So where is this hotel being built. FC tells you Tunisia and FC told a member of my party Athens? Surely foundations are still needed to build this lego hotel on (quote from First Choice customer services). It's already been report that the government have refused permission. People on this forum have already had their money back. I personally don't fancy walking 50/60 minutes along the beach from Almiros (where the resort is supposed to be built not Acharavi as advertised) to Acharavi town hall with 2 pushchairs and wearing a wedding dress.

We booked in July as a 4* so if there downgrading to a 3*, should we not be compensated?. If I pay for a 32inc TV & get a 28inc I would get a refund for the difference!!!

Wessex,

I think you should be running that by your travel agent asap.

In short I think you have a valid point, but do sort it out before you leave.

Hi all,
I was given the very same info on Saturday, that it was already built and being shipped over from Tunisia. I was also told it would be open for the start of the season in May.
Tinkering about on my computer i decided to check availability for this time. Only to find the first available date was the 7th of July
Could it be that they are fully booked until this date . My thoughts are otherwise, despite what i and many others have been told. I would be interested to here from anyone who is booked in May, June to hear what first choice have told you. My feelings are that they are pushing back the completion date as they know it will not be ready for the start of the season if at all

I had an enquiry from a wedding party booked in May. I hope they have transferred.

Food for thought. We had a months rainfall in one night last night. The land for this proposed hotel is a water biotope, it is now completely waterlogged.
It will need to drained and filled before they will have anywhere to put these aesthetic pieces of prefabricated concrete.

Hi Everyone,

I have been watching this forum as we are booked to go on the 9th of June for 2 weeks.
I called first choice yesterday and they told me it was all going to schedule and was being built in Athens. I questioned her about that and said I had read it was being built in Tunisia, but she insisted it was being built in Athens.
I also questioned what would happen if I wanted to transfer the holiday and was informed it would cost me £60 as there is nothing wrong with the hotel I have booked.
Surely I have some grounds for concern when the hotel I booked for in 6 months time has absolutely no proof of existing in kit form or otherwise.
I am still really undecided what to do about the situation, if the hotel is built in time and to the spec listed, then it would be the ideal holiday for us, but all that said it is a bit of a gamble.

Where the units are being built is pretty much irrelevant, there are 3 being built (kefalonia, Kos, Corfu) and I understand that some are being built in Tunisa, others in Athens.

What worries me is when they say "there is nothing wrong with the hotel" - there is no hotel, there is nothing on site in Corfu.

The first Choice website says:

"Situated right on the beach, this newly built property will be completed for summer 2006."

This property is not newly built, it is unbuilt

Furthermore First Choice persist in publishing photos of waterparks other than their own, the waterpark in Corfu is not built, but they show photos of fanilies having a great time.

These photos were taken at a totally different resort at the other end of Corfu and are not representative of what is currently in place on the Almiros site (which FC incorrectly cliam is Acharavi)

This alone in my view would be adequate for a refund or free transfer, other people in this thread have been allowed this, why shouldn't you?

Print out the FC webpage, keep the brochure page and if they argue mention the trades descriptions act.

The latest photos of the corfu site I can find were taken in september, but I have been assured by local people the no further progress has been made since then.

http://way.to/greekallinclusive

I think this is relevant. It is a quote from the Travel Trade Gazette dated 25 November 2005. I cannot credit the author as he/she isnt credited.( To avoid libel etc!)
" Operators have been warned to check the accuracy of descriptions in their brochures after First Choice was made to pay out more than 5000 pounds for publishing incorrect resort details.
A couple's dream holiday to the Occidental Caribbean Village Playcar in Cancun, Mexico, was ruined when they discovered that the resort,described as "on the beach" was actually 1.5 miles from the coast.
The beachside location of the resort had attracted the Smiths because Mrs Smith had walking difficulties, but when First Choice resort staff were informed of the mistake and of the couple's circumstances, they made no effort to resolve the issue.
When the Smiths returned home and complained, a First Choice purchasing manager insisted that the couple had booked from the wrong brochure, claiming that another brochure referred to the resort as "near the beach".
But West Sussex Council Trading Standards Service took First Choice to court where it admitted its brochure description was incorrect and pleadeed guilty to breaching Package Travel regulations.
Horsham Magistrates' court fined First Choice 2,700 pounds and ordered it to pay 3125 prosecution costs.
A First Choice spokeswoman told TTG the Smiths'case was a "one off" and result of human error."

Is it a "one off"? Can it be called human error this time, when their errors have been drawn to their attention so often, months ago, and they steadfastly refuse to acknowlege them, or amend them?

Apart from the liklihood that the hotel will not be started, never mind completed, do you want to be another statistic? Have you the time, energy, and money, to sue if it all goes pear shaped? Would you not rather just have the holiday that you have planned for?........ albeit somewhere else?!

Over the years have had so many disappointment with F/C that I will no longer use them even thought a very good friend works for them and she is looking for another job as she is sick and tired of complaints especially about the Aqua Beach Hotels.
Pojo

Latest pictures of the site posted on :
the Acharavi forum

Me and my best friends family have decided we're off to Corfu Aqua Beach Club next year in August, deposits paid etc etc and yet, there is nothing, she did mention that nothing had been built but thought she was exaggerating, well, if anyone gets anymore info be sure to post it and vice versa,

Think we will be popping into town to see First Choice,

Rick

Incase you still havent received a call,

First Choice called today to announce that the complex will not be available for holidays this year, so get shopping and make sure you push to get all out of them that you can, dont be happy with just a refund.... I certainly aint anyway,

Good Luck All,

All direct communication to "Hales1084@hotmail.com" and quote Corfu in the subject box,

Regards,

Ricky!

Have a look here for the latest;http://corfu-acharavi.com/forum
on page 7... I am currently on hold to First Choice, after giving them the website of their Dutch counterparts.. perhaps they might belive me now & off to refund the admin charges incurrred when I insisted they change my holiday to Fuerteventura !!

I am in the queue at the moment, what was the outcome to your call BabyBlade ????

I just got of the phone to first choice and according to the guy I spoke to he said that they have no information that this hotel is not on schedule.

He still insisted that it was already built in Athens and that the foundations were laid and lobour was commencing.

He did say though, that they had received a lot of queries and they were going to bring it up in a meeting for someone to find out exactly the situation with the building work.

He also assured me that if things did turn out pear shaped, first choise would find me equivalent accomadation and honour the free kids place we got, as long as the hotel has the free kids logo.

Finally he told me to call back monday if I was still worried.

As you can see from these photos the site was virtually a lake until Christmas. I find it rather hard to believe that it has been drained, dried out and foundations laid in this short time, particularly with Christmas & New Year in between.

However, I have sent some messages to people who live within a short distance of the site, in the hope that they can give some accurate updates on the situation.

As of today the Dutch "GOBEST" tour operator has removed it's statement of yesterday's date. However if you attempt to book, it refuses to accept any bookings, saying that prices for this resort have yet to be confirmed, and yet on the main resort pages it actually quotes prices for specified dates.

It sounds as if somebody from First Choice in the UK has maybe been in touch and asked them tone their statement down perhaps?

In the UK the First Choice website still will not accept any bookings for this resort until September 2006.

Why are First Choice doing this, actively turning away business if everything is running to schedule?

Ok, I'm now finally willing to admit defeat!!!!! After keeping an eye on these message websites I got my Travel Agent to look into it for me as all I was getting was the same old bull from First Choice as everyone else.

And guess what? She has said that off the record she thinks that the boards are correct in saying that it won't be up and running in time.

Why would she say that? I hear you cry, because First Choice have been giving even the poor old Travel Agent the run around. She called them a couple of times over the weekend and was told different things every time by them and they were very shitty to her as well.

So she ahs told me to hang in there and not cancel or move my holiday as that will cost me money but she has said that she thinks it may take as long as March.

Has anyone else had any updates?????

My dog enjoyed another swim today in the now larger than ever natural swimming pool at the much discussed site. Absolutely no work has been started since the last update. The area is now even more sodden then before as the last three weeks has seen nothing but torrential winter rain.

The latest update I have (via another forum) is that First Choice appear to have admitted that they do not have planning permission for the Corfu Aqua Beach Club, meaning that they will not open during May or June. They are hoping to obtain planning permission to build and open later in the season, but are unable to say when this might be.

A number of holidaymakers appear to be getting refunds or transfers, some of them with very little argument.

Ive just changed my holiday to pegasus tropical .Was due to go to aqua beach 4th august, first choice still adament it will open in august, but I was not prepared to risk it, still had to pay £60 to change it but I will be claiming it back if not open in august. shamus