A quick check on the net does not show anything recent complaining - report in 2008 about rooms 101 to 104 which are ground floor is all I could find. Can you give us more details please.

fwh

I've found a few sites with unhappy people... there seems to be a concensus that the "lower ground" rooms aren't as good.... complaints go back over the years, some from 2011...

Some people on other sites claim to have paid extra for high rooms, only to have been given LGF rooms...

ATB,J.

Most revues are good, because most of the rooms are good! That is why we went again this year. However, room 104 and I think one other, is like a store room, below ground level, no view, very shabby furniture, smells of damp, rotten wood surrounds, very poor cooking facilities, and if you look at reviews posted by others on Trip Advisor and even Thomsons themselves, people who stayed there mention other horrors such as sewage problems, noise and the insecure position of the room. We, as I said did not stay, nor even unpack as the room was so revolting. And neither would we pay another 500 euros to move to another resort.

So what exactly happened when you got there? I presume you were allocated room 104 and went to look at it and unpack? What happened then, did you go back to reception immediately and ask for a different room? Also, did you fill in a complaint form with the rep? I think we need a bit more info on what happened leading up to your decision to move hotels, before we can properly advise you.

At approx 7am, met by Dennis, owner who took us down to the room and left us. We couldn't believe our luck, I almost burst into tears. We left our cases unpacked, went to reception, after meeting a couple of cleaners who saw my face and immediately knew what the problem was, "are you in room 104?" asked Poppy. Eventually found Maria, Dennis's wife and told her we could not stay in that room for a week. She said it was not her problem, and to see R*** the Thomson rep around 11am. Changed clothes, hung about and phoned "Our promise to you" Thomson number, spoke to a very unsympathetic female who just kept on saying that what I was telling her about our problem was just not enough....eventually met R** the rep, who knew what the room was like. He said leave it with him and meet again 5pm. which we did. He had spoken to owners, studios full, and said we could move to another resort, Laganas (not our scene) same sort of self catering accommodation for 500 euros. We declined. Maria then told us she owned the apartment block next door, the Kaledonia, and she could show us a room, which she did. It was like a hostel, but the room was just marginally better than room 104, so we paid 35 euros for the night. We unpacked showered and went out. Next morning we decided to try to find better which we finally did at the nearby Hotel Sirrocco. We stayed here for the rest of the week for 390 Euros. We told Rob where we were staying and before we left he came along and we filled in the official complaint form with him.
On return we wrote to Thomson, with receipts etc and copy of form. Waited more than 30 days for reply which very briefly said that because it was our decision to move, no compensation would be given. Now so angry that it is now not the money but the principle that Thomsons can get away with selling these absolutely no star rooms as 3 star accommodation.

I think you should have left it to the rep to find you alternative accommodation. Only if they didn't have any should you then have found your own. You must give the TO the opportunity to put things right in resort first, so I believe.

The rep told us there was no alternative accommodation in the resort. He offered alternative accommodation in another resort for the young and lively at a cost of 500 Euros. I thought I explained this. We said no. He said the alternative was for us to find our own accommodation in Kalamaki and recoup the expense at the end of the holiday.

sheelagheherd wrote:

He said the alternative was for us to find our own accommodation in Kalamaki and recoup the expense at the end of the holiday.

Then by rights Thomson's should refund the accommodation cost. Did you explain in your complaint letter to Thomson's exactly the sequence of events, including what their rep told you to do?

I didn't realise you were told by the rep to find your own accomodation and recoup the moneyh on your return. If this is the case and you've evidence of this thomson will be obliged to refund you but I somehow doubt you got that in writing.

Sorry, I can't see them paying up despite them being in the wrong with regards to selling this room as a 3 star. Don't really know what to advise you.

It sounds like the rep was trying to fob you off. Unless you have something in writing from him telling you that is what you should do and he had had it authorised, I really don't think that is going to stand up.

We have nothing in writing form rep to say he said this to us. We had already wasted more than a day of a week's holiday. As we refused to stay in Room 104, and didn't want to move resorts at cost of 500 euros, we had little alternative than to do what we did.

P.S. Latest update. Wrote to managing director, including copy of previous letter etc., one week later got phone call from his secretary, who responded to my every point with a pre written answer which did not address the issues. Like a brick wall. Her argument was that people have too high and unrealistic expectations of their holiday accommodation. In my case, I had been at Ionian Blue previously, so had very realistic expectations of what the holiday should have been like. Will never book with Thomsons again.

I just read this and had to let people know that these rooms are still on sale. We travelled with Thomson and were allocated room A2, which is under the stairs, next to the cleaning cupboard. It was so dark that we could not read even with the light on. We asked Jason in reception for a move and spoke to the rep but were told that there was no other room available. Other new arrivals at reception were unhappy with their dark rooms too. Having had a terrible time with illness and family illness we did not have the energy for a fight with either the hotel or Thomson. My email to Thomson was never acknowledged or responded to so they are clearly not bothered. There are many better hotels in Kalamaki that don't have dungeon rooms.