Family claim £2,600 Thomas Cook holiday is ruined after hotel scraps kids’ club, mini disco and playground and becomes ‘yoga retreat’
A FAMILY’s £2,600 Thomas Cook holiday was ruined after their hotel scrapped its family-fun amenities to become a yoga retreat, it has been claimed. Danielle Dutton booked for her husband Anthony, two young sons Joe and Frankie and their grandparents to say at the Luna Park in Costa Brava for this August. When the 31-year-old […]
A FAMILY’s £2,600 Thomas Cook holiday was ruined after their hotel scrapped its family-fun amenities to become a yoga retreat, it has been claimed.
Danielle Dutton booked for her husband Anthony, two young sons Joe and Frankie and their grandparents to say at the Luna Park in Costa Brava for this August.
When the 31-year-old made the reservation in October and she says she was promised a kids’ club, playground and mini disco for her boisterous boys, aged 10 years and 18 months.
However, with 87 days to go til her holiday, Thomas Cook informed her facilities had been removed.
Now the hotel on the southern coast of Spain offers yoga, pilates and t’ai chi.
The family, from Rochdale, Manchester, has been offered to move to a child-friendly hotel if they shell out an extra £800.
She said: “I’m just worried, I don’t want my holiday to be ruined.
“It’s the first time we’ve taken my husband’s little boy away and it’s our first big family holiday, but it’s making me feel like I don’t want to go.
“I was just shocked at first. Everyone was happy with what we had booked.
“We were expecting a kids’ club, a mini disco and a playground play area. They were the main reasons we booked that hotel in the first place.”
‘I’M DREADING IT’
Danielle didn’t find out about the renovations until this week when she received a letter from Airtours, part of the Thomas Cook group.
The letter told her the children’s amenities were removed as the indoor pool would be turned into a spa and guests would now have to pay to use sun loungers.
She was devastated to be find out the hotel rebranded itself as a retreat-style resort, offering yoga and pilates to guests.
Danielle said: “I’m dreading it. How am I going to keep a baby quiet when there’s yoga going on?”
If a cancellation is made earlier than 90 days before the holiday start date then only the deposit is lost.
Cancelling now will cost the family £800 as well as the stress of trying to find an affordable alternative as the holiday season is already starting.
She said: “We paid the holiday off 3 days off before they emailed me.
“They must have known about it in advance, it’s not like they could add all those facilities overnight. It seems like they’ve waited until the 90 days is up.
“Maybe If they sorted it out and sorted us somewhere decent to go, I would consider booking with them again although I would be cautious, but at the moment there is no chance I would book with them again.”
The Thomas Cook website describes the hotel’s “calm and relaxing atmosphere” as one of its main attractions.
Photos show a lagoon-style pool and vegetarian buffet, informing guests “it’s all about relaxation here”.
Another picture shows a man, dressed all in white, appearing to do yoga next to a Buddha statue.
MOST READ IN TRAVEL
There is no mention of children at all within its description.
A Thomas Cook spokesperson: “Occasionally our hotel partners need to make changes to the facilities and we are working with Ms. Dutton to find a suitable alternative.
“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.