I booked a week's stay at Hotel Bjork, in Reykjavik, Iceland, in January.
I used the hotel's website, and when payment was taken I was transferred to centralr.com. The total price quoted was 381, broken down to the price of the room per night. This was given in Euros in bold, obvious typeface, with the price in Icelandic Kronur in very small print underneath. The website did not have a link through to an independent currency conversion website, and did not say the price was approximate.
When I paid for the room at the hotel reception at the end of the holiday, the price had was 630! This was not down to fluctuation in exchange rates because the price in Kronur was the same.
The hotel was adequate, but if I had realised it was going to cost double what I expected, I would have chosen a nicer hotel for the money.
When I complained to Central Reservations, I was refunded 38 - my 10% deposit - as a "goodwill gesture", even though the company admitted that at the time of my booking there was a fault with their currency converter. I am seeking to get a further amount refunded after being fobbed off with no real apology. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY TO BOOK ANY HOTEL - BOOK DIRECT WITH THE HOTEL OR YOU'LL GET A SURPRISE BILL AT THE END OF YOUR STAY!!!
I have since had a look online, and found a number of varying complaints about this organisation. They seem to be utterly unscrupulous and dishonest, and appear to fob people off regularly.
Hannah
Manchester
United Kingdom
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