In June 2017, I bought vacation package from Expedia.com for my family ( 4 people). Expedia sold me a package - which was a classic "bait and switch" the description of the property online was not the reality. During vacation I had multiple issues.
It took me one and a half year to protect myself in the courts against Expedia. I have won the case against Expedia twice- once in the small claims Court of Philadelphia, and after- in their Arbitration Court (Expedia tried to appeal the original ruling). I finally got my money back, but I spend a lot of time and energy it's was damaging to my character, it was difficult to protect myself and my rights as a customer.
I can provide copies of the Court Orders and the copy of the check which I finally got back from Expedia. I booked an all-inclusive trip to St. Martin Sonesta Maho Resort June 2-June 9, 2017 through Expedia.com. When we arrived to the hotel, our rooms were not ready. We were told after check-in that we can go eat lunch and we will be notified when the rooms will be ready.
When we entered the buffet, which was supposed to be air-conditioned, it was the same temperature as outside 95 degrees farenheight, with fruit flies, ants, and flies on and round the food. All of the doors were opened and the A/C was off. When we asked why the A/C was off- we were told the A/C was down for maintenance.
We could not eat the food- it was cold, although under the heat lamps, with insects on the utensils and flies on the food. We went back to the lobby, and were told one of the two rooms was ready and we could go to the room. The first room number was 575- when we walked in there was a strong ammonia odor and smell of feces.
I went to the front desk and spoke with the manager, he stated that they had a septic issue and some of the rooms had a back up of sewage. I brought him back to rooms and showed him that not only was there repulsive smell, but it did not look like it was properly disinfected to help prevent any infections. He stated that we will be "upgraded" for our troubles and gave us a key to room 460.
It was the same problem with the toilet, the fecal odor, however, the room that they "upgraded" us to faced the construction zone with dirt, dust, debris, and loud noise. My wife placed a bag on the bed and the bed leg came off- it was millimeters from my wife's leg and foot which could had caused a severe wound.
Not only that, but my wife went to pull back the covers and the sheets were stained and did not look like they had been washed between guests. I again called manager and stated to him this room was unacceptable. He agreed, and went on to see the next two rooms that he would give to us. The next two rooms (464 and 569) were worse than the last: unkept, dirty, with both of the rooms' ceilings filled with mold, bathrooms not cleaned.
I have video and pictures with room numbers as documented proof. It was and of the day, there were 4 people in our party- we were hungry, hot, sweaty, dirty, and tired from our trip with no room. I told hotel manager the rooms they were showing us were unacceptable, he raised his arms in the air and said there is nothing more he is willing to do. I called Expedia.
The first representative I spoke to tried to help and asked if we would be willing to relocate to another sister property. At that point we figured it would be better than staying at Sonesta Maho. Finally, we were shown to the rooms, however, the only rooms that they had available we would need to pay an additional $222 per stay.
The representative from Expedia stated the maximum he could refund us was $100, and he would put a $200 credit voucher on my account for future travel. Not to mention it cost us $105 for taking a taxi back and forth from the different properties so that we could transfer. We were finally settled at the Sonesta Great Bay at 10:30 pm ( after we arrived at noon).
The following day hotel employees started putting up signs that for the next couple of days no one would be able to use the beach. Apparently, there was severe flooding, and their outside septic system over flowed, so they needed to manage it and dump the septic overflow into the ocean. In the middle of the night June 3rd into June 4th we heard bulldozers creating canals along the beach in the sand to use for the septic overflow.
When we woke up we saw the flow of septic overflow along the sand into the ocean. We were told we cannot use the beach. The smell was atrocious. I have never seen such a bad hotel. My vacation was completely destroyed! Expedia does not know what they sell to their customers. All the money I paid for a relaxing family vacation- I paid for nothing.
My and the vacation of my two kids was awful, money was spend for nothing, Expedia just showed nice pictures on the website during the reservation and they do not have a clue how bad it truly is. These hotels are supposed to be "all inclusive" however, there was nothing all inclusive!