Arillas Bay Apartments 2008....BEWARE!

[Paul D]

Judging by all the posts about Arillas Bay, it seems to me to be a one off bad apple because I`m sure if other forum members had really bad times at other accomodations,then they would be on this site. All I can say is that three times with Manos to Leonidas(twice)and Dionysos 2, we had no complaints. For the tour company to say there isn`t a problem,is a load of b`````ks.

[Jersey Bean]

You can keep all records etc of deallings with TC but it does not mean they will do anything about it.  I have found their customer services very unhelpful and quite blaise.  It may mean taking your complaints further and considering arbitration.
Saying that I have not had a problem with the reps they always seem lovely, I think it is the people at customer services who do not have to face you that are the problem.
It seems strange that all these problems seem to have arised after Manos was taken over.

[harold]

A letter arrived today from Thomas Cook,saying they were very sorry for the problems we had at the Arillas Bay and that they understand when on holiday our room is our home from home and that the owners should have sorted out the heating system after the first incident.They also enclosed a cheque for £70,so as far as I am concerned Thomas Cook have acted as they should have done within the terms and promises they made to us and Sally and I are both pleased with the outcome.

[justlynn]

That's great to hear, Harold.  Pleased for you and Sally after all your problems on holiday.

Seems to us it's going to be a different ball-game for others who had these intrusion problems, but good luck to all concerned!

And as Barry says, hope everything is sorted for everyone else with upcoming holidays!

lynn and colin

[GaryS]

Today strongly worded letters have gone to Thomas Cook and to ABTA, hi-lighting my utter disgust with the AB.

I have logged all the times and days of the attempted break-ins. the numbers called in Arillas to and from which phones. Basically its a three pager. Ive also told them that now we are all back in the UK we can't be devided or isolated and told them about the forum on here. That way they know as lovers of Arillas we will not stand for this kind of thing. If they feel they have a resort against them and can see the depth of feeling something might just get done to pull the owners of the AB in line.

I will keep you all informed as to our progress. I decided to CC Abta the same letter as they are the regulators of the industry and are likely very interested. Might make TC speed things up a tad.

[harold]

Gaz if you go on the abta website theres a lot of useful information on it all about how to put in a claim and how the compensation works.

[robalysha]

This will be probally very similar to Gazcaz's first post but we have alot of the same things to say.
The location of these apartments were ideal as walking out of the apartments you could see the sea and had all the shops, tavernas and resturants within a short walking distance. Arillas as a location is wonderful and the people are very polite and welcoming.
However the Arillas Bay Apartments are a complelete dive and the worst place we have stayed in self-catering! So much so we only stayed 5 nights out of 14 before we were moved to another hotel. There were alot of reasons contributing to our move, including:
1. The fact that our towels and sheets were changed only once during our stay and that was the day in which we were moved. Another couple we met who were only staying 1 week didn't have they'res changed at all!
2. The bathroom smelt of blocked drains which is probally the reason behind the basin in which you stand to have a shower filled up with water each time. Also the water on the bathroom floor would run away from the drain in the middle of the floor rather than towards it so flooding the bathroom and kitchen!
3. In the bedroom there was no air-conditioning (wasn't stated in brouchure so weren't expecting it) and didnt have and option of hiring a fan unless walking approx 1-2 miles up the road. However if you did hire a fan there was only 1 plug in the bedroom which meant a mozzie plug couldn't be used aswell. Therefore having 2 options, either to sweating all night but not being bitten or being cooler but get eaten instead!
4. The swimming pool area had lots of sunbeds to use but only if you didnt want to use an umbrella as there were only 3 broken ones! The swimming pool itself was never witnessed being cleaned during our stay by us or any of the other couples we met. We were later informed that the owners had bought some more umbrellas.
5. To top off all this on night 2 (wednesday) the couple in the apartment next to us (b5) had someone trying to break into their apartment through the shutters. On night 5 (friday), we woke up to a lot of comotion outside our room, later to find out that someone had tried to break in through another couple's room (b6) through their shutters while they were awake, talking and with the light on! The man returned to them 3 times in the same night even after being chased off each time! The man was identified as a resident of the bungalow behind our apartments who was paying the owners to live there. It was reported to the rep on the Saturday who told us that the gentleman was told he had to move out that evening. After going out to have something to eat in the evening he was still there and was later in the bar at the apartments drinking with the owner, helping himself to the beers!
We requested to move through his presence being a threat to us even though it didnt happen to us directly. We were moved on the Sunday to the Akti Arilla Hotel which according to the Manos brouchure 1st May- 31st Oct 2008 was of a lower rating. This couldnt be further from the truth! It was of a completely better standard on every level. We were later joined by the couple that the first attempted break in happened to on the Monday to find out that the same man had tried breaking in to their apartment (b5) again on the Saturday night after being told he had to leave for that very reason!
We are pleased to say that both us and the other couple in which were moved and became friends with, had a much better 2nd week at the Akti Arilla Hotel, thanks to the general hygine being better and the staff being a lot nicer. By the time we left Corfu on Monday 14th July, the gentleman was still living at the Arillas Bay and were also told by the owner of the Akti Arilla hotel, he had 8 rooms being taken up by people being moved from Arillas Bay within 1 month!
We were told by our rep at the Arillas Bay that the owner was in hospital and left his son and daughter in charge, which we appreciate is probally hard but as far as we are concerned is no reason to let the Apartments slip so much. The Sea Breeze resturant that is part of Arillas Bay was previously a very busy place to eat but during our stay in Arillas it was mostly always empty. Clearly showing a problem.

[robalysha]

We have put our post on now, might take a while to read though! I managed to upload Albainian Bay onto Trip advisor, well i think ive done it right anyway, ha ha! I know wat a nightmare! we seen them when we got the airport and we ended up leaving before they did! do you know what time they finally got home? i did try to e-mail them but it wouldnt go through for some reason. It was a good last day thanks and a good flight home, how about yourselves. hope your both ok although being back home!
alysha

[GaryS]

Hey Guys

Have sent you a personal message on this forum, check your profile. Have included what happened to Rob and Cath and contact details for us should you decide to fight with Thomas Cook for the first week.

[Joe]

Just picked up on this thread but will see what I can dig up, bear in mind I work for the airline and not the much maligned Tour Operator so no promises on what information I can find.

Arillas Bay is not a TCX property (was it Manos by any chance?) so I assume it is something else we 'picked up' with the merger but this is all heresay until I can speak to my old colleagues in Bradford.

I have no affinity for TCX after the past 12 months but as I have posted before the aim of Tour Ops is not to bleed the town dry, they do try and work with the businesses and I usually see a healthy relationship. Yes they can earn more by going independant but by aligning with a Tour Operator a guaranteed income in assured even if the rooms are empty, this is a great businesss model for both sides.

[Joe]

Oh forgot to mention Thomas Cook are very aware of this forum and especially the website, resources like this are invaluable to all

[harold]

Joe you are correct TC did pick it up in the merger with Manos.Fair play to TC they did the right thing for us £70 returned and a nice letter to boot,just hope it works out for the others.

[Ang]

Lets all hope that we dont have to read anymore bad reports from the Arillas Bay and that maybe some of the other business families  in the village have had a quiet word.The damage may well have been done for the remainder of this season and Im sure allot of planning will need to be done for 2009 and thereafter, afterall this family have been providing for the tourists for many many years with little or no complaint but they will now have to change if they are to capture some of that holiday spend and survive.
I wish them good luck
Ang

[Joe]

I'm sure you understand that when anything relates to the company I work for I have to be careful what I post, opinions are fine but beyond that I have to be mindful. I also have the benefit of family living in Arillas so sometimes I feel at cross purposes, it pains me to see people after spending their hard earned money have a bad time but I also get to see the inhuman effort that goes on here getting the aircraft away.

The Merger between Thomas Cook and Airtours completed in March 2008, Thomas Cook historically only used the Mirage / Marvellous and part of the Atki with the Galini as overspill, I am sure you agree each of these properties are diverse and show the best of Arillas. Since the merger all the properties that were under the Airtours umbrella now fly the Thomas Cook flag, this included all Manos properties and holidays.

Manos is a good brand and previously the accommodation named in this thread has been received very well, obviously there are problems which have been noticed, if anything the bigger problem would be the way it has/will be dealt with, it’s a legacy of the merger that we as staff feel as well, two incompatible systems are being brought together and being made to work as one. I posted last year that this summer would not be pretty and that has turned out to be the case, however things are slowly coming together now.

This forum is a nice exception as forums themselves usually breed negativity, much as in real life we tend only to comment if something is wrong, if we are happy we are quiet. That is why when something upsetting or bad happens in Arillas it shines like a beacon on this forum, I am not way belittling the problems people have had, in fact I have made sure that the issues mentioned here have been passed on to higher levels.

If anyone yet to travel out still has concerns contact whoever you booked your holiday with, either your local travel agent of the tour operator, now is a good time to be a customer and you may be surprised at what retentions are offered.

[Eggy]

Joe

Very well said and, I'm sure taken on board by many of us. The very unfortunate past can now be replaced by, we all hope, a very positive and enjoyable future.

Regards
Negg