British tourists ‘are left sleeping on beaches’ in Europe after paying for locked down hotel rooms

British tourists ‘are left sleeping on beaches’ in Europe after paying for rooms in hotels that are still CLOSED in coronavirus holiday shambles

  • Watchdog Which? has received reports of tourists arriving to closed hotels 
  • Which? said the majority of the problems have been with Loveholidays 
  • Paul Davis, 48, from Lincolnshire, arrived in Spain to find his hotel closed down 
  • He had to seek out new accommodation but lost his deposit when the original travel provider found him a new place 
  • Have you been turned away from a hotel locked down to Covid-19 restrictions? Please get in touch: ryan.fahey@mailonline.co.uk

By Ryan Fahey For Mailonline

Published: 02:54 EDT, 11 July 2020 | Updated: 15:51 EDT, 11 July 2020

British tourists are having to resort to sleeping on beaches and booking new rooms in Europe after paying for hotels that are still closed due to coronavirus lockdown. 

Craig Fletcher, 38, booked his trip to the Canary Island of Tenerife through Loveholidays, who have already been criticised for failing to tell customers that their bookings are no longer available due to lockdown.  

The 38-year-old arrived at the Hotel Blue Sea in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife where a lady was, ‘freaking out saying “you can’t come in, we’re closed”.’ 

She told Mr Fletcher, who works as a product manager, that he was not allowed to enter because of coronavirus restrictions.  

The woman advised him to take a taxi to the Blue Sea’s sister hotel, the Costa Jardin, which is roughly a mile away.  

On arrival, Mr Fletcher was disappointed at the vast difference in accommodation. 

‘I booked a hotel with a huge pool, but (the Costa Jardin) had a pool maybe the length of an average backyard,’ he told the Mirror. 

Pictured: Product Manager Craig Fletcher, 38, who turned up to his Loveholidays pre-booked hotel in Tenerife, only to find that it had been closed due to coronavirus lockdown

Pictured: Product Manager Craig Fletcher, 38, who turned up to his Loveholidays pre-booked hotel in Tenerife, only to find that it had been closed due to coronavirus lockdown

Pictured: Product Manager Craig Fletcher, 38, who turned up to his Loveholidays pre-booked hotel in Tenerife, only to find that it had been closed due to coronavirus lockdown 

He added that the room’s furniture was not up to a suitable standard and that it looked like they ‘got it on the cheap’. 

‘The restaurant is nice but there is a single bar. There are also 48 sun loungers for 300 guests,’ he said. 

‘I’m basically in lockdown on holiday.’.

Mr Fletcher, who believes the taxis and price difference between hotels have cost him £286 in total, said he tried to contact Loveholidays but  was unable to get through.   

A loveholidays spokesperson told the Mirror: ‘We wholeheartedly apologise to Mr Fletcher for the inconvenience and distress this has caused.

‘Our customer services ‘in-resort’ team is urgently contacting Mr Fletcher to try to resolve this to his satisfaction and ensure that he can enjoy the rest of his holiday.

‘We can confirm that Mr Fletcher will be compensated for the inconvenience.’     

British tourists are having to sleep on beaches in Europe after paying for rooms in hotels abroad that are still closed due to coronavirus lockdown

British tourists are having to sleep on beaches in Europe after paying for rooms in hotels abroad that are still closed due to coronavirus lockdown

British tourists are having to sleep on beaches in Europe after paying for rooms in hotels abroad that are still closed due to coronavirus lockdown

Scenes outside the Regina Hotel in Spain, where customers arrived to find the resort had been locked down

Scenes outside the Regina Hotel in Spain, where customers arrived to find the resort had been locked down

Scenes outside the Regina Hotel in Spain, where customers arrived to find the resort had been locked down 

Pictured: A sign tells customers that the door to the hotel is closed

Pictured: A sign tells customers that the door to the hotel is closed

Pictured: A sign tells customers that the door to the hotel is closed 

Other British tourists have reported having to sleep on beaches in Europe after paying for rooms in hotels abroad that are still closed due to the lockdown. 

Consumer watchdog Which? reported the findings and said that the travel agency Loveholidays has been the main offender, according to the Times newspaper.   

One tourist resorted to paying £600 for an apartment for her son because she was scared he would have to ‘sleep on the beach’. The man had already paid £1,500 for a hotel that was locked down when he arrived. 

Another, who set off for a break in the Spanish sun, arrived with his partner and 10-year-old son, only to find that the hotel was closed. The family were forced to seek out and pay for new accommodation.  

Paul Davis, 48, from Lincolnshire, booked a holiday in Salou on the Costa Daurada in Spain on the 1 July to arrive just three days later on 4 July. 

The trip, which cost over £1,500, was booked the day the Foreign Office relaxed its international travel advice, allowing Britons to take a hard-earned break in the sun.   

British tourists are find that they have to sleep on beaches or even returning home after they paid for rooms in hotels that are still closed

British tourists are find that they have to sleep on beaches or even returning home after they paid for rooms in hotels that are still closed

British tourists are find that they have to sleep on beaches or even returning home after they paid for rooms in hotels that are still closed

On arrival, the 4R Regina Gran hotel was shuttered and Mr Davis was left with no other option than to book a new room. Eventually, he was able to transfer to a hotel run by Loveholidays, but he lost his £250 deposit for cancelling the second resort.    

‘When we pulled up I thought we must have the wrong hotel: it was all shut and hadn’t been opened for a good while,’ he told the Times. ‘It’s disgusting. We were fortunate enough to have the money to stay somewhere else but lots of other people probably aren’t in that position.’

The original hotel was still available to book yesterday through Loveholidays.

A queue of guests stand waiting to check in at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm

A queue of guests stand waiting to check in at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm

A queue of guests stand waiting to check in at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm

British tourists seen walking along the beach in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased

British tourists seen walking along the beach in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased

British tourists seen walking along the beach in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased

British tourists seen relaxing at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased

British tourists seen relaxing at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased

British tourists seen relaxing at the Hotel Cimbel in Benidorm today as lockdown is eased 

One social media user tweeted at Loveholidays: ‘My family is leaving for Gran Canaria shortly and i called hotel and they are closed and so i need new hotel booked and any other changes done asap’.

Another ranted to On The Beach: ‘You lot are p*** takers. My son has been trying to get in touch with you for 16 days but you leave it to the day before he is due to fly knowing his hotel is closed, then say his hotel has been changed’. 

According to Which?, the majority of complaints of rooms being sold at locked down hotels involve Loveholidays, but that there were some others.  

Pictured: The Hotel Pantheon in Rome closed due to the coronavirus pandemic on 24 June. Tourists have been arriving to their holiday destinations only to find that hotels are still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Pictured: The Hotel Pantheon in Rome closed due to the coronavirus pandemic on 24 June. Tourists have been arriving to their holiday destinations only to find that hotels are still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Pictured: The Hotel Pantheon in Rome closed due to the coronavirus pandemic on 24 June. Tourists have been arriving to their holiday destinations only to find that hotels are still closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Some Britons are resorting to sleeping on the beach, while others have returned home (pictured, tourists arrive at the Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca on July 8, 2020)

Some Britons are resorting to sleeping on the beach, while others have returned home (pictured, tourists arrive at the Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca on July 8, 2020)

Some Britons are resorting to sleeping on the beach, while others have returned home (pictured, tourists arrive at the Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca on July 8, 2020)

A passenger wearing a protective face mask, carries her luggage as she gets off an Eurostar train at Amsterdam Central Station, on July 9, 2020

A passenger wearing a protective face mask, carries her luggage as she gets off an Eurostar train at Amsterdam Central Station, on July 9, 2020

A passenger wearing a protective face mask, carries her luggage as she gets off an Eurostar train at Amsterdam Central Station, on July 9, 2020

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine, told The Times: ‘It is beyond belief that holidaymakers have been left in a position where they have either had to fork out hundreds of pounds for alternative accommodation or risk being left with nowhere to sleep.’

A Loveholidays spokeswoman said: ‘We are aware of a few instances where customers have arrived at hotels that are closed and our in-resort emergency assistance team are working with those customers to find them suitable alternative accommodation.’ 

She insisted that in some cases the hotel had not informed the agent of its closure, adding: ‘We apologise for any inconvenience or distress this may have caused our customers. We will of course refund the cost of his hotel booking.’ 

Britons land in Ibiza as ‘air bridges’ come into force – but will have to wear masks or face fines as Costa del Sol joins growing list of Spanish destinations where face coverings are mandatory 

By Sam Blitz and Rita Sobot for Mailonline 

Around 500 British tourists arrived in Ibiza via air bridges on Saturday as the first holidaymakers to travel to the Balearic Islands since quarantine restrictions were lifted.

On the first weekend since the air bridges were announced by the UK Government, sun-seekers from London and Manchester airports took flights via travel agency company TUI.  

However, British tourists travelling to Spain‘s most popular destinations, including the Costa del Sol, Mallorca as well as Ibiza, will have to wear masks in most public areas – or face fines of up to €100 (£90). 

Around 500 British tourists travelled to Ibiza on Saturday as the UK's first travellers to the Balearic Islands, including Katy De Freitas (pictured left) and boyfriend Bart Dwurczeuk (right)

Around 500 British tourists travelled to Ibiza on Saturday as the UK's first travellers to the Balearic Islands, including Katy De Freitas (pictured left) and boyfriend Bart Dwurczeuk (right)

Around 500 British tourists travelled to Ibiza on Saturday as the UK’s first travellers to the Balearic Islands, including Katy De Freitas (pictured left) and boyfriend Bart Dwurczeuk (right)

Quarantine rules were lifted by the UK Government earlier this month and Brits do not have to self-isolate upon their arrival in Ibiza nor when they return to Britain

Quarantine rules were lifted by the UK Government earlier this month and Brits do not have to self-isolate upon their arrival in Ibiza nor when they return to Britain

Quarantine rules were lifted by the UK Government earlier this month and Brits do not have to self-isolate upon their arrival in Ibiza nor when they return to Britain

Travel agency company TUI arranged the flights from London and Manchester airports over the weekend

Travel agency company TUI arranged the flights from London and Manchester airports over the weekend

Travel agency company TUI arranged the flights from London and Manchester airports over the weekend

The Balearic Government ruled on Monday that face masks must be worn by everyone in shops and other public places, but not on beaches and by swimming pools. 

A similar rule has been adopted by the Andalusian Government which will see the Costa del Sol conform to these regulations, while city of Barcelona will also follow this policy following an announcement by the Catalonia government. 

Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalusian Government, revealed that the Costa del Sol is not in a critical health state, saying: ‘All cases are being controlled and isolated, but this can change at any time. 

‘Therefore, the best we can do is prevent and adopt with all rigor all the measures within our reach. We all have to work together until there is no effective treatment or a vaccine.’ 

Some Britons were initially fearful of travelling to places on holiday due to fears of contracting the virus.

Katy De Freitas, who travelled to Ibiza with her boyfriend over the weekend, said: ‘We were quite worried because a lot of our close friends or colleagues at work, they thought it was too risky to travel abroad and they didn’t think it was a good idea to make a rash decision and go away any time soon.

‘We did have initial worries and we wanted to make sure we read the Government rules correctly and that we didn’t do anything wrong.’ 

In Ibiza, the need to wear masks is being followed by British tourists, even though some do not agree with the decision. 

Britons travelling Ibiza will have to wear to wear face masks in public areas but not on beaches and next to swimming pools

Britons travelling Ibiza will have to wear to wear face masks in public areas but not on beaches and next to swimming pools

Britons travelling Ibiza will have to wear to wear face masks in public areas but not on beaches and next to swimming pools

Similar rules have been adopted in the Costa del Sol in Andalusia (pictured), as well as in Barcelona and Mallorca

Similar rules have been adopted in the Costa del Sol in Andalusia (pictured), as well as in Barcelona and Mallorca

Similar rules have been adopted in the Costa del Sol in Andalusia (pictured), as well as in Barcelona and Mallorca

Some Ibiza holiday resorts have been taking extra precautions to make sure visitors are safe during what is likely to be the first weekend abroad for tourists

Some Ibiza holiday resorts have been taking extra precautions to make sure visitors are safe during what is likely to be the first weekend abroad for tourists

Some Ibiza holiday resorts have been taking extra precautions to make sure visitors are safe during what is likely to be the first weekend abroad for tourists

Some Brits believe that this way of holidaying is the 'new normal' and that wearing face masks on holiday could stay over the next year

Some Brits believe that this way of holidaying is the 'new normal' and that wearing face masks on holiday could stay over the next year

Some Brits believe that this way of holidaying is the ‘new normal’ and that wearing face masks on holiday could stay over the next year

Lee Peacock, a 41-year-old gas engineer who travelled to Ibiza from Manchester, told PA: ‘I don’t agree with the masks. I don’t think they do anything but I’ll wear them to help get the economy going again.’ 

Other Britons have found social distancing to be difficult while travelling to and spending time in Ibiza.

Graham Milne, 55, from Newcastle said: ‘You’ve just got to have your wits about you and be as careful as you can. As for social distancing, I think sort of, on the plane, that goes out the window to be honest. 

‘You wear a mask when you are on the plane but you’ve just got to be careful and wash your hands as much as possible.’

Despite gaining a reputation amongst Brits for being a party island, Ibiza’s main nightclubs are still shut in order to maintain social distancing rules.

In Ibiza and Mallorca, tourists do not have to wear masks on beaches (pictured) and next to swimming pools

In Ibiza and Mallorca, tourists do not have to wear masks on beaches (pictured) and next to swimming pools

In Ibiza and Mallorca, tourists do not have to wear masks on beaches (pictured) and next to swimming pools

Party islands crackdown on PARTIES: Politicians on Ibiza and Majorca vow £500,000 fines to organisers of illegal events in bid to snub out Covid 

By Natalia Penza for MailOnline 

Politicians in the Balearic Islands have gone to war against the promoters of unlicensed parties by announcing fines of nearly £500,000 for wrongdoers.

The fines are part of a new decree designed to combat the spread of Covid-19 following a string of underground events in Majorca and Ibiza.

The commercialisation of parties and party boats where there is an ‘agglomeration’ of people will be considered a ‘very serious’ infraction under the new rules and be punished with a fine of between £53,650 and £536,000.

Promoters of parties in public spaces as well as private villas can be hit with the fines.

Venues where the worst type of infractions have taken place face long forced closures under the decree, including holiday villas used for unlicenced mass parties which could be prevented from receiving tourists for up to three years.

The new rules were approved yesterday/on Friday by the Balearic Islands regional government.

Regional government spokesman Pilar Costa said they would be enforced from ‘minute one.’

The new rules were announced less than a week after an unauthorised pool party for British seasonal workers in Magaluf.

Officers stopped the bash from continuing at a villa in Costa de la Calma near Santa Ponsa in Majorca after discovering entry tickets were being sold at £90 over Facebook.

They seized drugs including laughing gas after entering the property, but were unable to confirm who they belonged to.

A spokesman for Calvia Town Hall, which covers the area where the party was due to take place last Saturday, said at the time the organisers could face a heavy fine over the unlicensed bash under existing pre-Covid-19 legislation. Under the new decree the financial penalty could have been more than twice as high.

Ibiza club bosses who have been forced to cancel plans to open this year because of a regional government ban on nightclubs have repeatedly claimed the prohibition would lead to a spate of underground events which could prove far more dangerous than regular discos for the spread of Covid-19.

Legislators had been urged to put in place a legal framework to tackle the problem.

Respected Ibiza newspaper Diario de Ibiza reported last week a private events firm was promoting parties in villas for £35,000-a-time complete with star DJs.

More than 200 people attended a party on Saturday on the outskirts of Sa Pobla in Majorca which went ahead despite organisers being refused a request to stage a wedding.

Police were called to the event which began at 10pm and went on to nine the following morning. Local authorities claimed afterwards there was never any intention to stage a wedding and the application was an excuse to try to get approval for an unauthorised alcohol-fuelled party.

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