Our Extra days thanks to Charley and VOTP

**chrisj** · 23-08-2004, 02:16

Day 1
I cant say what happened at the airport cos its on my complaint to #8216;Vrigin on the Pathetic#8217; which is what they are now known as. Anyway after a bit of a row on Level 3 we went to level 1 and had another one, luckily a Dollar rep heard me having a go and came over to help

So within 10 minutes we had a hotel booked and cab arranged to take us there, we got into the cab and was at international drive within 10-15 minutes, the place was packed with people like us all trying to find rooms thanks to Charley and VOTP

Anyway a row erupted at reception when people were being charged $100 a night when the real room rate was $49, when we got to the front I quoted our ref number and was given a set of room keys. I asked what the rate was and she said $49 a night.

So off to the room, it was filthy, dirty towels all over the room an ashtray full on the bed, so after the airport fiasco with VOTP I saw red, went back to reception and in anger and I know I was wrong but I threw the key things back at them and told them i was disgusted with the room, they offered me another room but I insisted they come
and have a look at the so called clean room they had given us, anyway the bloke came along and couldnt apologise enough, I know I reacted ott but with that we had been through I didnt care, so back to reception and they assigned us another room.

By this time there was almost a riot as people were arriving back who had only booked out a few hours before to find their rooms given out to others or the room rate doubled.

I handed a phone number that had been on telly to a few people about price rigging and got the keys to the new room, Seems they did us proud and the new room was really nice. They got a porter to move our cases and I left the girls and kids in the room while I made phone calls to family and friends to let them know we wouldnt be coming home, the police had turned up and it looked like a good argument was
going on.

Made the calls needed, funny enough reception let me use their phone which was nice of them. Decided to get out of reception as the mood was getting nasty and angry.

Got the family together and off we went to have a look around the area, found a pub and we went in for a drink and calm down, WOW they had Newcastle brown ale on tap and it was real, so had a few of them. Mum was worried about her tablets running out cos we didnt know how long we would be here, so off to Walgreens and got a few days supply.

Back to the room for a much needed shower and change of clothes, decided to get some food and so went back to the pub, we had steak and kidney pie, chips and peas and a few more beers, we sat outside and had a few more drinks and then headed back to the hotel. There was even more people there now, all moaning about VOTP and the
price hike at the hotel and even some of the local shops, I handed out the number to them all and insisted they call., we went to bed sort of angry still but at least we had calmed down a bit

Day 2
Up pretty early as none of us could really sleep, think with the stress and worry we just couldn#8217;t get any sleep, so off for breccie, found a Pondarosa and went in there WOW it was packed, we got a table and had a huge breccie, yummy, sat outside afterwards having a smoke and chatting about how on earth we are supposed to get home etc. Back to hotel and their pool was closed for 2 days due to damage, so we
walked along to the next one and their pool was open so we camped ourselves there all day so the kids could relax and not see we were worried, popped out for some drinks and the local shop was really expensive so I questioned the price and he said its cos of the hurricane, so I told him to get stuffed and went back to the hotel and phoned the number I had. Sure enough by the time I walked back the police were there and I gave them a statement, anyway its seems they have been busy with complaints about price hikes, seems a shame cos now we were seeing a side to America that wasn#8217;t nice,

Anyway back to the pool and after a few hours we decided to get somethi

**porky** · 23-08-2004, 12:43

Good for you Chris. I hate it when people try and rip you off. You and my husband would get on well together, as he is much like you.

Good luck with your fight with VOTP.

Jacqui

**chrisj** · 23-08-2004, 12:45

Thanks Jacqui

dont expect to get anywhere apart from the silly £50 voucher but im prepared to tell them
where to stick it and fight for more

**stabard** · 23-08-2004, 13:21

What an end to such a great trip - good luck with your fight - and I will keep an eye open for the watchdog expose[msnwink]

**chrisj** · 23-08-2004, 13:58

Cheers

It was a great trip, and would have been even better if we had got home when we were meant
to, what a great end that would have been, 3 fantastic weeks and a hurricane, now you could
never plan an ending like that

I feel sorry for the home owners who must have been sitting at home worrying for hours while
it hit, and now they have to get their villa's repaired.

**DaveL** · 23-08-2004, 14:21

How about the name of the Steak place that treated you well?

I for one would be prepared to eat there and tell them it was because they treated people with respect. Might also help the word spread that these guys were getting extra business.

Dave

**chrisj** · 23-08-2004, 14:40

The steak place was next to the Best Western Movie land opposite Wet N Wild, you come out
of the Hotel turn right and its the first place in a parade of shops, I cant remember the
name but it is next door, it was something like Best Steaks or something like that, its a
buffet place

**Ann-Marie** · 23-08-2004, 15:53

Chris

Fabulous trip report! You all seemed to have a ball!

Sad it finished on a bit of sour note. However, you stood your ground and seems you helped a few other folk along the way too.

Hope everything works out with your complaint.

Keep us posted

**ravtino** · 23-08-2004, 18:29

Hi Chris I have been watching for your last few days report, hope you get somewhere with V

CAn you tell me why the numbers - I may be been a bit thick here, there are some other words on peoples that I don't get one been LOL - now I thought I new that one but would not have used it in some of these contexes.