MY APARTMENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
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Q We booked an apartment through Holiday Lettings in March for a holiday in Lisbon in August. We received an email from them last night to say our booking has been cancelled because the owner has double booked it. We have spent several hours speaking to many different operatives but to no avail. They cannot find us alternative accommodation that matches our original booking, and have several times hung up the phone on my husband (who was always calm when speaking to them). They don't seem to understand our predicament and have told us it is not their responsibility. We have flights and airport parking booked for a non-existent holiday. We need your help.
Sarah B A When you chose to book through Holiday Lettings, you will have been informed: “We are not a travel
agency and we do not provide or own travel services or accommodations ourselves. When you inquire or book a vacation rental you will be dealing directly with owners/managers, including the rental, refund and cancellation policies of each owner/manager.”
So the harsh truth is: if an accommodation owner lets you down, it’s your problem. This is a very different situation to people who book flights and accommodation at the same time through a UK company. Fortunately there is unlikely to be any shortage of accommodation in Lisbon. As a business city, it has plenty of hotels that will be under occupied in August. While the price may be higher than you were hoping to pay, I hope you will enjoy the capital.
You could even take advantage of your new found, if unwanted, flexibility, and build in an extra treat, such as a couple of nights on the coast in Cascais (only 30 minutes away) or even Porto, the glorious second city – connected by high-speed train.
Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder