Why not ring Ros Fernihough for some advice? We were evacuated from the Bahia Principe after the hurricane and First Choice put us in a very bad hotel in Cancun. We were extremely unhappy and stressed having sat through the hurricane and then spent 2 days in the wrecked hotel with no facilities, hot water or air conditioning.
I had taken the Safe & Sound booklet and Ros's phone number with me. I rang Ros from Mexico and she advised us not to accept this hotel for the rest of the holiday, and to fly ourselves home if necessary. When we told First Choice of our intentions they got us on a flight home immediately.
Not sure if this would have been the outcome anyway, but I really valued Ros's advice.
I would urge everyone to take the Safe & Sound booklet on holiday. You never know what will happen.
Bridd

Hi Rhonda,

I am in a similar position with the lack of communication form FC. We are due to fly on Aug 10th to the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret and booked it ages ago. They are telling me to call back tomorrow when they will have more information on other hotels. I don't want to go to Cancun and that's about the only place that hasn't been hit hard

I am so annoyed about this. I know it's nature, but FC should get their ar*e into gear and sort thing sout for people

I hope you get a good response from them with your situation.
SG

Hi scubagirl,

Like you we do not want Cancun, your hotel according to other websites is closed til Otober. Have you tried emailing the Occidental group, I had a reply back from my hotel and emailed it to FC. They are useless. They have told me not to ring back and they will contact me when they know more!!!!!. My TA has found them rude and unhelpful as she is also badgering them for me. I did read on another site(locogringo) of a family travelling with FC on 13th August to the Akumal Beach resort and in the end after much hassle FC admitted the hotel is closed and offered her Cuba or a full refund.

I know there are lots of peolpe in the same boat but other companies (thomsons) have took my hotel off sale and on the website are offering future summer 05 customers to affected hotels a refund. First Choice take note!!

Let me know how you get on

Rhonda

Use this link below to the FC website which says what is happening with the Mexican program and the number to ring.

http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/info/latestnews2.html

Ros Fernihough may be contacted during office hours on 01922 621114 for free legal advice.

The following site gives lots of current info on the state of play of most AI hotels in and around Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Riviera Maya and Tulum:

http://www.playadelcarmeninfo.com

If you enter the 'Forums' from the home page and select 'Hurricane Emily', the moderators thread 'All Inclusive Resort Damage Updates' has a list of hotels and relevant damage/restaurant closures etc (on page 1) and is updated regularly.

Cazz

hi im new but can i join in the how useless are first choice

we booked to go to the iberostar lindo with first choice

In May we sent an email to the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo to make some advanced requests. The Iberostar replied to say that they had not received our reservations. We telephoned First Choice who told us that the hotel would not receive our details until 2 weeks before we travel, but the hotel had the rooms reserved for First Choice customers. We wrote another email to the Iberostar two weeks before we departed. They still had no record of our reservations on their system. Once again we telephone First Choice who assured us that there were no problem with our booking, they also told us that it is possible that the hotel will not receive our names until two days before we travelled. We email the hotel again two days before we departed and still they had no record of our booking. This time First Choice told us that they had checked our reservation with the Iberostar and they could not see any problems.

We departed on our holiday worried and confused. When we arrived in Mexico our worst fears came true. We were sent to a hotel about 5 miles away from the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo to a hotel called the El Dorado Royale.

We were very unhappy with the situation we had been put into by first choice and did not want to stay at the hotel. We told **** (First Choice hotel rep) and **** (****'s Supervisor) and **** (the General Manager of first choice Hypermarket Basildon) that we wanted to be flown home and have our money back. When **** got back to us about this she said that they could not fly us home unless we paid for it and accepted that we would be forfeiting our holiday and would get no money back. So we were forced to stay and try to make the best of it so we could pursue a claim when we got home.

Although both hotels have a 5 star rating they could not be more different. The Iberostar hotels are extremely beautiful with fantastic pools (Including a wave pool and lazy river), a wide range of facilities, fun activities, food and nightlife. The El Dorado Royale is an adult's only honeymoon hotel with very limited activities, horid food (no buffets), small dirty pools (the main pool in the brochure does not exist!!) and the resort has a really bad smell.

we are currently trying to get compensation.....

*Edit to remove employers names - Glynis*

Abnfitchfti

The website number gets you through to a recorded message 3 days old about the bombings in Sharm, Mexico isnt mentioned then the line goes dead. First choice are useless

After much agro and hassle First Choice have admitted my hotel is closed until 31st October (Akumal Beach Resort) and they have given me a full refund!!!! I would encourage anyone in a similar position to keep ringing them and do nt take no for an answer. They told me they were still trying to allocate people travelling 2nd August!! and I would have to wait a few weeks. They also emailed me the following info:

Occidental Xcaret closed til start of Oct but as not fully operational til end of Oct, no FC customers would be staying there til 31st Oct

Viva Wyndham Maya also no FC til 31st Oct

Aventura Spa closed til end of September.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it is better to know the facts than be fobbed off by FC.

Rhonda

PS. We are now going to Dom Rep staying at Iberostar Dominicana, I am very disappointed re Mexico, we will try again next year.

Pager33

Glad you at least got sorted, have agood holiday

regards boaz

You'll have a great time at the Dominicana - been twice myself and loved it.

Pager 33

I am due to stay in Occidental Grand Flemenco Xcaret in September, booked with First Choice.

I am getting nowhere with them re whether the hotel will be accepting FC guests, they tell me there is no problem.

I was wondering, for my defence, if you would be willing to forward the email they have sent you regarding the closure of the hotel, if you still have it. It would be greatly appreciated.

**For security purposes, email address removed as per the t&c of the site. Please use the PM facility - Kath HT Admin**

Thanks,

David Beckett

apologies all,

I have reread my email from FC and the Occidental Xcaret is fully operational from 31st August not 31st Oct. Hope I havent caused too much stress. I have read so many posts on various websites I must have got confused. All other details I gave are correct.

Rhonda

First Choice have today confirmed, through means other than First Choice (or should that be Last Choice) that none of their guests will be staying at the Occidental Grand Flamenco Xcaret until after 19th August 2005.

I know this kind of thing can't be predicted but a little co-operation and bettr communication from First Choice wouldn't be asking too much.

I was told on Monday that the OXGF was to reopen on Aug 5th.... Does anyone have any other info?????

SG

Hi Scubagirl,

FC told me via email and I quote "Grand Flamenco Xcaret, the hotel is due to open on 5 August 2005, however, will not be fully operational until approx 31 August 2005. Therefore, the resort team are securing alternatives for these dates and as soon as we recieve this, we'll be in touch. This was sent to me on 28th July.

Pager33

First choice will have hundreds of bookings to mexico at the same time, you cant just expect them to click their fingers and magic up an alternative hotel. There having to deal with moving people from egypt and turkey because of bombings and mexico because of the hurricane. none of these things that have happened are there fault! as horrible as it is for his to have happened so close to departure, it takes time to sort these things out.
And even if the hotels are emailing customers direct saying they are closed, no company are just going to take the word of the customer that this is the case, they rely on the hotels and resort staff keeping them updated on these matters.

Contrary to how we may sound, most of us are fully aware that First Choice cannot be blamed for Hurricane Emily in Mexico.

What is the problem is a company that does indeed deal with thousands of holidays each year, finds comunicating with these "such valued" customers so difficult.

First Choice are fine when the going is good. They do not, however, know how to deal effectively and efficiently in circumstances such as mentioned above.

I have very sympathy for the chaos the staff must have to put up with, but a little, quality customer services would not go a miss. Holidaymakers have a right to try and find the most up-to-date info about their hotel and/or resort prior to getting there rather than turning up after travelling thousands of miles to a disappointment.

I just hope people realise that things like this are absolutly not what we want to happen, its the last thing we want to happen. We'd love nothing more than for everything to go smoothly with all of our customers.
I'm a sales manager for first choice and it gets my goat when customers come in shouting and screaming at me (and in some cases threatning me) when they've had problems on holiday, as if its me personally who has caused the problem, what they dont realise is that if spoken to civil, I will do everything i can to help the customer. Some people just dont give you chance to help.