funOFflying

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

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.

FlyerTalker7654

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

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

Thanks for keeping us informed. Let's hope the 15 days are for real and not just an extended brush-off.

from wikipedia
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

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

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

So, airlines and hotels putting ads here may be throwing their money down the drain.

spideysense

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

Thanks for the warning.

magmax

@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

Do you mind saying what hotel this is?

holtju2

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

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

Honestly, I don't remember the name. It was just off Kensington High Street and near a casino.