Our Group Action Lawyers have received complaints about the supposed five-star Caribbean resort known as The Buccament Bay Resort, which is run, we believe, by Harlequin Hotels & Resorts.
Reports are coming in that the resort is apparently so underfunded that staff haven’t been paid for months, and basic services and utilities are not even available; let alone anything near a 5-Star experience being offered.
If you’ve been affected by these issues at the resort, please don’t hesitate to contact us as we’ve launched investigations for compensation claims for victims.
Harlequin Hotels & Resorts are reportedly having money troubles, with media sources saying there’s an arrest warrant for owner David Ames. Despite this, some guests are not being told about any issues, and are still turning up to the supposed 5-star Buccament Bay Resort to embark on nothing more than a holiday from hell.
In fact, the resort management appear to be disputing the claims of the owner’s money troubles, and appear to be running on the idea that all is well and fine.
But from complaints we’ve received from guests currently stuck on the resort, and from complaints flooding in online, the acclaimed 5-star resort is nothing more than a complete nightmare.
Reports received allege all sorts of problems – problems you wouldn’t expect at even a basic holiday resort, let alone at a 5-star resort, including:
- Understaffing – with staff telling guests they haven’t been paid for months;
- Food and drink shortages, and even rotten food overflowing from bins;
- Urgent repair and refurbishments desperately needed to many areas of the resort;
- Power outages;
- Hotel and facilities furniture falling apart.
Those are the serious problems that seem deserved of customer feedback saying the resort should be closed immediately. On top of these problems, there are issues that clearly show this resort is not in any way deserving of its so-called 5-Star rating, such as:
- Towels and clean linen unavailable – with some complaining of being given dirty linen!
- Closed restaurants, with those that are open having severely limited food options available, and reservations being cancelled (reportedly caused by striking staff);
- Closed shops, with some open having empty shelves;
- Sporting academies closed with no staff to run them;
- Promised entertainment cancelled because the entertainers are reportedly not being paid;
- No glasses or local proper drinks; with some reports of cans of Fosters lager being served (at a 5 star resort!?);
- No working air conditioning;
- Broken sun beds and furniture;
- Rusting toilet facilities;
- Rubbish overflowing in bins and piling up around the resort;
- Unredeemable vouchers;
- Pools closed due to alleged lack of funds to clean them;
- Cancelled boat trips due to not paying the boat owner;
- Early closures for anything that somehow is open!
These are all from reports flooding in from customers both online and from complaints raised with our Group Action Lawyers.
This certainly doesn’t sound like a 5-star resort to me!
Apparently, some people lucky enough to get a meal or a drink describe food as “poor” / leftovers! Reports also say there is stagnant water on site.
“Difficult conditions”
With staff payroll a reported issue, we’re being told there are strikes, missing workers, and some employees who have little motivation to do their jobs. Managers have reportedly admitted to complaining guests that the issues are being caused by funding, which is contrary to some of the responses to complaints, where recent storms were cited as the root of the problems.
From what we’re seeing, these problems were ongoing prior to any storms hitting the resort.
Guests leaving – but why are new guests not being told about the reported problems?
Some have had enough and have already left – but a major concern is that people are still turning up to the resort with no warning from their travel agent that there are serious problems coming from the resort.
In fact, some guests who had been concerned by complaints reportedly contacted their agents and were assured there was nothing to be worried about; yet they’re turning up to a holiday from hell!
An “all-inclusive disaster”
The brochures and websites advertising the resort show a picturesque location and promises of an all-inclusive five-star experience.
Reports from the resort are totally contradicting this, with some guests even saying that one-star would be a generous award.
Have you been affected by this?
If you have been affected and would like advice about your rights for compensation, you can contact our Group Action Lawyers on 0800 634 75 75.
Important: Please note that all the information about the problems has come from guests staying at the resort; both from complaints directly to us, and complaints online. The reported money issues and legal troubles with the owners are from external media sources.
First published by Author on November 28, 2016
Posted in the following categories: Holidays Abroad and tagged with compensation claims