Luxury Hotels - Overbooked for Honeymoon: Recourse?

Hi all, not sure who I should turn to so I figure this would be a good place to see if there is any recourse for me.

Here's the situation.
My honeymoon is rapidly approaching in 4 weeks and I am busy finalizing our itinerary to Phuket and Chaing Mai. While I wasn't sure where I wanted to stay in CM, I knew where I wanted to stay in Phuket, a place that is regularly #1 on Tripadvisor called the Shore at Katathani.

I booked and paid the hotel in December through Expedia - ecstatic because they were running a buy 3 get one free promotion which made the hotel seem a bit more affordable (it typically goes for about $500 a nite) especially given that this is the busy season for Thailand as its around Thai new year, a big travel period for Thais.
Since the main part was booked, I planned the flight and activities in Phuket around the hotel and its southern location.

Fast forward to today.
I receive a call from Expedia explaining to me that the hotel has called and said that they were overbooked and had already found a replacement hotel for me, the Banyan Tree in Phuket. While this is a nice hotel, it does not have nearly the same ratings as our original hotel (the Shore), is being discounted (so as to be the approximate same cost as my original booking), would be a basic room vs. a pool villa room and worst of all, it is an hour away (based on Google maps) from the site of the original hotel.

I am awaiting a call back from Expedia but was told not to expect anything. I understand that issues come up, but I don't think its right to tell me this late when I had booked several months in advance. Additionally, I know there were rooms available after I booked so there are definitely people there who booked after I did.

Does anyone know: Do I have any recourse or course of action or am I screwed to accept a demoted hotel?

I am literally at the pont of considering changing destinations altogether as most of the alternative hotels ib the area are not available.

Any help is appreciated.

As you prepaid in December- I would request that your original reservation be honored.

If Expedia is unable to accomplish this, contact directly the General Manager of the property and explain:
a) You prepaid in December
b) It is your honeymoon
c) You do not wish to be relocated anywhere else

Don't write a long email/letter- just a brief and succint message asking for the accomodation you have booked and paid for in advance.

I can't imagine what is going on in Phuket that it is so busy in April- normally there is space everywhere with the exception of February and Christmas/New Years- but if worst comes to worst and you really do decide to relocate- you can find many places in Koh Samui that will treat you very well for $500 a night (starting with the Four Seasons). Edit: Trisara has availability for every single day in April- if you decide you want to stay in Phuket Trisara is as good as it gets there.

I would email the GM at Trisara (I am sure someone on here has the email), tell him the story, tell him what you were paying before and asking if there is anything he could do with his rates to help. You might get lucky as it is your honeymoon, and you will end up in what is probably the best resort of its kind in the world.

Edit: Trisara has availability for every single day in April- if you decide you want to stay in Phuket Trisara is as good as it gets there.

i stayed at Trisara for my honeymoon and cannot recommend it more. one of the nicest places i've ever stayed. If the Shore doesn't honor your reservation, i would request they put you up there.

I would not send emails, but would call the GM directly and briefly explain the issue: 1) You have heard of the hotel's outstanding reputation; 2) it's your honeymoon; 3) you really want to stay there and your fiance is desolate. Even though it's just as easy to direct dial Thailand as Texas, it sends a message when you bother to pickup the phone. Make sure you call daytime in Thailand so that you get a senior person.

I will bet dollars to donuts that the property is bumping people on cheap deals first because it is finding demand for people paying the full freight. Only you can determine this, but, if the answer is that the GM can't help, offer to pay the full freight if you really want the property.

Whatever you do, be unfailingly polite and do not lay blame. That will get you nowhere.

As to Expedia, when things go right, you get great deals, but when they go wrong, you are on your own.

Important to know why you're being bumped - do you want insist on retaining teh booking to find you're the only couple there in the middle of a sales conference with a 1000 people from XYZ.

Banyan Tree is not a bad hotel, and for my money a nicer spot than Kata.