hotels4u.com acts only as an "agent" rather than a "principle" in making the reservation. One of the downsides of a bed bank provider only acting as an agent of the hotelier in selling the accommodation is that if things go wrong your complaint is likely to be passed to the hotel and hotels4u.com will push back on any responsibility to you. If acting as a "principle" then your consumer rights are much greater.

Details of this "agent" status are on their web site. Presumably uktravelshop would have known that hotels4u.com were not acting as principles and only as agents.

http://www.hotels4u.com/bookingconditions.aspx