Supposed to be going on 10th July from glasgow, now to Sonesta Club but taking nothing for granted

Hmmm. How odd, when you check availability with Airtours there is none showing for either 7 or 14 nights on 10th July from Glasgow. When I checked Thomas Cook, they are showing the following:

(Sunset) Sunrise Island Garden 3*
(Panorama) St Georges Three Corners 3*
(Panorama) Sonesta Club (No rating shown)
(Panorama) Kiroseiz Three Corners 4*
(Panorama) Dreams Beach Resort 4*
(Panorama) Sonesta Beach Resort (No rating shown)
(Panorama) Reef Oasis Beach Resort 4*
(Panorama) Sunrise Island View 4*

The list is in price order but all the hotels come out at a similar price based on 2 adults. I don't know how many are travelling but it would seem there are other accomodations available and prices slightly above and below the cost of the Sonesta Club.

I am a bit cynical with being offered the 'only available accommodation' by the tour operator as we had a weeks holiday in Mexico cancelled two days before we were due to travel a couple of years ago due to hurricane damage - the TO said the only alternatives were a 3 star self-catering complex in Majorca or a 3 star AI in Cyprus which wasn't featured in their brochure, which weren't ideal weatherwise anyway at the end of October. We pushed and they came up with a 5* ultra AI in Turkey which was fantastic. Although it was a great holiday, the cost of this alternative was £900 less than the Mexico booking so we had a great holiday and a refund.

Hope you sort this one out.

We got 14 nights A/I, 5 adults from Glasgow for £3100. can't find anything remotely near that.
Will be writing to them tonight to try and get alternative accommodation. the problem is we need to be specific about what we want to meet our diving requirements.
Andy D

There are alot of very good reviews from the Sonesta Club, you will be based in a complex similar to the sonesta beach except on a lot smaller scale. When we had a mooch around there last year, we noticed the pool areas were packed, but then this was the afternoon, it is very kiddie orientated and more British at the time we ventured out there. The rooms are smaller than the SBR but i did speak to someone and they do have a lot bigger family rooms, so if that is your preference, email the hotel and request the biggest rooms on a free upgrade as Graham did, or through your travel agent. Good reviews on the food. A lot of palm trees scattered about and there are a few shops and Doctor on the complex, we share between the two hotels. A very good stocked pharmacy on the same road about 50 yards from your hotel. To get to the beach it is about 15 mins walk across the dual carriage-way, it is safe as traffic goes one way, then the other.
You will see the casino at the SBR walk through the complex and follow signs either to the beach or reception. Remember your beach card as this will give you free fresh towels(yellow) You can use the beach facilities for drinks being A1, and ice creams etc and food. All the facilities of the SBR you can use, there are 7 pools, but i only saw a couple at the SC.

To get into Naama bay is 15-20 casual walk from the SBR, so about half an hour from your hotel, taxis cost a few quid, but if you use this service, ring from reception, and barter if coming back. Check they are reputable, some are just normal people making a quick buck

The SBR will look enormous, but they only hold just over 580 rooms, but the blocks go up to the 2000+ If you are near the 100s, you will be nearer the beach.

At your hotel there is a night club as well, never been there though.

I hope this answers your questions, any more please ask.

Michelle x

Ps.... Are the 5 of you booked into 2 rooms? Which airport were you flying from?

yep 2 rooms. reviews on here are ok but over on TA very much less favourable. We use Sinai Divers who are based at the Ghazala Beach and the Baron. We only had to cross the road to get there so we could either do one dive in the morning, one in the afternoon or spend the day on the boat, plus we could have used the facilities at the ghazala beach on the A/I. it would also have allowed us to go into Naama earlier in the evening to avoid the chaos and not be tied to shuttle buses.
needless to say these plans are scuppered however we should be glad that we are still within walking distance.
I am composing a long-winded rant to Airtours tonight to see if we can come up with a better plan.
Andy D

I too have just received a letter from thomascook stating:

"As i am sure you will appreciate, our brochures are printed many months in advance and in some cases, it is necessary to make changes to to the details we publish. The reason we are writing to you today is to advise that since your booking was made, certain aspects of your holiday have changed.
The thomascook group is no longer marketing or promoting the sales of the Red Sea Group of Hotels in Summer 2008 or beyond. This is due to the cancellation of pre-contractural terms and conditions and termination of the existing contract. We regret therefore that we are no longer able to offer our customers the holiday originally booked at the Ghazala Gardens."

The letter basically goes onto say we are also being given the Sonesta Club, which I am not willing to accept. With rumours flying around that it has been overbooked is this a case of thomascook fobbing us off as they have made a mistake or are they really cancelling all contracts with red sea.

I specifically booked the Ghazala Six months ago and got a good deal with direct holidays. Now they have been taken over by thomascook I am left a few months before my travel date to find similar accomodation which will cost more as i am nearer the date of travel. Unless thomascook come up with some alternatives at no extra cost or full cancellation compensation. Not just a basic re-fund.

Oh why didn't i book a trip with Thomson!

Hi Deanocosta

Sorry to read of this happening to you. I don't want to repeat myself too much, but if you read back on this thread and another one called 'Sonesta Beach URGENT info required', you can see that by offering you the Sonesta Club they have offered you a lower graded hotel then the GG. If you decide not to cancel make sure you get them to give you 'like for like'.

Graham who is a regular on here, and going today managed to get them to give him the Sonesta Beach.

It does seem that for whatever reason Thomas Cook are not using the Red Sea Hotel Group anymore.

Hope you get it sorted.

Doe

I do wonder if the Thomson Group (TUI) are going to take up this hotel as the rest of TUI in europe use it ! i have just now recieved an e-mail from the red sea group to see if i can book direct with them and get my flights seperate !

Good Luck, Let us know how you get on.

Doe

Flew back yesterday from the Ghazala Gardens.

We flew out on 6 January and the day after we arrived another guest told us that Airtours had apparently lost the contract at the Ghazala Gardens.

This can be backed up by the fact hardly any english travellers were at the hotel when we left yesterday.

By the way the Thomas Cook flight out from Manchester to Sharm on Sundays at 12.30 has been delayed by 2 hours for the past 3 weeks (just to let you know).

Hi everyone , well the exact same thing happened to me and my partner. We booked to go to ghazala gardens about 6 months ago for june the 5th of this year for a week AI. Firstly a few weeks after booking our flight times got changed, then obviously our hotel to sonesta beach which i was completely not happy with seeing as it was an obvious down grade as far as i was concerned and then not only did our flight times get changed again they changed the flight day LOL to 4 days later??!! This was the last straw, people book holidays on certain days for a reason!! Well anyway after trying about 10 different numbers and waiting for about 30 mins i finally get to speak to someone who tells me i need to speak to his manager who he would get to ring me back staright away........that was saturday and im still waiting!! Well anyway i have booked another holiday now to the sultan gardens resort and im alot happier now to have my holiday sorted again. Once i finally get through to thomas cook again i will cancel it and just have done as i really cannot be bothered to pursue the matter but i can certainly say i will not book with them again......terrible customer service!!

All this telephoning and wasting consumers money, are you not able to go into to your local TA and let them sort it for you? It seems TC like to inconvenience their clients!

yep that is what i am going to do actually just been waiting 50 mins and gave up on the phone its absolutely unacceptable!!

Good luck

Let us know how you get on. Half the time they put clients on hold because they do not want to sort problems out!

Hi all
We booked with Direct Holidays for the Ghazhala, we were going on the 8th of June, but have just recieved a letter from Thomas Cook (who now run Direct Holidays) telling us that they have moved us to the Sonesta Club as they no longer have a contract with Red sea hotels who own Ghazhala. The letter says Sonesta club is just next door, Well dont belive it!!, we have been to Sharm several times and Ghazhala is minutes away from all the bar's and resturants of Naama Bay, Sonesta is a right hike. Maybe even a taxi ride on the way back, and belive me taxi's in Sharrm are not for the faint hearted. Sonesta club is also a bit dated and you have to use the beach at Sonesta beach which is still a bit of a walk away. We tried to phone the number they gave us for several day's, but could not get through, so eventually tried Direct Holidays pre travel line, we cancelled, got a full refund and went straight on Travel republics website and have booked the Tropitel Naama Bay, which is maybe not quite as nice as the Ghazhala Gardens, but is a four/five star hotel at the bottem of Naama bay with everything in walking distance.

we are still waiting to cancel, numerous phone calls, hours on the fone and even more emails nothing i am a very annoyed customer!!

Did you go into the TC shop lipslucy?

Hi Michelle

I would imagine if Lucy booked on-line or by phone the Thomas Cook shop will not help her. They will refer her back to the 'premium rate' phone lines.

IMHO because the Airtours/Thomas Cook merger has thrown up so many problems, you would think that the decent thing to do would be to help, but knowing how these things work. I can't see that happening.

Doe

Hi Doe

I have just rang Thomas cook, i asked them in view of clients being changed to different hotels etc and not being able to get through, via telephone or email, can they come into the shop?

The agent i spoke to from my home town said they couldnt interfere with the booking as booked online (as you quite rightly pointed out), but you can go into any TC shop and use their telephone

free of charge!

, so maybe this will help some of you sort it out.