Just had a look for Oct 17 - 22 on Thomson hotel only site

Benilux Park HB is £14.50 pppn Not bad at all. IMHO
Rio Park HB is £25.50 pppn
Ambassador HB is £24.00 pppn

Although they are higher than recent prices, I don't think they are TOO bad.

What dates were you looking at?

We booked with W.S.H. for our forthcoming stay at the Pelicanos/Ocas a good few months ago and I noticed that the price has recently increased but not considerably, I'd say by about 10%.

Alpha rooms currently have an offer on whereby you receive 5% discount.

W.S.H. also offer 8% discount if you have booked with them previously, I'm not sure if you have but if you haven't then it's worth booking for 2 nights (that's the minimum) then doing a seperate booking for the rest of your stay and then you qualify for the discount.

http://www.sun4udirect.com are reasonably cheap too, have you tried them?

As Pebbles has previously asked, what dates are you looking at and then we can have a good look around for you.

Hope you are keeping ok.

Sue

We booked 1 week in flaming Oasis middle of June with Thomson and got it for!!!

£557 for the 4 of us all inclusive. for 3 adults and a 16 year old

Couldn't beleive how much cheaper than even booking direct with hotel.

Thought their accom deals were really good.

I have been booking with Thomson Hotels for the past few years and have noticed that the price now increases alot in July right up until the middle of October for a week in FO for 4 jumps to £849 an increase of £300 from a few weeks previously. This didn't use to be the case. I have just checked and noticed that the Hotel we stayed in last year costs £600 more this year for the same 14 nights. I believe these dearer costs may be due to the fact they know that more people are booking DIY and so are taking advantage once again. Karen

We booked 1 week in flaming Oasis

Please don't call it flaming Oasis, it's actually rather nice.

i find the difference between booking direct with the hotel and through other agencies is the room allocation..often the cheaper agencies get the least popular rooms....

often the cheaper agencies get the least popular rooms....

Please can I ask which companies you consider to be cheaper agencies?
and also where you got this information from.

Sue

Totally disagree luv2tan. I have been booking with agencies for a few years now. I always e-mail the Hotel before arriving and have always had my requests granted. Previously when booking through Thomson etc my requests were ignored unless I paid extra, and the manager of one Hotel actually told me that they usually only receive the lists with the Surname and number of guests on it 2 weeks prior to arrival from TOs etc so always email the Hotel directly. I have stayed next door to people who have booked direct with the Hotel, only difference I paid a lot less. Eg 1 week booked direct with Flamingo Oasis AI easter week for family of 3 = £840, same week booked with Thomson Hotels only £467 and I got my request of high floor, sunny balcony and pool view. Karen

I have been booking with Thomson Hotels for the past few years and have noticed that the price now increases alot in July right up until the middle of October for a week in FO for 4 jumps to £849 an increase of £300 from a few weeks previously. This didn't use to be the case. I have just checked and noticed that the Hotel we stayed in last year costs £600 more this year for the same 14 nights. I believe these dearer costs may be due to the fact they know that more people are booking DIY and so are taking advantage once again

Thomson have such a strong hold on the hotels that I don't think some people realise just how strong that hold is.
The prices have always been hiked up in July and August ever since I started going abroad mainly because the schools are on holiday, the weather is more or less guaranteed and the old case of "supply and demand"
The period got extended when people booked before the official July price hike to save some money (before the government introduced the fines) and the people who wanted a holiday before the invasion of kiddies.

The same applies in September, Benidorm is very popular during this month and I have had to struggle to get an holiday at times.
This is because after the first week and the kiddies have gone back to school and the old foggies like me fancy a break while the good weather is still there and the nights still warm....again supply and demand.

When you get to October, then you go into the winter brochure price and all hotels more or less work on a 10% increase each year...that's a conservative percentage because the TO's have the hoteliers by the short and curlys and Thomson are the main culprit, especially if they are the main and sometimes the only TO in the hotels.
When Thomson speak, then the hotel and its staff jump.
The merger of Thomson and First Choice have just made Thomson even more powerful, they approach hotels and strike a deal that guarantees to fill the hotel all the season and if you were the owner of the hotel and the price was right, then you would say OK....my hotel will be full, I've got the money, it's no longer my problem, it is up to Thomson to sell the beds.

Thomson then apply an extra cost to the clients by advertising a room with a sea view, a room with a garden view, a standard room, a room with a balcony blah blah and bloody blah.
This has nothing to do with the hotel it is soley Thomson's greed.
I can prove that because we have stayed in an hotel on the Costa del Sol and I could ask for a room with a certain view, now that is not possible unless I had paid Thomson on the booking procedure for that specific view..
Previously, the hotel would try and accomodate my request, now all I can request is the floor level with the same view as the one I had paid for when booking.

Therefore, if you say Thomson are getting the best rooms and other outlets are not, then in some respect that is true because Thomson add extra charges for specific rooms as previously explained and therefore the hotels have to allocate you a certain room as according to your booking details.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiii

mrnkar, I agree entirely on what you are saying as I have booked a few different hotels with Thomson Accom only and also W.S.H. and have emailed the hotel a week or so prior to going asking for requests.

I have always got what I have asked for. Of course the box of chocs for reception that I promise them may have something to do with it.

Sue

I think that it's a c*n that the tour operators penalise lone travellers.

If you book through some of the agencies, the single supplement is either non existent or negligible but Thomsons and the like really sting people.

If W.S.H., Alpha rooms e.t.c. can do it why can't the Tour Operators?

Sue

Sue I didn't even have to bribe them with chocs and never go near packages holidays unless I get a real bargain as I wouldn't pay adults prices for a child of 12 or pay under occupancy supplements ever again for being a family of 5.
Sanji, Think you got the wrong end of the stick with my previous post. I wasn't saying Thomson guests got the best rooms as even when I use other agencies I get the same. Just happens that a Thomson Hotels Only booking was usually cheaper than other agencies so I tend to use them more. I was just making a statement to luv2tan that you don't only get the best rooms by booking direct with a Hotel. Karen

Of course the box of chocs for reception that I promise them may have something to do with it.

You and your box of chocolates
Look at this logically.
If the hotel has 100 rooms with a sea view and Thomson have sold those rooms for the week(s) that you want, during their booking procedure, then it doesn't matter if you book with Sanji's travel shop, you will not get a sea view.
What is a c on, is the fact that if the sea view rooms have not been sold, then you could still be allocated one if the other rooms in the hotel are full.
By booking and paying for a sea view, then you are guaranteed a sea view and neither Thomson or the hotel can change what you have paid for.

Another factor is if the deal between the hotel owners and Thomson only allocates a percentage of the beds in the hotel to Thomson, let's say 60% then that gives some leeway to other TO's operating within the hotel and more chance of your request being fulfilled or when dealing directy with the hotel.

Sanji, Think you got the wrong end of the stick with my previous post. I wasn't saying Thomson guests got the best rooms

No problem hun, I'm just trying to explain the system and the greed of Thomson and they do get the best rooms by their greed during the booking process.
They have now got my hotel by the short and curlys by making it a Thomson only hotel, whereas before, I could book via a Spanish operator and get the same for considerably less.
To book directly with the hotel is now more expensive than going through Thomson....so who has a monopoly on the hotel ? and the ability to charge what they want.


sanjiiiiiiiii

Hi Sanji, Our previous posts got crossed. I am not criticising what you are saying in any way shape or form, (I daren't )

I can see your point entirely, I was merely pointing out my own experiences.

Hey, Sanjis travel shop has a real ring about it.

Sue

Hi hun
I think we have all got our posts crossed.
I'm not having a go at anyone, I'm just trying to explain the system and the power that Thomson have over the hotels.

I avoided Thomson for several years because of this, but have had to book with them this year because of wanting a certain hotel, and as I have just explained because of their buying/dealing power it actually works out more expensive in my case, to go DIY and deal directly with the hotel in question.
Thomson have closed all avenues that were previously open by shutting out the other Spanish operators and making a direct booking with the hotel more expensive.
I just hate corporate greed, especially when it affects my choice.

Sanji

Please don't call it flaming Oasis, it's actually rather nice

Oops Sue Never noticed that.

Looked at the Thomson website and the same booking we made last week has now gone up £201

Liz

Hi Folks - Sorry for delay...had a broadband problem!...I've used wintersunshine several times now so do get the 8% discount. I was originally looking at a date around end of July so i searched last Thurs and Fri and looked at Hotels Avenida (were we are staying in 2 weeks), Hoel Mayna and also Camposol...only want a cheapy really. When i checked then the Camposol was £170 B&B and the Mayna £185 half Board. I checked again the other day, and just now and the prices for the same departure date (31st July) had risen to £257 at the Camposol and £317 at the Mayna the Avenida had gone up considerablt too. That is one heck of a hike over just a fews days, and i've noticed Alpharooms prices have gone up too. I've had a reply from Wintersunshine who basically blame it on peak season, currency fluctuations or special offers. ...Non of the Hotels mentioned were advertised as a special offer price when i originally looked, so I dont think its down to that, so i dont see why the prices have risen so quickly. I've sent them another email just now, and i'll see what they say. As Sanji says, September is also popular too and the prices have risen then as well. However i have checked these Hotels consistently for over 12 months and this is the first time they've gone up by this amount.

Best Regards - Taggy

Yes think we did. Sanji I understand your points and I agree DIY isn't usually cheaper for only 2 people but is when there are there are more, when we pay for a room rather than number of people. I was always a Thomson Holiday person and in fact even bought shares to earn extra discounts etc. Fat load of good that turned out to be after a couple of years, but realized how expensive they were and how much I could save doing it myself and have never looked backed. Hopefully its not going to be a case of it becoming as dear to DIY as booking a package. Karen

Hi Taggy, Just looked on sun4udirect and found the following.

All these are based on 1 person.

Camposol 31st July for 7 nights,

B&B should be £205.02 but special offer is £157.77

Half Board, should eb £226.14 special offer is £173.96

Full board should be £236.67 special offer is £182.06

Kind Regards
Sue