Οι ονειρεμένες διακοπές μίας οικογένειας από την Αγγλία μετατράπηκαν σε εφιάλτη όταν φτάνοντας στην Ελλάδα, αντί για το πολυτελές ξενοδοχείο 5* που έκλεισαν, αντίκρισαν ένα γιαπί.Ο Rob Orr, 27 ετών, και η σύζυγός του Jodie Bush, 25 ετών, πλήρωσαν 900 λίρες για ένα εβδομαδίαιο all-inclusive πακέτο διακοπών μαζί με το μωρό τους, Meadow, στο ξενοδοχείο Blue Lagoon Princess στην Χαλκιδική. Φτάνοντας όμως τη Δευτέρα –την υποτιθέμενη ημέρα των εγκαινίων του ξενοδοχείου– το θέαμα που αντιμετώπισαν δεν είχε καμία σχέση με τις εικόνες του πρακτορείου Thomson εδώ.
Ο Rob δήλωσε: «Είδαμε ότι το μέρος έμοιαζε με εργοτάξιο αλλά ο ταξιδιωτικός υπάλληλος μας είπε "Μην ανησυχείτε, μέσα είναι υπέροχο"».Ο ίδιος προσθέτει: «Μας είπαν ότι τα δωμάτιά μας διακοσμούνταν ακόμα. Μετά από 2 ώρες αναμονής, κάναμε μία βόλτα στο χώρο. Μπάζα και μηχανήματα ήταν παντού. Τα δωμάτια δεν είχαν πόρτες και βρισκόντουσαν παντού τζάμια για να μπουν στα παράθυρα. Στα δωμάτια τοποθετούσαν ακόμα πλακάκια, τα διακοσμούσαν και οι εργάτες τοποθετούσαν τη σκεπή στο εστιατόριο».
Η βρετανική εφημερίδα Mirror, η οποία έφερε το θέμα στο φως της δημοσιότητας, αναφέρει ότι εκατοντάδες οικογένειες παραπονέθηκαν και ζήτησαν από τους ταξιδιωτικούς τους πράκτορες να μεταφερθούν σε άλλα ξενοδοχεία. Ωστόσο, η μεταφορά τους σε άλλα καταλύματα κανονίστηκε από τον υπεύθυνο του ξενοδοχείου και όχι από τον εκπρόσωπο του ταξιωτικού γραφείου Thomson που τους είχε κάνει την κράτηση.
Ο Rob έλαβε 148 λίρες από το πρακτορείο ως αποζημίωση για την ταλαιπωρία αλλά ο ίδιος δηλώνει εξοργισμένος ζητώντας πλήρη αποζημίωση.
Το πρακτορείο Thomson έβγαλε την εξής ανακοίνωση:
«Θα θέλαμε να απολογηθούμε στο μικρό αριθμό πελατών μας που επηρρεάστηκαν από το μπέρδεμα. Αμέσως μόλις πληροφορηθήκαμε για την κατάσταση, η ομάδα μας συνεργάτηκε με το ξενοδοχείο για να κανονίσει εναλλακτικό κατάλυμα. Η Thomson θα ήθελε να απολογηθεί στο μικρό αριθμό πελατών της που έφτασαν πρώτοι στο ξενοδοχείο Blue Lagoon Princess στη Χαλκιδική στις 4 Μαΐου και επηρρεάστηκαν από την ολοκλήρωση των εργασιών του ξενοδοχείου. Αμέσως μόλις πληροφορηθήκαμε την κατάσταση, η ομάδα μας συνεργάστηκε με το ξενοδοχείο για να κανονίσει κατάλληλα εναλλακτικά καταλύματα για τους πελάτες που επηρρεάστηκαν. Προσφέραμε, επίσης, μία χειρονομία καλής θέλησης για την ταλαιπωρία, σύμφωνα με τους όρους και τις προϋποθέσεις μας, οι οποίες έγιναν αποδεκτές από τους πελάτες κατά τη στιγμή της κράτησης.
Θα θέλαμε να διαβεβαιώσουμε τους πελάτες ότι, ενώ είναι σπάνιο να καθυστερήσει το άνοιγμα ενός ξενοδοχείου, παρακολουθούμε διαρκώς όλα τα ξενοδοχεία που υπάρχουν στο πρόγραμμά μας για να διασφαλίσουμε ότι πληρούν τις υψηλές προδιαγραφές μας και οι επισκέπτες του Blue Lagoon Princess που βρίσκονται τώρα εκεί απολαμβάνουν τις διακοπές τους».
Οι εξοργισμένοι τουρίστες έσπευσαν να ανεβάσουν στο twitter σχόλια και φωτογραφίες από το υποτιθέμενο πεντάστερο ξενοδοχειακό συγκρότημα που στην πραγματικότητα βρισκόταν ακόμα υπό κατασκευή.
Θα θέλαμε να διαβεβαιώσουμε τους πελάτες ότι, ενώ είναι σπάνιο να καθυστερήσει το άνοιγμα ενός ξενοδοχείου, παρακολουθούμε διαρκώς όλα τα ξενοδοχεία που υπάρχουν στο πρόγραμμά μας για να διασφαλίσουμε ότι πληρούν τις υψηλές προδιαγραφές μας και οι επισκέπτες του Blue Lagoon Princess που βρίσκονται τώρα εκεί απολαμβάνουν τις διακοπές τους».
www.dailymail.co.uk/
Wish you were here? Furious British holidaymakers arrive at new 5-star Greek hotel to find it STILL being built
- British families booked places in new luxury hotel in Halkidiki, Greece
- But they arrived to find workmen still constructing some buildings
- Piles of earth were scattered around the site and furniture was wrapped
- Company has moved tourists to other hotels and offered compensation
Holidaymakers were left furious when they arrived at their hotel in Greece to find it was still being built.
British tourists flew out to Halkidiki looking forward to relaxing at the supposedly five star Blue Lagoon Princess hotel.
But they were shocked to discover unfinished buildings, diggers and piles of earth scattered around the site upon arrival.
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Room with a view: This was the sight that confronted one holidaymaker after she arrived at the Blue Lagoon Princess hotel in Halkidiki, Greece
Building site: This picture was posted online by a man who said he had to wait six hours before he and his family were eventually moved to another hotel
Jess Woodhouse, 19, of Derbyshire, spent £1,600 on a trip for her and her mother Julie, who was celebrating her 50th birthday.
She told MailOnline: 'We were told the hotel was ready on May 1, it was advertised as a "platinum lifestyle" five-star hotel.
'But when we arrived we could see it was a building site. There was a kind of swamp in front of the hotel. There were JCBs everywhere. It was death trap.
'We were told the room we were booked into wasn't ready and as everyone waited, we started walking around and saw just how bad it was.
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'Other people who had come from the airport had children and one little boy found lots of screws on the floor. In another place there was what looked like live wires hanging down.
'The rep said it was the first time he had been there and he didn't know what to do. We waited about six hours before we were taken to another hotel. Some people ended up in two-star hotels.
'For the rest of the holiday we weren't sure if we were going to get moved back there and it overshadowed a holiday that was supposed to be a celebration.'
Holiday snaps: Photos taken by hotel guests shows turf remained un-laid and working fixing a roof
Uninviting: Photos posted on Twitter show unfinished patches of mud and windbreaks lying on the ground
Backlash: Many holidaymakers took to Twitter and sent pictures of the scenes at the hotel to Thomson
Other holidaymakers took to Twitter to complain to holiday firm Thomson after some paid around £1,000-a-week for a family holiday at the resort.
When we arrived we could see it was a building site. There was a kind of swamp in front of the hotel. There were JCBs everywhere. It was death trap.
Holidaymaker Jess Woodhouse
Sam Pascoe wrote: 'Arrived at Blue Lagoon Princess Hotel, Halkidiki for honeymoon today and hotel is a building site & not completed.'
He added: 'Booked sea view room with jacuzzi and after 6 hours waiting for key was told it won't be finished for another week.
'In the end (after whole day travelling and waiting with our 9 month old baby) they moved us to a different hotel.'
A website user called Jo, went online to ask Thomson: 'Why are you sending people to Blue Lagoon Princess in Greece when it's not finished... it's a disgrace!'
Others went on Trip Advisor to warn others.
One reviewer, Paul from Lincolnshire, wrote: 'As far as the facilities are concerned, more are being added each day but the place is dusty and dirty, you are mixing with people wearing hard hats all the time, wires are sticking up all over the place.'
'Our room had a broken toilet flush that either didn't work or overflowed continually even though a plumber visited 3 times.'
Holidaymaker Jess Woodhouse (pictured with her mother, Julie) said children found screws on the floor
Guests arriving at the resort were confronted by a workmen still installing air conditioning units
The hotel's 'mini market' had yet to be stocked with any goods and shelves stood empty
Another guest who arrived on the first day wrote: 'There was heated scenes as everyone was hanging around it the reception area waiting for builders and cleaners to finish for hours, some chose to leave and move to other hotels.
'Formal complaints have been lodged with the reps regarding the state of the hotel and, more importantly, why Thomsons allowed guests here.'
You can expect luxury at every turn. Think design-led interiors that wouldn't look out of place on the pages of Elle Decoration.
What Thomson's website says about the hotel
Rob Orr, 27, and partner Jodie Bush, 25, travelled to the Greek resort with their daughter Meadow last Monday.
The couple told the Daily Mirror: 'Rubble and heavy machinery was everywhere. Rooms had no doors and glass... workmen were putting a roof on the restaurant.'
They were eventually moved to another hotel, but claim the change was arranged by the hotel manager, rather than Thomson.
They spent £900 on the all-inclusive break and are angry that the travel agent has only offered £148 in compensation.
Despite the half-built hotel, the firm's website still gives 'a list as long as our arm of reasons' to stay there.
The website states: 'You can expect luxury at every turn. Think design-led interiors that wouldn't look out of place on the pages of Elle Decoration.
'The bedrooms are über-modern, fitted with contemporary furnishings and light in colour. Put simply, the kind of swoon-worthy interiors that make it hard to shake a leg and step foot outside.'
Open for business? Workmen in high-viz vests were still scattered around the site constructing buildings
Despite being told the hotel was 'lovely inside' by reps, furniture in rooms were still wrapped
A number of tourists took to Twitter to post pictures of the half-finished hotel they found upon arrival
After delays, guests were moved on to other hotels in the area and some have been offered compensation.
A company statement said: 'Thomson would like to apologise to the small number of our customers who were the first to arrive at the Blue Lagoon Princess in Halkidiki on 4th May and were impacted by the completion of final work on the hotel.
'As soon as we were made aware of the situation, our resort team worked closely with the hotel to arrange suitable alternative accommodation for affected customers.
'We also offered a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience in line with our terms and conditions, which were accepted by customers at the time of booking.
'We would like to reassure customers that whilst it is rare to delay the opening of a hotel, we continually monitor all the hotels in our programme to ensure they meet our high standards and guests currently on holiday at the Blue Lagoon Princess are enjoying their stay.'
It came months after Thomson tweeted this photo with 'reasons we want you to visit the Blue Lagoon'
The pictures tweeted by holidaymakers stand in stark contrast to the photo of the hotel on the firm's website
END OF THOMSON: NAME OF UK TRAVEL AGENT SET TO BE PHASED OUT
Thomson Holidays will soon disappear as part of a radical rebrand by its German-based parent company.
The British travel agent, famous for its package holidays, will go on a permanent vacation after the TUI Group announced its name will be phased out.
TUI Group, the world’s biggest travel firm, said the brand name will disappear from the high street over the next two years.
It will be replaced by the TUI name across travel agents, planes and websites after its owners said a single, recognisable global brand would help it compete with online rivals.
The rebranding will also include the disappearance of fellow British tour operator First Choice – marking the eradication of two of the nation’s best-known holiday brands.
Thomson and First Choice catered for 5.2million holidaymakers last year, with the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and Greece among the most popular destinations.
End of an era: Thomson, famous for its package holidays, will have its name phased out over two years
