How to complain to a hotel
When something goes wrong with your stay at a hotel you are within your rights to complain. Here is how best to complain.
Complain at the time of your hotel stay
This is important because there is an onus on the consumer to be reasonable as well as the trader. If the matter were to go further you will need to show that you provided the trader an opportunity to put matters right.Ask to see the manager
Get evidence of problems with your hotel
Take photos, details of names of people you complained to, dates and times and any evidence you can use at a later date if you need to do so.
Know your legal rights regarding your hotels
Consumer Rights Act 2015 The key things regarding hotels here are:
You are entitled to services to be carried out with reasonable skill and care. So if your room isn’t up to scratch or the service you receive is poor then you are entitled to redress. The percentage you should expect will depend on the level of service and how quickly they put matters right.
The place you stay must match the description. So if the brochure/website said the room will have xyz then xyz must be in the room in good working order.
The ultimate guide to complaining when eating out provides detailed information on how to complain in restaurants and cafes etc.
Complain at a later date
If you feel that you didn’t get redress at the time or you were unable to complain in the time then do complain when you get home. This may be to the manager or if a chain go higher. Use ceoemail.com to find the contact details for any CEO.
Complain effectively!
See Top 20 Tips How to complain! for guidance on writing the perfect email/letter
How to complain when your hotel won’t give you a full refund
How to complain when your hotel over books
Your rights when your hotel overbooks your rights and what to do
Complain even if your hotel is not in the UK!
How to complain when booking a service based in the EU booking on a non UK but within EU site
All you need to know about the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements 2018 all your rights to help if a hotel is booked as part of a package
All you need to know about booking/complaining about holidays/flights provides links to a variety of posts discussing how to prevent problems, successful complaints, your rights when booking and after your holiday etc.
For more templates, advice, information on holidays and most other sectors Get the Book! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!
5 replies on “What to do when ripped off by a hotel”
I am writing to you to raise an issue about Online travel agent at Booking.com on September 23rd, 2017.
Booked hotel and paid 487 Euros then found out that the place have Rats/Mice/and Cockroches i informed them i want to cancil because i could not stay in this hotel.I want my money back.Hotel Pennsylyania refused to give give me a refund and booking.com passed the buck leaving me high and dry i feel sick
I would most certainty want my hard earned money returned.
See Tips and All you need to know about booking/complaining about holidays/flights Please ask someone to help you write the email in good English.
I had similarung experience with booking.com the hotel I booked was supposed to be a restful country retreat but the matress was old and very lumpy could feel the springs. I couldn’t stay there as hotel owner refused to give another room or do anything he just said there was nothing wrong with the matress. I even took photos as evidence. He point blank refused to refund and said feel free to check out tho but I won’t give u a refund. So had to pay again for another hotel and lost 95 pound. Booking.com said there was nothing they could do as the hotel owner refused to budge. Well surely they can fine them or take them off their website as it wasn’t my fault I couldn’t stay there the hotel facilities were not upto scratch. Fuming people hold not be allowed to get away with ithe ethnically the hotel robbed me of my money for a service which was not used due to their bad matress.
Please see the link at bullet point 7
I had a hotel booking that certainly didn’t live up to expectations. The facilities were not as advertised, plug sockets in the room were burnt out and there was building work that had not been advised.
I took pictures of everything and called the booking site at the earliest opportunity. It was my preference to be refunded in full and go elsewhere and that’s exactly what was provided after about an hour.
I’d stood firm, yet polite, expressed I felt unsafe and that it was the agent’s responsibility to notify us of building work at the property.
I maybe could have pushed for more but I just wanted it done to enjoy my holiday.