The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Young couples left counting the cost of Lovat Hotel closure
COMPENSATION: Hotel sector should follow example of holiday industry
In the cruellest of fashions the hopes and dreams of a number of young couples have been dashed in the last few days.
Looking forward to a memorable wedding surrounded by family and friends, the shock closure of the Lovat Hotel in Perth has left them angry, confused and considerably out of pocket.
Mystery still surrounds the exact circumstances which led the owner to suddenly close the doors of the popular venue with the loss of 20 jobs but it has left the wedding planners in the lurch and wondering if there is any prospect of getting their money back.
Best Western, who simply market independently-owned hotels, are, perhaps understandably, unwilling to commit to helping anyone beyond their own customers – those who booked rooms at the Lovat through them.
The responsibility for compensation for the unlucky couples must surely rest with the owner, they maintain.
Whether he will be in a position to return deposits and allow the couples to reorganise their weddings remains to be seen. He has so far refused to break cover and speak to The Courier, his staff or his customers.
As the realisation that their money may have been swallowed up by whatever financial problems the hotel faced, they are now trying to salvage what they can of their plans.
One enterprising couple has launched a crowdfunding page – with some success as friends and family rally round – while others are left with their dreams tarnished and a major financial headache.
The whole debacle prompts the question of what could be done to avoid similar heartache in the future.
Could the hotel industry follow the example of holiday firms and put something in place like the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) bond which means that if holiday firms fail, customers are compensated?
Wouldn’t a similar scheme be a welcome safety net which could ensure that hotel customers who have paid out considerable sums could have some peace of mind?