Untrustworthy, deceptive, unaccountable & arrogant…..
We booked a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast package for four adults, then amended it to three adults and one child, purely as the hotel recognised my 16-year-old son as a child. The price remained exactly the same as four adults.
Our confirmation clearly showed Dinner, Bed & Breakfast, this was reaffirmed at check in.
The stay itself was average at best: a tired pool area with peeling paint, children screaming, ‘bombing’ in the water, a totally quiet & empty restaurant with zero atmosphere, and average food.
The real issue came at checkout; our bill was significantly higher than expected. After questioning it, I had multiple receipts thrust under my nose and left to try & work it out for myself. Eventually, I was told my son’s dinner was not included in the package despite the booking confirmation saying otherwise and nobody mentioning this at check-in or in the restaurant.
This was delivered with smugness, arrogance and disdain. I explained that I did not authorise the sudden additional charge, I was met with a shrug and the words:
“That’s OK, we don’t need your card to charge you. We already have the details.”
Apparently, this was the duty manager. Is this even allowed?
Rather than attempting to resolve the issue professionally, I was met with rudeness, contradictory explanations and dismissal.
After raising a dispute with American Express & providing supporting evidence, the hotel agreed to a refund if I first closed the chargeback case. In good faith, I complied.
Months of emails, repeated evidence, endless delays & excuses followed, the refund never materialised.
The result? No refund, no compensation, not even a genuine apology. The only apology came after repeatedly pointing out that every email focused solely on the invisible refund on a charge that was made up and never authorised, as though they were doing me a favour, ignoring the appalling treatment at checkout.
A masterclass in avoiding accountability, and one of the worst examples of customer service at all levels ever experienced.
Bravo Crowne Plaza Marlow.