Just a word of warning for anyone who is looking to book a hotel with lastminute.com and their "Top Secret Hotels". This is an email Ive sent them followed by pictures of a so called 4 star hotel in Rome, Italy. The name of the hotel is Hotel Champagne Palace.
If this hotel was advertised as a 1 star or 2 star then there would be no problem.
Just for your info;
----------------------------
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing today to explain my experience of using lastminute.com to book a hotel for my girlfriend and I on our recent trip to Rome, Italy.
After some time browsing the internet, it became apparent that for 4 nights in a 4 star hotel we would be paying somewhere between £250 and £350. A friend recommended lastminute.com’s ‘Top Secret’ hotel service, where top hotels could be purchased at a cheaper rate, so we decided to give it a try and were delighted to find a 4 star hotel advertised as “minutes from the colosseum”. For £309.08 I spoke with my girlfriend and, as the hotel’s location was described as close to the Colosseum, we decided to go ahead and book the room; booking reference 9*******. The name of the hotel; Hotel Champagne Palace.
Upon arrival in Rome we took a taxi from the airport to the hotel. On route we passed the Colosseum, and did not arrive at our hotel until 15 minutes after passing it. As we arrived at 23:00 hours there was no traffic. During the day, with the Rome traffic, I would estimate that it would take roughly 25/30 minutes to get to the Colosseum. Our hotel was located next to the main train terminal and the colosseum was 2 stops away on the metro. This is not “minutes from the colosseum”, as stated on your advert. That is my first point.
My second point. When we arrived and entered our ‘4 star’ room, it clearly was not to a 4 star standard. There is a saying that a picture says a thousand words, so I have attached some pictures of our room so that you can clearly see the point I am trying to make in this e-mail.
As it was late at night, and wanting to get up early, I went straight to bed. In the morning we got up and as I walked into the bathroom, I was met by a scene that I can only describe as disgusting. The sink and toilet were adorned with lime Scale (see attached picture), and the shower area was simply laughable – I am approximately 5’9” in height and of medium build, but I had to turn sideways to enter this tiny shower. Even worse, after having the shower on for a minute or so, the water built up so much that I had to turn it off otherwise the water would have over flowed onto the floor. 4 star hotel? Really?
Leaving our room we walked down the stairs past the lift, which did not appear to have been cleaned since some time in the 1950s. Again, the picture says it all.
After a long day walking around exploring Rome, it was interesting to come back to the room and see the different type of yellow paint colours on the wall - bad painter or just a new style, I’ll let you decide. It would also have been nice to come back to the room and watch a little bit of TV or catch up on some news but our TV was small to say the least and only 3 channels worked. Not one was in English, which is strange, as I thought that most 4 star hotels would at least have CNN or BBC World News.
So, is this hotel a 4 star? I don’t think so. In the past year alone I have stayed in 4 star hotels in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Perth, and Singapore, to name a few. These hotels were all to the same level, so I have trouble seeing how a 4 star in Rome should be any different. I also seriously doubt that the other 4 star hotels in Rome are to the poor level of this hotel. This hotel is not a 4 star. It is more like a 1 or 2 star – which would not be a problem if that is what it was advertised as. You have completely mis-sold this hotel and it is wrong that you are advertising it as a 4 star.
On Sunday night we stayed at a 4 star hotel at Heathrow Airport. I have taken some pictures of this room to give you an example of the difference.
I am requesting a full refund as we have been mis-sold. I will not be recommending lastminute.com and will, in fact, advise my friends and colleagues against using it. As well as telling everyone on the social networking website I use, I have also put my thoughts about this hotel and lastminute.com on www.flyertalk.com under the “hotels” section. Flyertalk is one of the largest online travel communitys in the world. I have also copied in Lonely Planet as their readers also need to be aware not only of your false advertising but also of this hotel.
BTW, I think it might be good to tell them how this hotel is rated by other booking engines.
NJUPINTHEAIR
Oct 15, 09, 12:38 am
I hate to break this to you, but 4 Star, does not necessarily mean top of th class. Most hotel designations set by the state or municipality get increasing star designations if they have certain items on offer -- the condition of those items is another matter entirely.
If you follow the link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187791-d277144-r39076474-Champagne_Palace-Rome_Lazio.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT
one can read mixed reviews of this place.
If you input dates and select all the booking engines you will see that almost all of them classify the hotel as 4 star property -- again, not that it is top shelf, rather that it has various amenities that classify it as such.
Interstingly, the only one that terms it a 2 star is Priceline.
Hard lesson learned -- one must investigate what actually is meant by a certain classifiaction, and perhaps if you are going to go with an opque provider, then choose Priceline or Hotwire, where one can make an educated guess of an expected hotel in a given area thru bulletin boards such as bidding for travel and better bidding.
Cheers,
NJ
WillTravel
Oct 15, 09, 2:51 am
It's quite often possible to tell what the Lastminute top secret hotels are by googling key phrases in the description, and also observing details like the number of rooms.
However, I can imagine you were quite disappointed, and that you reasonably expected a good-quality hotel. I hope it didn't spoil Rome for you.
tinkybelle
Oct 15, 09, 3:13 am
the hotel does look like a dump.
thanks for letting us know
sorry this happened to you but
all I can say is you pay for what you get.:(
halothane
Oct 15, 09, 4:11 am
Sorry this happened to you. Hope you enjoyed Rome despite a dumpy hotel. When doing an opaque hotel room, I tend to stick ONLY with Priceline and use the various resources out there that give a good idea of the properties in the area. Let us know the response from your e-mail!
Halothane
BigE
Oct 15, 09, 4:34 am
all I can say is you pay for what you get.:(
I don't think the OP got what he paid for, even for Rome.
I've used priceline and hotwire many times and have never been disappointed by the star rating. Based on what I'm reading here, I'll stick to those and avoid lastminutetravel in the future.
ajc1970
Oct 15, 09, 7:01 am
the hotel does look like a dump.
all I can say is you pay for what you get.:(
At 310 Euro/night, I'd say that he paid for far more than he got.
I've stayed at nicer hotels in Rome, in a nicer area (Piazza Novona), for 1/2 that price. I think he's got a legitimate gripe, and hope he has a way to get a partial refund.
Gnopps
Oct 15, 09, 7:43 am
Keep us updated on the reply!
I think your best bet is to concentrate on parts of the description being false and try to find some explanation either from lm.com or if there is an official star guide and compare it to what you received. As others have said, 4 star does (depending on country) not guarantee any specific quality, rather it usually guarantees specific amneties like 24h reception or a restaurant on site. In Sweden I heard for example that you can not be rated 3* unless you provide a waste bin in the bathroom and to get 5* you need to have a defillibrator available.
gemac
Oct 15, 09, 8:12 am
My rule of thumb is that for hotels in European central cities, subtract two stars from the rating and you will have a good comparison to American hotels - in other words, a 4* hotel in Rome will be about the same as a 2* hotel in America. Occasionally, I have a pleasant surprise, but often I find this pretty accurate. Room size is almost always small, heating/air conditioning are often unreliable, the tiny shower stall pictured here is common, elevators are tiny, and cleanliness and maintenance seem to be pretty hit-and-miss. It's all a part of travel, and I don't get too upset about it.
Bidding for Travel does not list this hotel as one that has been reported to them as a winning Priceline bid. I am with the others above who only use Priceline for opaque hotel bids.
zoombee
Oct 15, 09, 8:42 am
Gosh, that sounds like a raw deal. Have had very good experiences in the past with lastminute.com customer services and I hope they do something to put this right, I suspect they will.
shuttlerider
Oct 15, 09, 9:26 am
I don't think the OP got what he paid for, even for Rome.
I've used priceline and hotwire many times and have never been disappointed by the star rating. Based on what I'm reading here, I'll stick to those and avoid lastminutetravel in the future.
Based on the OP's experience with lastminute.com and your mention of lastminutetravel, the similarities are striking. I'm curious if these are different companies?
I don't get this part: You could have bought a 4* hotel through regular channels, i.e. non-opaque, at 250-350 GBP. Yet you decided to go through an opaque channel to pay 310 GBP for a 4* hotel. What was the point of that?
Other than that, it doe slook disgusting, and even considering that 4* in Italy are not the same as 4* somewhere else, is far below what you could have expected.
mattarse
Oct 15, 09, 9:51 am
I've always been too afraid of this happening to try the opaque reservations, I mean I've had this pretty much same thing happen in various places with places where I could see nice pictures etc - then show up and it's total crap.
Good luck with lastminute - would love to hear the follow up on this.
swag
Oct 15, 09, 10:29 am
Based on the OP's experience with lastminute.com and your mention of lastminutetravel, the similarities are striking. I'm curious if these are different companies?
lastminute.com is owned and operated by Travelocity.
lastminutetravel.com is owned by Travel Holdings (who also operate Tourico Holidays, One Minute Booking, Last Minute Travel, Last Minute Cruises and Easy Click Travel)
rmiller774
Oct 15, 09, 10:40 am
Would your chances of getting a refund be better if you had not informed them in the last pp of your email of the actions you have already taken? Maybe withhold the threats until later when, if a refund is refused, you need to send a follow-up email?
adamak
Oct 15, 09, 10:49 am
The hotel website's pictures look decent enough. http://champagne.hotelinroma.com Is this the same hotel you stay in?
But interestingly, none of their rooms were priced over 205Euro. Most are just 90 - 100. How can LastMinute charges you more? I'll write them and let them know.
EDIT : Never mind. Saw that you're paying 300E for 4 nights, not per night.
Tenerife
Oct 15, 09, 11:09 am
The hotel website's pictures look decent enough. http://champagne.hotelinroma.com Is this the same hotel you stay in?
But interestingly, none of their rooms were priced over 205Euro. Most are just 90 - 100. How can LastMinute charges you more? I'll write them and let them know.
EDIT : Never mind. Saw that you're paying 300E for 4 nights, not per night.
Was just about to reply that OP said approx. GBP 300 for 4 nights, not per night. At GBP 75 per night, you are not going to get a really good 4* hotel room in central Rome. (Please someone, I'd be happy to be proven wrong;)) That would be €80 per night -- we will be paying €105 per night at the Mecenate Palace in a couple of weeks, also listed as a 4*, but I don't think it is an especially luxurious 4*. I bid up to $140 (approx. €100) per night on PL for a 4* (+ taxes etc.) and didn't even get a counter-offer.
P.S. A question of OP (who is from London) -- do you consider the Copthorne Tara in Kensington a 4*? Most people don't, but all the booking agencies, including PL, do!
SgtRyan
Oct 15, 09, 12:55 pm
Was just about to reply that OP said approx. GBP 300 for 4 nights, not per night. At GBP 75 per night, you are not going to get a really good 4* hotel room in central Rome. (Please someone, I'd be happy to be proven wrong;)) That would be €80 per night -- we will be paying €105 per night at the Mecenate Palace in a couple of weeks, also listed as a 4*, but I don't think it is an especially luxurious 4*. I bid up to $140 (approx. €100) per night on PL for a 4* (+ taxes etc.) and didn't even get a counter-offer.
P.S. A question of OP (who is from London) -- do you consider the Copthorne Tara in Kensington a 4*? Most people don't, but all the booking agencies, including PL, do!
Hi guys,
Thanks for the reply. In answer to some questions;
I still did enjoy Rome, thats for sure, but not as much maybe if we stayed in a real hotel. If im honest, Ive stayed in hostels all around the world that are total sh*$holes, and when Im on my adventures on my own or with the lads it dont really matter, however, when Im with MrsSgtRyan its a different story. We do like to have somewhere decent to stay. It would have been nice, after a long day walking and exploring Rome to come back, have a decent shower, and get into a bed or walk around a room that does not feel "dirty". We stayed at a hotel in Heathrow on Saturday night, and that was such a difference as a 4* (I need to put the pics up but my computer crashed so Ill do that soon).
From looking at hotels.com and expedia.co.uk the general rule was around £250 to £300 a night for most 4 stars in Rome, and I was really expecting to pay that. However, back in July we were in New York and got a hotel on priceline which was 3 star in New York for like $110 right in the middle of Times Square- that hotel was so nice and so comfortable and modern- but small, that said we considered it a good deal. Thats why when I saw that 4 star on lastminute.com thought we also had another good deal.
Oh well. Such is life really. Ill keep you all posted on what lastminute.com come back with.
Cheers ^
P.S. One thing I forgot to write in that email to lastminute.com, the hotel in Rome did not have any room service or a concierge service!!! :confused:
WBurcham
Oct 15, 09, 4:10 pm
Please let us know how it turns out. Experiences like yours are what keeps me from booking through Opaque sources.
blondeterp
Oct 15, 09, 5:20 pm
P.S. A question of OP (who is from London) -- do you consider the Copthorne Tara in Kensington a 4*? Most people don't, but all the booking agencies, including PL, do!
I'm not the OP, but I recently stayed at the Copthorne Tara in Kensington. Compared to the other 4* hotels that PL has given me in London, I thought it was pretty decent and had all the amenities I was looking for.
harryhv
Oct 15, 09, 6:33 pm
Other opaque hotels to avoid: wotif.com and lastminute.com.au (same company in Australia).
Paid for "**This hotel is located in Perth **" but the hotel turned out to be 2 suburbs away from Perth. Eventually got a refund for all but the first (unused) night - but only because the room was so awful that I left immediately.
In previous discussions wotif was adamant there would be no refund for their lies about the location. As a result, will not use wotif or lastminute for anything (nor their other company, travel com au)*
Whereas I have had nothing but good experiences with hotwire who show you a map to indicate the limits of where the hotel may be.
* edit - for Australian bookings Needitnow com au has the same prices as wotif but they're not crooks. And Expedia com au sometimes has better prices than anyone eg on Vibe and Travelodge hotels for 3 nites+.
iahphx
Oct 15, 09, 7:21 pm
As an FYI, it is not possible to get a "real" 4-star hotel in central Rome for 75 GBP -- even with an opaque service. It would have to be a price mistake.
At an off-peak time, you could possibly get a 3-star for about 100 GBP -- particularly if you bargained hard.
gemac
Oct 15, 09, 9:19 pm
As an FYI, it is not possible to get a "real" 4-star hotel in central Rome for 75 GBP -- even with an opaque service. It would have to be a price mistake.
At an off-peak time, you could possibly get a 3-star for about 100 GBP -- particularly if you bargained hard.
4*Sofitel Roma Rome Center $111 3/30-3/31 (http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/topic/94910/t/4-Sofitel-Roma-Rome-Center-111-3-30-3-31.html)
4* Bettoja Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel Rome Central 6/27-6/28 $162 (http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/topic/89584/t/4-Bettoja-Massimo-D-Azeglio-Hotel-Rome-Central-6-27-6-28-162.html)
SgtRyan
Oct 16, 09, 2:31 am
Hi guys,
This is the general email that they have sent me so far, will keep you posted on any new ones I get;
----------------------------------
Please note this is an automated acknowledgement.
Thank you for contacting lastminute.com
.
Your enquiry has been passed to our Customer Relations Team.
The majority of enquiries can be resolved very quickly, so you should be hearing from us soon. However, in some cases, we may have to contact a third party partner/supplier to investigate the issues that you have raised. If this is necessary, we will do everything we can to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, within the next 28 days.
If you have not already done so, it would help us with our investigations if you could forward copies of any relevant paperwork, credit card statements or receipts.
If you have already raised an incident with us we will append this correspondence to your previous incident.
Should you need to contact us in the meantime please quote your booking reference/order number on all correspondence. Our contact details are:-
I would demand a refund based on what was advertised and what you were given.
If lastminute won;t co-operate, and you purchased it with a CC, go down that route.
rfrost
Oct 16, 09, 4:03 am
It's quite often possible to tell what the Lastminute top secret hotels are by googling key phrases in the description, and also observing details like the number of rooms.
I've booked "top secret hotels" in London at this site many times; many of the five stars have often been relatively easy to identify even without googling them, and though I wouldn't agree that they all deserved five stars, I've been happy with what I got for the price. My one unhappy experience was a top secret four star, which, while not nearly as bad as the one you had in Rome, left a great deal to be desired.
mitchell
Oct 16, 09, 3:07 pm
Guys,
When we arrived and entered our ‘4 star’ room, it clearly was not to a 4 star standard.
I use review websites all the time for this reason.
Location & quality are often "different" than advertised, and usually commenters complain loudly about discrepancies.
BiddingForTravel & BetterBidding are good websites. BetterBidding has some information on figuring out which Hotwire hotels are which, and may help for future bids.
In some places, 7* is the best rating, and even in the US there are some areas I will not bid Priceline 4* because one of the hotels in that class is really more like a 2*.
Sometimes there are nice surprises, such as a 2* hotel having 4.5* star rooms, but not having a restaurant in the hotel (which disqualifies from 4* in some ranking systems).
Unfortunately, homework is required when traveling to new places. It's what the good travel agents do. One of my travel agents got me a 5* in Rome for 100 Euro (somehow!), at a time when 1-2*'s were going for 120-200 Euro. Somehow she knew about an amazing internet sale. And the hotel was 1 block from St. Mark's Square. Excellent location!
Good luck with your refund/compensation request!
Tenerife
Oct 17, 09, 9:25 am
I'm not the OP, but I recently stayed at the Copthorne Tara in Kensington. Compared to the other 4* hotels that PL has given me in London, I thought it was pretty decent and had all the amenities I was looking for.
We were also happy enough at the Copthorne Tara, especially after we paid to upgrade to the Executive category (including breakfast, internet, and a larger room). Before upgrading we paid $76 per night on PL and it was a great price (2 years ago) for a decent London hotel. Just not sure that I would rate it a 4* for their standard rooms. I was pretty certain we would "win" the CT before I bid but, considering the very convenient location, that was fine with us.
iahphx
Oct 17, 09, 9:57 am
4*Sofitel Roma Rome Center $111 3/30-3/31 (http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/topic/94910/t/4-Sofitel-Roma-Rome-Center-111-3-30-3-31.html)
4* Bettoja Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel Rome Central 6/27-6/28 $162 (http://biddingfortravel.yuku.com/topic/89584/t/4-Bettoja-Massimo-D-Azeglio-Hotel-Rome-Central-6-27-6-28-162.html)
Those are some great hotel prices -- especially if they include VAT. Too bad the OP didn't find them before his/her trip!
The recession must be taking it's toll on Rome tourism. I was there a year and a half ago, and US$100 wouldn't have bought you much. I decided to use hotel points.
With the Euro again rising to the US$1.50 level, I would otherwise think US$100 would be tough.
BTW, many years ago, I stayed at the Mecenate Palace -- probably for around $100 (just adjusted for inflation, if would be more now). It's no "palace," but was a decent place to stay.
funOFflying
Oct 19, 09, 6:58 pm
I do understand your frustration, room and especially bathroom looked horrible.
It's not a 4 star for sure but it shouldn't be a 2 or even1 star either. I refuse to accept an argument that in Europe hotel star rating is different, place looked like a health hazard. I'm very sorry for your ruined vacation.
I have never used lastminute.com, but many times i used priceline and hotwire and i have never been cheated, even for international hotel stays. Obviously it does work with some travel sites and it doesn't with others. Thank you for your warning! I wish you that lastminute.com wil resolve it quickly.
docklander
Oct 26, 09, 7:44 am
Lastminute.com-often a case of Caveat Emptor i'm afraid.Maybe the 'secret' is is that it's not really a 4* hotel but the standard continental flee pit we all treasure.
SgtRyan
Oct 27, 09, 11:28 am
Hi guys,
Just an update. I spoke to lastminute.com today and the lady said that they have emailed the hotel twice and are waiting a reply. (the fact that the hotel didnt reply the first time tells you something) If the hotel does not reply after 15 days they take on the invesgation themselves. So its just a waiting game now.
Just one thing. The lady said that when she tried to look at my pics on photobucket that a password thing came up and she was not able to see them. Has anyone else had this problem?
eyeballer
Oct 27, 09, 11:37 am
Hi guys,
Just an update. I spoke to lastminute.com today and the lady said that they have emailed the hotel twice and are waiting a reply. (the fact that the hotel didnt reply the first time tells you something) If the hotel does not reply after 15 days they take on the invesgation themselves. So its just a waiting game now.
Just one thing. The lady said that when she tried to look at my pics on photobucket that a password thing came up and she was not able to see them. Has anyone else had this problem?
Pics opened just fine here. Maybe you can just email them as attachments? Or try another hosting site, the pics will definitely add weight to your case.
Regarding the 4* "rating" I would say it almost doesn't matter what star rating a hotel has, a minimal level of cleanliness and function (shower drain) should exist with ANY hotel.
harryhv
Oct 28, 09, 6:06 pm
Just an update. I spoke to lastminute.com today and the lady said that they have emailed the hotel twice and are waiting a reply.Thanks for keeping us informed. Let's hope the 15 days are for real and not just an extended brush-off.
from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lastminute.com)
Lastminute.com have attracted much criticism on consumer sites and blogs regarding their association with highstreetmax.com, a brand owned by Adaptive Affinity, owned by US corporation Vertrue. Customers who have conducted transactions with Lastminute.com are subject to negative option selling , whereby if they click or do not unclick a certain box they find later that they were subject to unauthorised credit card withdrawals for membership schemes they did not sign up for, whose details they are not advised and whose supposed benefits they do not see.
Bikeguy
Oct 29, 09, 12:31 pm
all I can say is you pay for what you get.:(
In my 4 years on these boards, I have never seen a more unFlyertalk-like statement.
The whole purpose of Flyertalk is to find the value and travel better for less.
Business class and suite mistakes ARE Flyertalk.
I've enjoyed your posts in the past.
Sarge, sorry you had a bad experience. Hopefully, it is resolved fairly.
Nestor
Oct 29, 09, 1:10 pm
In my 4 years on these boards, I have never seen a more unFlyertalk-like statement.
The whole purpose of Flyertalk is to find the value and travel better for less.
Business class and suite mistakes ARE Flyertalk.
I've enjoyed your posts in the past.
Sarge, sorry you had a bad experience. Hopefully, it is resolved fairly.
Indeed, we are all here to get what we DIDN'T pay for :)
I've only used lastminutetravel.com in this way a few times, and learned quickly to google strategic parts of the hotel descriptions there. Usually it is possible to identify the exact hotel. That way you can tell beforehand whether you are looking at a great or not so great deal. Gtahotels.com also usually allows you to cancel without penalty after seeing the name of the hotel. Haven't used them though. I try these out if I can't find obvious deals with my loyalty chains.
O Sora
Oct 29, 09, 1:17 pm
Indeed, we are all here to get what we DIDN'T pay for :)
:D
So, airlines and hotels putting ads here may be throwing their money down the drain.
spideysense
Oct 31, 09, 11:52 pm
I used Hotwire last year for a 4* hotel room during a trip to London, and although the hotel was in a really nice area, it was terrible. It reminded me of my college dorm, it was that bad. When I came back from my trip, I had an e-mail from Hotwire saying that they apologized for putting me up in that hotel and that it should not have gotten a 4* rating, and they offered me a $150 credit. I actually did not get a chance to complain to them about the hotel, but I'm sure others must have, so they likely e-mailed and credited all recent guests.
This year, I used Priceline and got a great deal at the Hilton on Park Lane, and the Hilton staff even upgraded my room for free as I was staying for a week.
In my travels, here is where I would rank hotel quality:
Asia / Middle East
North America
South America
Europe
Africa
(not sure where Australia would rank as I've never visited).
I'm typing this as I'm sitting in a 5* hotel in the Far East, which is far better (room size, amenities, quality, service) than any 5* that I've stayed at in North America. The price? US$110 per night, which includes an amazing breakfast buffet.
I don't know why many European hotels have such poor quality though. Perhaps it's because all the taxes being charged don't give the hotel operators a lot of excess capital to invest, and maybe labor and materials are too expensive.
katieq1
Nov 1, 09, 12:12 am
Thanks for the warning.
magmax
Nov 1, 09, 1:41 am
@sgtryan
did you actually complain at the hotel regarding the cleanliness of the room right when you stayed there? It not, I would recommend that you state that you did when talking to the lastminute.com guys again. European jurisdiction normally is that you have to complain straight away on the site to give them the possibility to correct the deficit.
WillTravel
Nov 1, 09, 1:59 am
I used Hotwire last year for a 4* hotel room during a trip to London, and although the hotel was in a really nice area, it was terrible. It reminded me of my college dorm, it was that bad. When I came back from my trip,
Do you mind saying what hotel this is?
holtju2
Nov 1, 09, 2:04 am
In my 4 years on these boards, I have never seen a more unFlyertalk-like statement.
The whole purpose of Flyertalk is to find the value and travel better for less.
Business class and suite mistakes ARE Flyertalk.
Actually I do agree with the tinkybelle. In life most of the time you do get what you pay for.
Air/hotel mistakes are NOT Flyertalk.
spkg
Nov 1, 09, 3:58 am
I too feel like i have been wronged by lastminute.com and my email never got a reply, it was only a one night stay, and i didn't go through the trouble, but by the sounds of it, its not an isolated case, especially when the hotel you book was clearly considered as a lower star rating amongst other companies in the industry. If the website dose not give you a full refund, perhaps a class action law suit could be considered! I am more than willing evidence and support from my experiences and help you find others like us.
spideysense
Nov 1, 09, 1:32 pm
Do you mind saying what hotel this is?
Honestly, I don't remember the name. It was just off Kensington High Street and near a casino.
SgtRyan
Nov 2, 09, 4:01 pm
@sgtryan
did you actually complain at the hotel regarding the cleanliness of the room right when you stayed there? It not, I would recommend that you state that you did when talking to the lastminute.com guys again. European jurisdiction normally is that you have to complain straight away on the site to give them the possibility to correct the deficit.
Believe me I wanted to have it out with the general manager when we got to the hotel but MrsSgtRyan was dead against that as she was worried they “might do something to our bags” while we out and I didn’t want to upset her, so I left it. What can you do? All part of the “travelling experience”
Still waiting to hear from lastminute.com – will update as soon as I have heard something.
MrsGG
Nov 4, 09, 5:08 am
We used lastminute.com and booked the secret hotel for london heathrow - it was fairly easy to tell it was the Sofitel and we paid £79 (I think) for a ncie room in a 5 star hotel which included breakfast (usually £21 pp) - having booked our parking directly with Meteor beneath the hotel we saved a packet on the published prices.
Would I use them again - yes - as long as I could tell the hotel.
It is also worth pointing out that lastminute.com's price is the price you pay, where as on other sites they add in taxes etc., to the final invoice.
Boddingtons
Nov 4, 09, 4:26 pm
25 minutes from the Colosseum could very well be described as "Minutes from the Colosseum"? Albeit 25 minutes :D
nrr
Nov 4, 09, 11:03 pm
25 minutes from the Colosseum could very well be described as "Minutes from the Colosseum"? Albeit 25 minutes :D
Yes, on a 7 hour flight from jfk to cdg, I'm only (420) minutes from my destination before I take off.:rolleyes:
SgtRyan
Nov 19, 09, 9:23 am
Hi guys,
Just an update. I had a general email from lastminute.com saying that I would get a reply within 28 days. That was on the 15th Oct. Its now Nov 19th and nothing. Not even an email to say that it might take a little longer. Speaks for its self really. :(
Goofy Foot
Nov 19, 09, 10:47 pm
OP : Thanks for the post. I will avoid.
westcoastman
Nov 19, 09, 11:35 pm
First I have stayed at far worse places in Italy for over 100 euro per night. You should see what 100 Euro gets you in the center of Venice.
But I think this is a matter of the website you are dealing with and possibly a bit of misrepresentation by the hotel.
You said you had a good experience with Priceline. What does that have to do with lastminute? LastMinute.com is a UK company using European standards for the their hotel. Priceline on the other hand is using U.S. quality based standards when ranking hotels and when they misrate a new hotel they go out of their way to make it right.
LastMinute took over U.S. operations of the formerly great website Site59 but their new system leaves a lot to be desired.
Now here is what the hotel says their rooms look like (http://champagne.hotelinroma.com/main_en.htm).
That is very different from your pictures.
bizaro86
Nov 19, 09, 11:45 pm
Hi guys,
Just an update. I had a general email from lastminute.com saying that I would get a reply within 28 days. That was on the 15th Oct. Its now Nov 19th and nothing. Not even an email to say that it might take a little longer. Speaks for its self really.
Sounds to me like they are just going to try to keep delaying you from claiming the stay with your credit card company as a chargeback. A chargeback will get harder the longer you wait, so I wouldn't wait any longer.
Michael
seattle29
Nov 20, 09, 2:17 pm
Wow, that room truly looks disgusting. Having stayed in over 20 hotels across Italy, I have to say that their standards are simply shocking. I paid 180 euros per night for a supposedly top-rated hotel in Venice, and it was a complete dump (although in a good location). The BEST hotel I've ever stayed in was in Zagreb (Croatia) - paid only 60 euros per night (3* hotel) and it was absolutely spotless and perfect - felt just like a bedroom at home!
stephen.p
Nov 21, 09, 4:28 pm
Hi guys,
Just an update. I had a general email from lastminute.com saying that I would get a reply within 28 days. That was on the 15th Oct. Its now Nov 19th and nothing. Not even an email to say that it might take a little longer. Speaks for its self really. :(
Holy $@#$! Wish I had a job where I had 28 days to reply to emails.
Mlle_Mustard
Nov 21, 09, 7:17 pm
OP, I just wanted to wish you good luck! When I opened your pictures, I kept thinking "ewwwww"! 4* or not, one at least expects the hotel to be clean and to have things in working order. I've stayed in hostels in Hungary that had better looking bathrooms.
TPA_813
Nov 21, 09, 7:39 pm
I wouldn't have even stayed in that dump. Told the taxi to take me to another place and then contest it with my credit card. Seriously, the place looked like you could have gotten a staph infection walking around in there barefoot. I really feel bad that you got jammed up like that and hope you can get some sort of refund. Your message is heard loud and clear about that website. We work to hard to get ripped off like that. Good luck
Mora
Nov 22, 09, 6:19 am
I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience with the lastminute.com secret hotel you choose. Nevertheless I don't agree that you should well clear of them. If you spend some time on the net and do a bit of research you can nearly always pin down the exact hotel and I made some good bargains on beautifull hotels. Although I have to say that I only used it for London.
But 133 Euros inkl. taxes for a double room at The Mayfair in London is what I call a good deal and that was through lastminute.com Top secret hotels.
metallim
Nov 22, 09, 11:37 am
whether or not it's possible to get a deal by them with the right research, it's very clear from their lack of any sort of quality customer service with this issue that they are not a trustworthy operation. even if you should find a good deal by them, you go in knowing that if anything should go wrong you have no one to talk to and deal with. i don't think it's worth entering into such a thing, even to save a couple bucks.
chuckd
Nov 22, 09, 8:06 pm
Actually I do agree with the tinkybelle. In life most of the time you do get what you pay for.
Air/hotel mistakes are NOT Flyertalk.
While quality usually isn't terribly cheap, "you get what you pay for" is typically what people who overpay tell themselves to feel better about wasting money. At least that has been my experience, though I could be wrong.
WillTravel
Nov 22, 09, 8:44 pm
While quality usually isn't terribly cheap, "you get what you pay for" is typically what people who overpay tell themselves to feel better about wasting money. At least that has been my experience, though I could be wrong.
Yes, I agree with that. If you read here and elsewhere, you will also find many examples of people getting poor quality despite spending a lot. So I would say there's some correlation between quality and price, and some correlation between lack of quality and cheapness, but neither is as strong a correlation as many people believe.
gfowler-ord-1k
Nov 24, 09, 12:07 am
Have you considered filling a dispute with your credit card company?
SgtRyan
Nov 24, 09, 10:09 pm
Have you considered filling a dispute with your credit card company?
I really dont know what to do. I have sent 2 emails to lastminute.com asking when can I expect a reply and they are just not responding. How can I file a dispute with the credit card company? What will that do? Not only have they not replied within the 28 days that they said they would, but to not even answer any other emails is just a joke :confused:
gfowler-ord-1k
Nov 25, 09, 1:16 am
When you file the dispute the credit card company may ask if you have attempted to contact the merchant. The fact that you have twice with no response is good evidence in your favor. They may also request that you file a written complaint and include copies of your emails. Make sure the reply has not gone to a spam/junk folder. Some card issuers (E.g. Amex) have an online dispute form.
You should ask for a partial refund as the quality of the product was not as advertised.