Bahia Principe Akumal bait and switch
 

To celebrate our second wedding anniversary, and based on a glowing recommendation by a co-worker, my wife and I recently booked a 4 day, 3 night trip (June 24-27) to the all-inclusive Bahia Principe Resort in Akumal, Mexico. As a precaution, we elected to avoid using a travel agent and booked the room directly through the hotel’s on-line site, and received a written confirmation of our reservation.

Imagine our shock and anger when we arrived at the hotel only to be informed that the hotel had unilaterally, and without notice, cancelled our reservations and had no room available for us at the resort. Exhibiting no remorse at all and unwilling to provide a plausible explanation of why the hotel would arbitrarily (along with six other couples that day) cancel a pre-paid reservation, the clerk “stuck us” in another lower quality hotel down the road. Needless to say, because of the hotel’s actions, our vacation was a huge disappointment.

I can only surmise that the hotel's “bait and switch” tactic is to over-book the hotel and then bump the guests who booked earlier at lower, discounted rates for those at higher rates. If this wasn’t bad enough, by choosing not to inform guests of the cancellations until they arrive at the hotel leaves them with no other options. Clearly, this is a bad way to conduct business.

Beware of booking at the Bahia Principe Akumal!

What hotel did they move you to?

One of the reasons to use a good travel agent as they step in and intervene on your behalf. Sorry things didn't work out for you.

Protest the payment via your cc company. This is ridiculous. They cheated you! Also threaten to write a letter to Conde Nast's ombudsman if they don't offer acceptable compensation. If you really feel hosed don't just ake it. You have rights too. JM2C.

Umrminer, I feel your pain!

The same thing happened to us a couple of years ago, in Playa del Carmen. Friends of ours had booked Reef Club Playacar through Applevacations, talked us into going with our families. All three rooms were unavailable. They told us they were putting us "not in a four star like this hotel, but in a FIVE star!!!". The five star was still under construction, 25 minutes further outside of town, (which made it impossible for the teens in our group to walk to town - a perk we'd been looking forward to), but it was a decent place. We made the best of it - the Apple Rep was zero help, we negotiated a free rental car for our troubles, which materialized only after two days of standing in line, and we only got it for one day.

I think this is peculiar to Mexico, no?

I think joan is right - I seem to remember reading or hearing about this happening at other resorts in the area.

We always stay at smaller non-AI places, so we've never had it happen.

As jacketwatch said, take action! You really did get ripped off, and hitting them in the pocketbook is the only way to fight back.

There have been many times rooms weren't ready, but to be standing in the lobby and told there's NO room after hours of travel - totally unacceptable!

That's horrific! They must have a tourism bureau. You should write to Conde Nast ombudsman. Not just for yourself, but for all the innocent victims in the future! Telling Fodor's is a good step. Makes me want to write to that resort just to let them know their despicable actions have not gone unnoticed.

I've read of this happening to quite a few visitors to the Mexican Riviera. Problem is that even if they do switch you to a resort that merits equal "stars," you may have carefully made your original choice based on beach, location, or other specific attributes.