Naples - Packages changes & our rights after Hurricane

[MatildasMum]

Hi Dibbers - hoping you can help. We are booked to go to the Naples Grande Beaach Resort in 2 weeks.
The resort tell me they will be open but with restrictions on facilities - the main one being the access to the beach.
A local I have been speaking too has told me the access was almost destroyed and will take months to rebuild (it is via a 3/4 mile long boardwalk through a mangrove). The next beach along has announched it will be closed for a year! I've also heard that beaches in the area will remain closed for weeks to come as they are unsafe due to stuff buried in the sand and the access roads being destroyed.

Virgin have told us that the resort is currently open (it isn't, it says on the website planning to open on 10th Oct.) They also say as the resort is open and not under a mandatory evaculation order we either go or cancel and loose all of our money - something we cant afford to do.

Our argument is twofold, the area is still a disaster zone as designated by FEMA, resources are under pressure, there is a nighttime curfew and limited internet. Do they really want tourists visiting bring an extra burden. Thankfully water and power is now good. Also we booked the resort based on the beach - this is no longer available.

Does anyone know if we have any legal rights to be able to move to another area as we still have time before we travel and these restrictions are known before we leave? We booked as a package with Virgin Atlantic Holidays. Whilst I appreciate some locals are welcoming tourists as their businesses need it, we dont want to burden the systems, and we believe the package description has changed as the beach for this hotel is witin the hotel property - it even has beach in the name.

We are desperate to go on holiday and really want to go to Naples but prehaps right now is not the best time for that area. I also appreciate this is the US and it is way different to here and that things change and the clearup improves daily.

Thanks for your help - I'm interested to know your thoughts!

[Dr.JumbaJookiba]

Ask about changing rather than cancelling and tell them, in your opinion, the factors you have talked about constitute a major change.

[Bellasmummy]

I’d ask about changing too. Or if you want to cancel speak to your insurance and see if you’d be covered that way.

I’m not sure the beach is on hotel property though, it’s accessed by a public pathway open to all and the hotel has facilities at the beach.

We’ve stayed there many times and usually only go once to the beach as it isn’t easy to get to and we’d rather stay by the pool. If you want beach access a resort actually on the beach would be much better.

I have to say I’d be torn whether to go or not, we love the resort and would want to give them our custom but I’m not sure if it would be as good an experience as expected. It’s sad after they had so much damage from Irma and worked so hard refurbishing the whole resort to have this happen again in a relatively short space of time.

[PixieMagic]

So sorry to hear of the situation, it is an absolutely beautiful part of Florida and terribly sad but I do completely empathise that you would rather visit at another time.

Did you book in store or online/via phone?
My advice would be to request to speak to a supervisor (either in store if you booked this way or on the phone but you will have to be patient getting through) and to request to make a change for the reasons you have detailed.

[MatildasMum]

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

I’d ask about changing too. Or if you want to cancel speak to your insurance and see if you’d be covered that way.

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Thank you - I totally agree. We have been to this hotel many times before but not since DD was born, so now she has outgrown Disney we thought we would go back to paradise again! I have to agree with you about the beach - I prefer the pool but DD and DH do dualathlons and wanted to run/swim (we live by the beach now but no where near such a nice beach!).
I've spoken to insurance and because the resort will be open then its the same position as Virgin.

[MatildasMum]

Originally Posted by PixieMagic

So sorry to hear of the situation, it is an absolutely beautiful part of Florida and terribly sad but I do completely empathise that you would rather visit at another time.

Did you book in store or online/via phone?
My advice would be to request to speak to a supervisor (either in store if you booked this way or on the phone but you will have to be patient getting through) and to request to make a change for the reasons you have detailed.

See more...

Thank you PixieMagic, we booked direct through their call centre/emails. I've spoken to them again this morning, they are going to look into it but tell me if the resort is open and we want to move we would have to pay the costs of a new hotel as well as the costs of the hotel in Naples as they have paid for it already and the hotels cancellation policy will be in force if they are open. That just wont work for us. I think I may have to get my head around it and try to make the most of it. Nothing anyone can do - the rules are the rules I guess. At least it is two weeks away from work together with my loved ones - which for the poor people who have lost everything must sound like being a million miles away from their lives right now!

[MatildasMum]

UPDATE...

We have moved our holiday to Orlando - Virgin aren't taking bookings for this hotel due to the damage to the resort, beach and area caused by Ian.

They have agreed to move us with no fee's.

Such a relief - sad not to go to Naples but we will do in the future when they are ready for us!

[Mel49]

Originally Posted by MatildasMum

UPDATE...

We have moved our holiday to Orlando - Virgin aren't taking bookings for this hotel due to the damage to the resort, beach and area caused by Ian.

They have agreed to move us with no fee's.

Such a relief - sad not to go to Naples but we will do in the future when they are ready for us!

See more...

I'm glad that Virgin have seen sense and moved your Hotel.

I know it's not the same as the West Coast but the East Coast missed a lot of the damage except debris and some flooding. You could maybe do a few day trips to Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach or Melbourne Beach area for your DD and DH or even stay a night in Melbourne and then have 2 days at the beach.

[Tb2tb2]

Try your insurance but what you booked is not what you are going to get and the things are quite a major change to the holiday. We are due to visit Naples 6-8th November and our hotel cancelled the booking due to damage to the hotel. I booked another hotel only to find the facilities offered are now not available so I'm trying to Gert a refund. From what you have said I think we will change and go elsewhere but like you really wanted to visit. However, I understand they need the tourism but I don't think the infrastructure is able to cope at the minute. I hope you do get sorted, maybe virgin and change your hotel to a different area. hope you get things sorted