Rather than speak to ATOL who will most probably site with Virgin in any case, you may be better off telephoning Ross Fernihough who is well recommended travel solictor. Contact details are as follows:

Ros has offered our members free impartial legal advice. Please note that Ros does not read or post on this board any contact to her must be made via :-

Tel :- 01922 621114

Telephone conversations with any Tour Operator are next to useless. Put your concerns in writing. Express your desire that you will sue Virgin Holidays if building works are still in progress and see their attitude changing.

My previous experience with Virgin Holidays are similar. Having read worrying concerns about standards slipping in a hotel I was planning to stay, I notified them of this and pre-warned them that if those concerns were proven to be true I would take the matter further. They then offered me a full refund or change of hotel (with me having to pay the difference if dearer or a refund of the difference if cheaper).

Be strong with them. Make it absolutely clear with them that you will meet them in court for them knowingly selling you a holiday in a resort that is still being constructed. Print of screens of their website now:

http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/brochures/caribbean/holidays/caribbean/barbados/almond_casuarina_beach_resort/

Note that there are rooms shown. Nowhere does it state that these are artist impressions.

Don't back down. If you don't want to go this hotel/building site and don't want to be out of pocket, stand your ground!

Mark

I have an appointment with Trading Standards on Monday. They are coming to my home address so they must think there is a case here. I have been told that it is not on a personal note but for an inforcement against the company.
If anyone has any info that may be of any help please PM me.

Please view a site called *Removed*, agree with my comment and lets put it at the bottom of the goodwill monitor.

Hi Stars

I've just had a look at the website you mentioned and can see it contains any number of potentially libellous comments (not your comments, just the website in general).

This puts Holiday Truths in a difficult position legally so I'm afraid I'll have to remove the name of the website. Sorry.

If anyone would like to know the website Stars mentioned then please PM to request further info.

Pippy

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that I have just spent 3 hours on the phone to virgin holidays this morning. As I decided not to take any chances with this holiday, I rang to change to the Turtle Beach.

Almond have advised me that it is only a soft opening of the hotel on at the end of may and they could not confirm that the watersports were going to be up and running and that there will definately be some building work and other work going on until when she could not tell me. After explaining this to virgin they were still not willing to give me any sort of compensation or even apology.

I have found 2 vital flaws in there brochure for this hotel the first one being that the almond casuarina is described as refurbished and the other stating that it is a virgin holiday favourite which means quote "They are inspected thoroughly on a regular basis to ensure are exacting standards are always met" how can they possibly say that when it not even open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have argued with a manager at virgin for most of this morning and he eventually agreed to discount the turtle beach for me which meant I am still paying and extra £200, but I know that the turtle beach is more expensive anyway.

My words of advice are to stick by your guns and hold on the phone because they will not ring you back.

Hope this helps............

That is some sold advise there. And if you don't get anywhere by telephone, either write to them (preferable) or send them an email.

Mark

I've just had a look at the virgin website again, they appear to have taken the photos of the bedrooms of the web page.

keanda

So they have

It is well known that Tour Operators and Travelagents read our forums. Perhaps this is testimony to it.

Mark

Just looked on British Airways Holiday's site, and low and behold they're advertising it too:

CLICK HERE

A dummy booking shows it being available in May

Looks like the Almond Group of Companies has them all over a barrel or the Tour Operators are all involved in this.

Mark

Hi Stars,

I hope all this info is useful for your meeting on monday with trading standards.
If there is anything further info you require please let me know.

Hi

We booked in November 2007 for August. We were told by our agent that he had a friend who had visited recently and it was great!
Would be interested to hear what Trading Standards say!!

Troychipman

THe hotel closed in June,2005. So I find it hard to see how the travel agents friend could have been there.

Stop Press!!!!
Just got off the phone to Almond reps in the UK (0870 907 9602) and spoken to Gail (anonymously). She has said that the Casuriana will be opening the 1st of May if not before, and that she says that all facilities will be open by the time I arrive on 30th June.

Yeah right!!!!

Recent post on the TA forum where a lady who is booked to go in October has received an e-mail from Virgin.

The letter states that Virgin have been in contact with Almond and that they have been informed that the hotel will be open at the beginning of August 2008. They claim to be receiving regular updates from Almond and should the date be extended any further Virgin will notify her.

I think it is a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is up to! At least someone got a response because I certainly haven't. Maybe thats because my balance hasn't been paid yet or maybe I am just cynical.

keanda

No, It's not because you haven't paid. I paid weeks ago and I am not being told. I rang today - spoke to the Frequent Virgin Customer Service dept ext 36975 Paul he said "that they have not been informed by Almond so they can not tell me the situation. At this time Virgin are informing people traveling in April only".

I thought I'd report my results as I found this website very helpful.
I have cut and pasted the email I received from Almond below;

The opening date we have been given by the Resort is 1st May 2008. This will
be on a 'soft' opening basis with some of the room types not available but
we understand that most of the Resort facilities will be.

We would hope by the 23rd June that all facilities and rooms will be
available at the Hotel and any initial 'teething' problems ironed out but as
you can appreciate we cannot guarantee this.

We have had it confirmed that there will be a shuttle bus available to link
all three of our Barbados Resorts so you will be able to use the facilities
of the other hotels.

We were most disturbed by the last paragraph...don't fancy two weeks of jumping on a shuttle bus to get the facilities we paid for!

After many call's to virgin we eventually got a manager call us back and who agreed to move us to Sandy Bay Beach Club for the same price ( we too have a good deal booking in January) I know this is rated 3.5 not 4 but we did get an upgrade room with club benifits. I believe this hotel is on a newspaper offer price that end's on the 13th.

At least now we can relax and look forward to our holiday.

So be persistant and good luck.

A lot of promises in that email.

cherries95 wrote:

We have had it confirmed that there will be a shuttle bus available to link
all three of our Barbados Resorts so you will be able to use the facilities
of the other hotels

Given the at times bad traffic in that part of Barbados the trip from St. Lawrence Gap to Holetown could take one hour each way. That is two hours of your day wasted.

You made the correct move and got Virgin to move you to a hotel you wanted to be moved to. Well done for that.

Mark

Having returned from Barbados at the end of March(and seen the state of this building site) and a visitor to a number of web sites this Hotel seems to be the most talked about in Barbados.
Maybe its me but Legal action by ALL who have booked this hotel in good faith from Virgin either online or any other method would be the right course of action.

I understand that Virgin Holidays is now sending letters to customers advising them that those traveling in due course will be moved to another hotel.

Perhaps now is the time to take action before it becomes your turn. This hotel's opening has been delayed so many times now, no one can realistically predict when it is going to open. Why take the risk it is going to be open in August, September or even December?

Perhaps those finding themselves in this situation should put some pressure on their Tour Operator and put the ball back in their courts.

Historical facts can not be changed. History has proven that opening dates have been postponed time and time again. I would make it clear to the Tour Operator that history is very likely to repeat itselves and safe them finding themselves into court they better listen to your request of change of hotel to one that is suitable to you (and not to on that is convenient to them).

Mark