Hi Julie,
I'm sorry to hear you are so upset about this and that the answers you have received are not what you wanted to hear.
But hand on heart, was your whole holiday ruined? Take a step back and really think. Did your holiday enjoyment ultimately rest on sunbeds? How was the rest of the holiday? The food, resort, hotel?
I have been to Turkey many times though never out of season. I like the sun, sea and pool. I like the temperatures to be pretty much guaranteed.
Just because it was 70 odd degrees when you were there does not mean that summer has arrived. Here in Cyprus (approx 40 miles from the coast of Turkey) we had glorious weather last week, high 70's and I thought we had waved goodbye to winter. Not so, it rained heavily last night and today was dismal until about 4pm. Because the weather is so unpredictable at this time of year, most hotels prefer to wait until they have 'turned a corner' in the weather, so to speak before they set out their pool area.
You got lucky with the weather and I have to reiterate what has already been said, holidaying away from the main summer season carries the risk that some facilities will not be available. There is no need for the rep to inform the UK office when it is already covered in the brochure.
When you book a holiday by phone, it is impossible for the agent to go through every single thing down to the smallest detail. You would be on for hours. Likewise, when your brother rang the hotel. Did he ask the question or just assume?
Louby
We were at the Linda Hotel, Tetryengol, Side, in February. One of the pools was open and there were sunbeds round it. Some people even went in the pool. The only 'winter' thing we noticed, which was not mentioned beforehand was the opening of the AI bar. It closed at 10pm instead of 11pm.
Hi Julie'
I do symathise (spelling?), with you, - I know if I had booked a holiday (Whether it be summer or winter), as long as it would have been warm enough to sunbathe, then I'd be pretty peed off, that the pool wasn't open, or sunloungers out around the pool- were not available! When I'm on my jollies, I want to relax, around the pool some days!(As I'm not a beach lover,)- this would have put a damper on my holiday, - so I know exactly where your coming from, - I mean how hard would it have been for the hotel to have at least put the sunloungers out for it's guests?
Good luck, with your compalint to first choice!
Belly!
I do symathise (spelling?), with you, - I know if I had booked a holiday (Whether it be summer or winter), as long as it would have been warm enough to sunbathe, then I'd be pretty peed off, that the pool wasn't open, or sunloungers out around the pool- were not available! When I'm on my jollies, I want to relax, around the pool some days!(As I'm not a beach lover,)- this would have put a damper on my holiday, - so I know exactly where your coming from, - I mean how hard would it have been for the hotel to have at least put the sunloungers out for it's guests?
Good luck, with your compalint to first choice!
Belly!
Hi Julie
I also think it odd that they didn't put the sunbeds out round a swimming pool, seeings as the temperatures were quite clearly suitable for sunbathing, reading your book and generally enjoying the poolside ambience.
I can understand the pool not being open and many brochures do say that facilities vary by season, but presumably you would have accepted this if you could have at least sat round it.
I also agree with you that nobody would consider saying to a telephone sales consultant. 'By the way I assume the sunbeds will be round the pool?' As that is a natural expectation. After all most of the brochures are called 'Winter Sun' brochures and the holidays are sold on that premise.
Is it too late to get hold of a brochure ? It would be interesting to see if the photo of your hotel in it shows a pool with sunbeds round it. If it does that would imply to me that they should have been made available to you.
Doe
I also think it odd that they didn't put the sunbeds out round a swimming pool, seeings as the temperatures were quite clearly suitable for sunbathing, reading your book and generally enjoying the poolside ambience.
I can understand the pool not being open and many brochures do say that facilities vary by season, but presumably you would have accepted this if you could have at least sat round it.
I also agree with you that nobody would consider saying to a telephone sales consultant. 'By the way I assume the sunbeds will be round the pool?' As that is a natural expectation. After all most of the brochures are called 'Winter Sun' brochures and the holidays are sold on that premise.
Is it too late to get hold of a brochure ? It would be interesting to see if the photo of your hotel in it shows a pool with sunbeds round it. If it does that would imply to me that they should have been made available to you.
Doe
thanks doe and belly - some people with sense 
as for the comments re "winter not quite over yet"(or summers not yet arrived) - winter apparentently ends on the day we returned !!lets work out the hours - we arrived 24 x 7 hours to early - our holiday was ruined by arriving 7 days too early - everyone there now is having a a1 time there. if the weather is rubbish the week after im not there - guess what?
- im not bothered!!!!!!!!! 
i'd get your arguement about going in winter time if we had arrived in october, november, december, january or even feb - but not 1 week before!!!!!!!!!
as for the comments re "winter not quite over yet"(or summers not yet arrived) - winter apparentently ends on the day we returned !!lets work out the hours - we arrived 24 x 7 hours to early - our holiday was ruined by arriving 7 days too early - everyone there now is having a a1 time there. if the weather is rubbish the week after im not there - guess what?
- im not bothered!!!!!!!!! i'd get your arguement about going in winter time if we had arrived in october, november, december, january or even feb - but not 1 week before!!!!!!!!!
Julie
I guess you mean 'people with the same viewpoint as yourself'.
If the particular hotel you booked with has a policy that summer starts on 1st April (and to be honest I do sympathise with your plight), then if they opened it one week earlier (to accommodate your party), the people who go a week earlier than that would be saying 'surely they could open 1 week earlier'.
Then the people going out a week earlier than that would say 'surely they can open a week earlier'.
Ad infinitum.
thanks doe and belly - some people with sense
I guess you mean 'people with the same viewpoint as yourself'.
i'd get your arguement about going in winter time if we had arrived in october, november, december, january or even feb - but not 1 week before!!!!!!!!!
If the particular hotel you booked with has a policy that summer starts on 1st April (and to be honest I do sympathise with your plight), then if they opened it one week earlier (to accommodate your party), the people who go a week earlier than that would be saying 'surely they could open 1 week earlier'.
Then the people going out a week earlier than that would say 'surely they can open a week earlier'.
Ad infinitum.
yer i hear you - but we did go in the uk school holidays - thus meaning we paid more than double the normal rate - for this reason i expected a change in the winter season.
the hotel were horrified we had paid "summer prices" and were not informed we would receive the basics like pool and sunbeds.
im not an unreasonable person
the hotel were horrified we had paid "summer prices" and were not informed we would receive the basics like pool and sunbeds.
im not an unreasonable person
I live in Cyprus and we did have some very warm weather towards the end of March but, this is not typical of the weather generally at this time of year. Turkey is usually a little cooler and from my experience of working in the travel industry, the only resort that used to operate all year round in Turkey was Antalya as the weather was more stable in that location.
Generally, summer brochures run from 1st May - 31st October and winter from 1st November - 30th April. Hotel contracts tend to run the same way in accordance with the brochure dates.
We had a problem for 2 -3 years with one hotel in Cyprus that featured as Adults Only in summer brochures and only allowed children in winter - but one tour ops brochure put their summer as starting 1st April and of course, there were kids at the hotel. It caused untold problems because a number of different tour ops were sharing the hotel.
The problem more than likely lies with the definition of when the winter/summer season starts and finishes with both your tour op and the hotel contract.
CwB
Generally, summer brochures run from 1st May - 31st October and winter from 1st November - 30th April. Hotel contracts tend to run the same way in accordance with the brochure dates.
We had a problem for 2 -3 years with one hotel in Cyprus that featured as Adults Only in summer brochures and only allowed children in winter - but one tour ops brochure put their summer as starting 1st April and of course, there were kids at the hotel. It caused untold problems because a number of different tour ops were sharing the hotel.
The problem more than likely lies with the definition of when the winter/summer season starts and finishes with both your tour op and the hotel contract.
CwB
their summer season started 1st april. regardless of other areas of the world ........ 
I do sympathise with you Julie and understand your point of view. We have even been to these hotels in early Nov and all the pools and sunbeds were out. ( not many people using the pool - they were FREEZING) but never the less, the facilities were there IF you wanted to use them....
Have you been in touch with the Travel Agents that sold you this holiday? What have they said about the problem? Maybe there is nothing that they can do about this - other than make there discriptions clearer.!!!!
Thanks anyway for bringing up this problem, cos even if you can't get any further with this complaint and least your post will maybe stop other holiday makers from making this same mistake. Denny
Have you been in touch with the Travel Agents that sold you this holiday? What have they said about the problem? Maybe there is nothing that they can do about this - other than make there discriptions clearer.!!!!
Thanks anyway for bringing up this problem, cos even if you can't get any further with this complaint and least your post will maybe stop other holiday makers from making this same mistake. Denny
JULIEHANKIE wrote:your i hear you - but we did go in the uk school holidays - thus meaning we paid more than double the normal rate - for this reason i expected a change in the winter season.
the hotel were horrified we had paid "summer prices" and were not informed we would receive the basics like pool and sunbeds.
im not an unreasonable person :que
Horrified but yet did not want to supply you with a sun lounger? Horrified but yet did not want to open the pool for you?
Is the hotel saying that the Tour Operator was wrong? How can the hotel claim that?
A little lost here again.
Mark
Mark
It might have been the case that the Tour Operator, First Choice, hiked up the price to double because they knew that British kids would be on school holidays. But never passed any of this on to the hotel. Hence the hotel being 'horrified' at what the poster paid.
This area of Turkey - Antalya, is condidered a year round resort, and thus has flights 52 weeks a year and features in all the winter sun brochures. Unlike the Marmaris and Kusadasi areas, which are seasonal and feature in summer brochures.
It might have been the case that the Tour Operator, First Choice, hiked up the price to double because they knew that British kids would be on school holidays. But never passed any of this on to the hotel. Hence the hotel being 'horrified' at what the poster paid.
This area of Turkey - Antalya, is condidered a year round resort, and thus has flights 52 weeks a year and features in all the winter sun brochures. Unlike the Marmaris and Kusadasi areas, which are seasonal and feature in summer brochures.
Julie
I think maybe you'd paid 'school holiday' prices rather than 'summer prices' - especially if, as you stated in your original post, that the summer season does not start until 1st April.
Easter was very early this year (I understand it's caused quite a lot of problems with school terms).
It's a fact of life that holiday companies hike the prices up during holiday periods.
I've just paid £505 for 2 weeks 2 adults in Tsilivi, Zante departing on 29th May.
EXACTLY the same holiday departing a week earlier (i.e. Spring Bank holiday) is £693.
I think Mark has made an excellent point.
If the weather was so warm and guests wished to sit around the pool, why didn't they put the sunbeds out?
Is the hotel management unable to make that decision?
What if it gets to 1st April and it's freezing cold and bucketing down with rain?
Do they say 'Oh! It's Summer season so we'll put the sunbeds out anyway'?
It all sounds a bit bizarre to me.
Polly
I think maybe you'd paid 'school holiday' prices rather than 'summer prices' - especially if, as you stated in your original post, that the summer season does not start until 1st April.
Easter was very early this year (I understand it's caused quite a lot of problems with school terms).
It's a fact of life that holiday companies hike the prices up during holiday periods.
I've just paid £505 for 2 weeks 2 adults in Tsilivi, Zante departing on 29th May.
EXACTLY the same holiday departing a week earlier (i.e. Spring Bank holiday) is £693.
I think Mark has made an excellent point.
If the weather was so warm and guests wished to sit around the pool, why didn't they put the sunbeds out?
Is the hotel management unable to make that decision?
What if it gets to 1st April and it's freezing cold and bucketing down with rain?
Do they say 'Oh! It's Summer season so we'll put the sunbeds out anyway'?
It all sounds a bit bizarre to me.
Polly
The more I think about it the more I think that the hotel was being a little negligent in customer service. If its warm enough to warrant sunbeds then surely it wouldn't have been that hard to put them out after all, hotels in the Caribbean manage to take them in quite quickly in the event of a bad weather warning. I'm not sure you can blame the TO though, they have to have some boundaries, ie: summer/winter dates or nobody would know where they stood.
after all, hotels in the Caribbean manage to take them in quite quickly in the event of a bad weather warning. I'm not sure you can blame the TO though, they have to have some boundaries, ie: summer/winter dates or nobody would know where they stood.
It might have been the case that the Tour Operator, First Choice, hiked up the price to double because they knew that British kids would be on school holidays. But never passed any of this on to the hotel. Hence the hotel being 'horrified' at what the poster paid.
That wouldnt surprise me one bit
Lynne
It's common knowlerdge that Tour Operators hike prices during holiday periods - you only have to look at my example of Zante.
An increase of 37.5% for Spring Bank holiday week over the same holiday departing a week later.
But I can't see what difference it would have made if the T/O had passed this information on.
If their policy (crazy and arbitrary as it may seem) is 'summer doesn't start until 1st April', then why would they put out sunbeds before then just because it was a UK school holiday?
Polly
It's common knowlerdge that Tour Operators hike prices during holiday periods - you only have to look at my example of Zante.
An increase of 37.5% for Spring Bank holiday week over the same holiday departing a week later.
But I can't see what difference it would have made if the T/O had passed this information on.
If their policy (crazy and arbitrary as it may seem) is 'summer doesn't start until 1st April', then why would they put out sunbeds before then just because it was a UK school holiday?
Polly
Prettypollycat wrote:But I can't see what difference it would have made if the T/O had passed this information on.
i wouldnt have gone !!!!!!!!!!
If lack of a sun bed / pool is all you have to complain about be thankful
yer - i'm thankful - you run a hotel in turkey by any chance?
im not going to respond any more -- thanks for the understanding off many of you. xx,
i look forward to my next holiday, the one that i spend many many months saving up for to ENJOY - i always go 4 or 5 star - and expect PERFECTION.
- you run a hotel in turkey by any chance?im not going to respond any more -- thanks for the understanding off many of you. xx,
i look forward to my next holiday, the one that i spend many many months saving up for to ENJOY - i always go 4 or 5 star - and expect PERFECTION.
Julie, please ignore that unhelpful post, its from a trouble maker who is banned from our site but keeps returning under different usernames.
Sarah
Sarah
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