While traveling in Ireland, our itinerary changed which necessitated canceling our 2-night stay at the Claremount House in Salthill, Galway. Two nights before we were to arrive, I sent an email to cancel our reservation & requested the courtesy of a response. Not receiving one, I went out of my way to make a long distance call from a public pay phone to ensure the cancellation email had been received only to be told to call back in 5 minutes. I called back and spoke with whom I suppose was the owner, Anna. She was extremely rude and verbally abusive regarding the cancellation. She wanted to know where I was just then, which was none of her business. She went on a tirade about canceling and "pitied the next establishment we were going to stay at." I attempted to calm her down, I apologized profusely for not providing more notice, but to no avail. Perhaps two days is not enough notice for canceling a reservation, however, there was no call for the proprietor to be rude and verbally abusive.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
20 July 2010
Dear PhoenixHotspot 4
if only I could replay our phone conversation the truth would be known. Your party of 4 booked through my website for 2 nights arriving on Wednesday 30th June. Before you could proceed with the booking you had to agreee to our cancellation policy which was 5 days, you booked and a deposit of 7.60 was taken from your credit card which was very small on a party of 4. I wonder if the booking deposit was more the decision to cancel might not have come so easily. (This deposit goes to our booking agent and not to Claremount House). At 9pm on Monday night I received an email from you to cancel the reservation, no explanation as to why. This was less than 2 days notice. Then on Tuesday morning around 10am my daughter took a phone call from you , she asked you to call back as I was checking guests out. When my guests had left I phoned you back on the number that came up on my phone, the Hudson Bay Hotel in Athlone answered which is about 1 hours drive from Claremount, this is the long distance phone call you mentioned in your review. I asked the girl at receiption was your party there and could I speak to you, but in the mean time you phoned my moblie, you told me that the party decided not to travel to Salthill. I reminded you of our cancellation policy and said I had lost business as a result of her actions, but before long a male voice had taken control of her phone and started shouting obscene language down the phone and hung up and you have the audasicity to review Claremount House on trip advisor in less than twelve hours in such a fashion that could have a detrimental affect on my business .
You were totally in the wrong. When a booking is cancelled so late it is normal to take the first nights deposit from the credit card number that is given when the booking is made, you were aware of this as this formed part of the booking print out,it is in bold print at the bottom of the page , you cancelled at the last minute, and you made sure your credit card didn't work (it was declined). The Hudson Bay Hotel is a sister company of the Galway bay Hotel in Salthill. I phoned the Galway Bay Hotel on Wednesday (the day you were meant to come to Claremount) and they confirmed that a party by the same name was due in the afternoon.
Isn't it ironic that the 2 negative reviews that I have received are from persons that did not stay with us here in Claremount House, it was me that was SHOCKED by your actions!
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
