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AlphaRooms - Majorcan Stress out
Posted by LK01
in London
on Sunday, 03 Aug 2008.
Note that this review is more than 6 months old and the company's procedures may have changed considerably since this review was written.
Alpha-Rooms are the worst online travel booking agency I have come across for customer satisfaction, honesty and reliability.
The holiday group consisted of myself, sister and 82 year old mother, criteria being an apartment including half board, sea views (balcony/terrace), close to beach and a reasonably quiet location fairly near the main town plus parking. We carefully choose the Hotel Uyal at Puerto Pollensa in Majorca as seemingly to fit. More expensive than the rest, we were happy it filled our tick boxes. We booked on 29th June with confirmation & voucher to follow on 30th June via email. It was therefore concurrently quite shocking and fortunate that on the eve of departure my sister came across an email (sent 4 days before our departure) from Alpha Rooms who requested urgent action as the Hotel Uyal was over subscribed. Ok, there were 2 local alternatives offered but we were nonetheless devastated.
The alternatives were not what we wanted; a hotel room with 3 beds was all that was on offer. After making frantic calls on the eve of our departure, Alpha Rooms claimed rather cheekily that no extra charges would be made for the alternate location and that he couldn�t assure us of getting what we originally wanted. I was very unhappy paying the higher cost for the original booking and then being accommodated in a standard room with no reduction in price. However, they could a place a fridge in the room as a gesture for the inconvenience! The operator could not confirm or elaborate on my questions and for more details from his �suppliers� and I felt I was being palmed off at the last minute. He nonchalantly stated this is the risk one takes and the company was obliged for find alternatives only.
A desperate search began by me at 4.00 pm the day before departure. Being very upset by this shenanigan I was looking at the Alpha Rooms website and, oddly enough, I located the nearby Bellamar Apartments, which were a lot cheaper and a lot more promising than a 3 bed room hotel room. I was refusing to pay top prices for someone's mistake and choice which may or may not meet my expectations. I was very surprised the agent did not even present this as an option since I made it clear that an apartment was my requirement. I then insisted that this is what I wanted as there was availability according to the website for a lower cost, in fact �400 cheaper. As it turned out I was provided with the less modern apartments next door, Hotel Pollensa Park Apartments, despite it not having a lift for my pensioner mother and she having to struggle with making the climb to the second floor in the heat, everything else worked out well. The main Hotel facilities we had access to were excellent. I had my 2 rooms, catering facilities and wonderful sea view with balcony we all longed for. Despite this, we had to travel to Hotel Pollensa Park without an email confirmation from AlphaRooms which made for a very anxious trip out not knowing if this Hotel had been informed of our arrival.
No thanks to Alpha, what was a carefully planned adventure quickly went sour with a take it or leave it attitude. They have lost our future custom and I would certainly not recommend them or any of their services. I am surprised that a follow up call didn�t happen when no response to the email about the oversubscription wasn�t responded to. This should be part of a reputable company�s procedure. This left me an hour to turn a huge disappoint into the holiday we were could all enjoy.
Alpha-Rooms are the worst online travel booking agency I have come across for customer satisfaction, honesty and reliability.
The holiday group consisted of myself, sister and 82 year old mother, criteria being an apartment including half board, sea views (balcony/terrace), close to beach and a reasonably quiet location fairly near the main town plus parking. We carefully choose the Hotel Uyal at Puerto Pollensa in Majorca as seemingly to fit. More expensive than the rest, we were happy it filled our tick boxes. We booked on 29th June with confirmation & voucher to follow on 30th June via email. It was therefore concurrently quite shocking and fortunate that on the eve of departure my sister came across an email (sent 4 days before our departure) from Alpha Rooms who requested urgent action as the Hotel Uyal was over subscribed. Ok, there were 2 local alternatives offered but we were nonetheless devastated.
The alternatives were not what we wanted; a hotel room with 3 beds was all that was on offer. After making frantic calls on the eve of our departure, Alpha Rooms claimed rather cheekily that no extra charges would be made for the alternate location and that he couldn�t assure us of getting what we originally wanted. I was very unhappy paying the higher cost for the original booking and then being accommodated in a standard room with no reduction in price. However, they could a place a fridge in the room as a gesture for the inconvenience! The operator could not confirm or elaborate on my questions and for more details from his �suppliers� and I felt I was being palmed off at the last minute. He nonchalantly stated this is the risk one takes and the company was obliged for find alternatives only.
A desperate search began by me at 4.00 pm the day before departure. Being very upset by this shenanigan I was looking at the Alpha Rooms website and, oddly enough, I located the nearby Bellamar Apartments, which were a lot cheaper and a lot more promising than a 3 bed room hotel room. I was refusing to pay top prices for someone's mistake and choice which may or may not meet my expectations. I was very surprised the agent did not even present this as an option since I made it clear that an apartment was my requirement. I then insisted that this is what I wanted as there was availability according to the website for a lower cost, in fact �400 cheaper. As it turned out I was provided with the less modern apartments next door, Hotel Pollensa Park Apartments, despite it not having a lift for my pensioner mother and she having to struggle with making the climb to the second floor in the heat, everything else worked out well. The main Hotel facilities we had access to were excellent. I had my 2 rooms, catering facilities and wonderful sea view with balcony we all longed for. Despite this, we had to travel to Hotel Pollensa Park without an email confirmation from AlphaRooms which made for a very anxious trip out not knowing if this Hotel had been informed of our arrival.
No thanks to Alpha, what was a carefully planned adventure quickly went sour with a take it or leave it attitude. They have lost our future custom and I would certainly not recommend them or any of their services. I am surprised that a follow up call didn�t happen when no response to the email about the oversubscription wasn�t responded to. This should be part of a reputable company�s procedure. This left me an hour to turn a huge disappoint into the holiday we were could all enjoy.