There’s no room at the Riu

By Christopher Elliott

Travel columnist

updated 3:12 p.m. ET Aug. 12, 2005

There's a hurricane bearing down on the Bahamas, and Marifran Manzo-Ritchie is worried about her upcoming all-inclusive vacation. But when she calls her travel agency to ask about its cancellation policy, a phone representative deletes her reservation. Manzo-Ritchie is charged a cancellation fee and is left to fend for herself. Did Orbitz make a mistake? And if so, what does it owe Manzo-Ritchie?

Q: My husband and I booked a vacation at the Hotel Riu Paradise Island, an all-inclusive resort in the Bahamas, through Orbitz.

Three days before our trip, Hurricane Emily bore down on the Caribbean, seemingly headed for the Bahamas. I called Orbitz just to ask about its cancellation policy. The service representative said that if I canceled before midnight, I would incur a $25 charge; if I canceled the next day, I would be billed for one night’s stay and taxes.

The agent did not speak English very well, and she asked me twice if I’d like to cancel. Twice, I said “no.”

About half an hour after I hung up, I got an e-mail from Orbitz saying that my reservation had been canceled. I immediately called Orbitz to reinstate my room. After two hours on the phone — and after having been hung up on twice by representatives who obviously didn’t want to deal with my problem — I got a call from a supervisor named Jeff. He told me that my room was canceled and that there was nothing Orbitz could do about it. He was rude and unapologetic, all but accusing me of lying.

At this point, three days before our trip, my husband and I had nowhere to stay. The only available rooms were at the Holiday Inn, and we booked one. Unfortunately, the hotel turned out to be an absolute dump. In short, our vacation was ruined by the incompetent folks at Orbitz.

To add insult to injury, Orbitz charged us for one full night’s stay plus tax for canceling within three days of departure. The representative was not only wrong about our wishes, but also about the charges we would incur if we did cancel.

I have e-mailed and called Orbitz, but to no avail. I feel I deserve not only a refund but also additional compensation. What do you think?

— Marifran Manzo-Ritchie, Wayne, Pa.

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