EasyJet Holidays’ ‘spa’ resort was lacking an on-site spa or gym | Money
Last month’s tale of a winter break spoiled because easyJet Holidays had neglected to state that the hotel’s heated pool and spa incurred hefty charges was discordant music to another reader’s ears. He writes:
We returned last month from an easyJet Holidays break at a “wellness retreat” with prominently advertised spa facilities, which turned out not to have any spa facilities whatsoever. We had booked a £1,070 week at the Vasia Sea Retreat in Sissi, Crete, because I wanted access to a gym at least twice a day as rehabilitation from a serious knee injury, and my wife was keen for pool and pilates classes.
When we got there we found the spa, gym and fitness classes were based at a sister hotel, which was closed for refurbishment.
We were told we could use the facilities at two other hotels an hour’s round trip away, but would need to access the gym at one and spa at the other. This would have entailed separate trips for each of us. Limited spa treatments were available in our room, which is an entirely different experience.
These alternatives were not equivalent value and were not realistically usable during a holiday meant to be relaxing.
EasyJet continued to advertise the non-existent facilities at the hotel for two weeks after we complained, and all it has offered us is £160 in compensation.
RC, Staffordshire
“A trip to the spa is a must,” read the easyJet website when you booked the trip. EasyJet’s response to your complaint was cavalier. It initially offered you a 10% refund of £107 for the “frustration”, arguing it had offered you those unsuitable alternatives, then upped it to £160 as “a full and final offer”.
It scraped together half the cost – £500 – after I pointed out its obligations under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. These deem a holiday that is materially different from the one advertised as a breach of contract, and travellers are entitled to compensation for the difference between the holiday they paid for, and the one they experienced. The holidaymakers can also claim for “loss of enjoyment” if promised attractions failed to materialise.
EasyJet Holidays says: “We are committed to working closely with our hotel partners to ensure facility information is clear and accurate. We have since updated our website to make it explicit that the spa and fitness facilities are located at Vasia Resort and Spa, which is open.”
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