What should have been a week-long escape to the sun-drenched Greek island of Kos turned into a devastating 24-hour ordeal for the Harvey family from Kent. Their dream holiday, costing nearly £2,500, collapsed spectacularly after a single night when they were allegedly evicted from their hotel due to severe overbooking.
Kloe Harvey, 23, had saved meticulously for the trip to the Labranda Marine Aqua Paros resort, anticipating a blissful break with her mother and younger sister. Instead of enjoying poolside cocktails, they found themselves unceremoniously removed from the property with their luggage, stranded and desperate for answers.
A Dream Holiday Turns Sour
"We were literally forced out of the hotel," Kloe recounted. "They told us they had no room for us anymore. We were left outside with all our bags, completely helpless. My sister was crying, it was just awful."
The family's nightmare began almost immediately upon arrival. Despite having confirmed bookings through tour operator Thomas Cook, they were informed the hotel had no available rooms for their entire stay. The staff offered a single night's accommodation before demanding they vacate the premises.
Stranded Without Support
Left on the street, the Harveys faced a frantic scramble to find alternative accommodation during peak season. Their attempts to seek help from Thomas Cook yielded little immediate assistance.
"We felt completely abandoned," Kloe explained. "We were in a foreign country with nowhere to go. We had to find and pay for a taxi to another hotel ourselves, which cost us an extra €50 that we hadn't budgeted for."
The Fight for Compensation
After cutting their holiday short and returning home traumatised, the family began a battle for compensation. While Thomas Cook eventually refunded the cost of the flights and the unused hotel nights, the Harveys believe this doesn't cover the full extent of their loss.
"We've lost money on airport parking, transfers, and the new clothes and toiletries we bought for the holiday," Kloe stated. "More than that, we've lost the precious time and experience we were promised. The refund doesn't account for the immense stress and the ruin of our one annual holiday."
Tour Operator's Response
A spokesperson for Thomas Cook acknowledged the "disappointing experience" and confirmed the refund was issued. They attributed the incident to the hotel being "heavily overbooked," a situation they claim is rare.
"We are very sorry that the Harvey family’s holiday was impacted in this way," the spokesperson said. "We understand how much people look forward to their holidays and how disappointing it is when things go wrong."
This incident serves as a stark warning for British travellers booking package holidays, highlighting the potential pitfalls of overbooking and the importance of understanding your rights when a dream vacation turns into a nightmare.
