydragoncat]

*hugs* So sorry to hear that your trip has gotten off to such a bad start, the frustration from the f...-up could ruin the whole trip if you let it - traveling can be so stressful. Hopefully the rest of the trip will go much better, try to enjoy the rest of your holiday.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

So do I. Thanks, Sammy.

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

That's awful! In view of your mother's age, maybe you should try to get some kind of refund. I suppose you can't simply refuse to move again?
Anyway, hugs to both of you!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Finch. As you can see, we had lucky after all. But it was quite the shock at first.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

That's terrible! It is really unfair that they can mess things up and cause you so much stress and extra bother.

Hope the rest of the holiday goes well.
*hugs*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

As you can see, it does thanks to a simple act of human kindness.

[makamu]

Honestly, even though things are apparently working out for you now (thank the gods for people with common sense!), I would complain to the travel agency you booked this with because, as somebody else has already pointed out, this is their mess to sort out, definitely not yours *hugs* I hope things improve for the two of you after this

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the travel agency's fault. They got the acknowledgement from the original hotel while we were still in their office. But I am so going to Warner them not to send other people there!