My sister's experience.
"I am extremely frustrated after a…read moreterrible experience with Alcock and Brown Hotel in Clifden. Following a one night stay which was paid in full on check out, they put a hold of an additional €280 on my visa card the day AFTER we paid, and 8 days later I still have no access to my €280!!!
I booked the Alcock & Brown hotel on the 13th of May for myself and 13 others. Each room was to be booked individually as this was not a group booking. I reserved a room for my husband and me and also for my friend and her husband, on my visa debit card. When reserving the rooms (over the phone) I specifically asked that my card not be used for these rooms unless we did not show (or cancelled outside of the cancellation terms) as we would be paying by a different card as would the other couple.
I was explicitly told by the hotel that as long as both rooms were paid for either on check in or check out that there would be no action on my card.
We arrived on Saturday the 14th of June, the other couple paid for their room at check in on their credit card and we paid for our room on check out on my husband's credit card.
However, when I checked my bank account on the Monday, 16th of June, there was an outstanding charge of €280 (the cost of the two rooms) on my visa card.
I contacted the hotel immediately to enquire why they had charged my card when both rooms had been paid for before we left. I was told that my card had not been charged, but a hold had been put on my card for the total of the two rooms on Friday the 13th of June as a precautionary measure, and would be released in 3-5 days! And that this was common practice for most hotels.
I have never before come across this, with any hotel. I could understand if we did not show up on the day taking the payment from my card, but not putting a hold on the money the day before we were due to arrive, especially not having told me that this would be done, and having told me that my card would not be used if payment was made in full by check out.
The hotel told me they would try to put the transaction at €0.00 to clear the hold, they called back to say that this didn't work and would put through a transaction of €0.01 to try and clear the hold. However, they did not contact me to say that this didn't work, and the following day when my direct debits went through, my account went into debit, and one of my bills was almost not paid.
This was very embarrassing for me, and I contacted the hotel. I spoke to a French man on reception, who could not have been nicer and was extremely helpful and apologetic. He took my details and was to contact Declan (I think he is the manager), who I had dealt with originally, and ask him to call me immediately.
When I still hadn't received a call by lunch time the next day, I rang again, and this time spoke to a lady at reception. I had to go through everything again with her, as Declan wasn't there again. She was very nonchalant, repeatedly telling me that this was common practice with hotels and that I will just have to wait for the hold to be released.
I explained that I was not happy with this and would like to speak to Declan. She reluctantly took my details and told me that she would call Declan, but didn't know if she would get through as signal in Clifden area is bad.
A while later, the same lady from reception called me back, to say they were sorry about the inconvenience, but kept insisting that as they hadn't taken the money out of my account and only put a hold on the amount that it was all perfectly fine as the money was still there, either way I do not have access to these funds. She bordered on very rude, and told me that Declan would not be contacting me, as there is nothing that they can do and I would have to contact my bank and sort it out myself.
It is now Monday the 23rd, 11 days since Alcock and Brown Hotel put a hold on €280 on my visa card, and I still have no access to this money. Another direct debit came out today, I'm not sure if it has gone through yet as there was not enough money in my account. My account has gone into debit, for the second time in a week, and I will also be charged for both of these.
I have had to ring the hotel 3 times, I have a minimum of two charges on my account for going into debit and I have had to call my bank, another cost. My bank informed me that Alcock and Brown put a pre-authorisation hold on my card for the €280 on Monday the 16th of June, the day After the room fees were paid!! The pre-authorisation hold lasts 10 working days, which means I will not have access to my €280 until the end of this week.
The entire situation is a disgrace. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.
