Tulip Holidays www.tulipholidays.com

My partner and I booked a 2 night stay with Tulip holidays in April this year for the Karbel Beach Hotel, Olu Deniz in Turkey from 2nd - 4th July 2010. This is a lovely hotel and fantastic resort in Turkey and we have stayed there previously and were looking forward to returning there. Payments from my credit card were taken on the 8th and 9th of April 2010.

However on the 1st July the evening before check-in (less than 24 hours notice) I received a call from a representative of Tulip Holidays telling me that unfortunately we had been double booked and could not stay at this hotel or any other in Olu Deniz which was very disappointing. I enquired as to who we had been double booked against and was told it was for a party that had book for 7 days and to my horror that because they had booked for 7 days they took priority. I actually could not believe what I was hearing firstly that although we had booked in April we were being told this less than 24 hours before check-in, and secondly that another party having booked for a longer period took priority. I asked why I was only being informed of this alleged double booking so late and was told by Tulip Holidays that as in there Terms & Conditions they could inform the customer the same day as check-in. I was offered an alternative booking at another hotel but in Hisonaru which is close to Olu Deniz but not nearly as convenient or what we had planned for or wanted, or our money back. Hisonaru is more lively than Olu Deniz and is also not on the beach front like the Karbel Beach Hotel. Either option was of course a disappointing alternative. In a further conversation for which my roaming mobile was being charged, I explained that I was very unhappy and could not accept the alternative hotel booking and that a refund should also be accompanied by compensation. To book a hotel without any advance notice is usually substantially more expensive!! The phone call ended in the Tulip Holidays representative telling me that they did not have to offer me a refund at all as they had given me an alternative hotel booking. I was being constantly over-talked and the phone call ended up in raised voices and with me saying I could not accept the alternative accommodation offer.

The following day I called the Karbel Beach Hotel and enquired about the Tulip Holidays booking and was told that there had not been any confirmed Tulip Holidays booking for those dates. So it would appear that a booking had been requested (not sure of the date that was on) but the Karbel Beach had not ever accepted the booking. There was no request for a further 7 days booking by Tulip Holidays either. The only conclusion I can come to is that the full truth was not being told.

I am now back in the UK and have contacted my credit card company to dispute the payment as I have not yet received a refund.

I will not be attempting to book any other hotels or otherwise through this company and in my opinion I would recommend the same to anyone else. I will also be seeking advice from The Trading Standards as to my rights and will be writing to Tulip holidays requesting compensation.