Ronald Turner

Most bookings were as requested and those that were not were just as good. All trips went very well with great service from the stations to the porters which were included in the price. All we had to do was get to the station and from the end station to our hotels. Would recommend this service to anyone traveling through China and wanting to do it by train.

We have been Luxury Escapes customers since 2017 and have had 4 completed booking for tours and accommodation packages with them. We have always felt that the details on all their packages Over Promise and Under Deliver as what is stated as included omits many details for example they do not tell you that provided meals are for a set and restricted menu for LE Customers and they don’t tell you that the included cocktails only provide one option per day or that the cocktail is only available before 5 pm. They also don’t tell you that some restaurants are closed on certain days or that the special degustation meal is only available on certain nights. When on holidays these detail omissions are very annoying and even frustrating. LE Travellers are often treated poorly and get poor service at hotels as they are seen as paying less therefore deserve less.
You are probably thinking then why do you keep booking with Luxury Escapes. The simple answer is we had not intended to do any more travel with LE but we still received their regular emails and on occasions were able to book direct with hotels for similar prices and similar inclusions but without the omissions. Last July we spotted an offer from Luxury Escapes for an accommodation package at the Sofitel Phokeethra Krabi Golf & Spa Resort Thailand. We had stayed at this resort previously in 2017 but booked through The Accor Group so we know what to expect and confirmed with the Hotel Manager that the LE offer was the best price we could get. We still expected some omissions but we were happy to proceed. Our original booking was for two consecutive packages one for 8 day and the other for 5 days. The dates we booked were from the 18th May to 31st May 2020 which was to celebrate a friends 60th birthday on the 20th May. The bookings were completed and fully paid on the 16th July 2019.
Late February 2020 we were aware of the Coronavirus and were reviewing the situation almost daily and deciding what action to take as we could see that it was very unlikely we would be able to travel in May given our age and health conditions. The Fine Print on our LE Package allowed one free date change so we contacted LE to see what the latest date we could book as we didn’t want to risk losing any money. The latest we were able to book was 31st October 2020 which was not really what we wanted but all that was offered at that time.
Obviously things have only gotten worse with COVID-19 both here and around the world so it soon became apparent travelling in October 2020 was not going to be practical or even possible.
From the beginning of April 2020 we have been pursuing a refund but without success. We have since found out that the Sofitel Krabi was closed from the 7th April 2020 and is still closed. We have also found out that no monies have been paid to the hotel and that Luxury Escapes have cancelled our October 2020 booking with the hotel which is not reflected on their website nor was our permission or consent asked for. What is also interesting is that our travel companions have received a refund.
We have only been offered another change of dates out to June 2021 which does not suit as it is highly unlikely we will be able to travel due to travel insurance and vaccine concerns and border closures. Also offered is Buy Now, Book Later which is equally inappropriate for our situation and lastly we were offered LE Credits with 18 months validity. Given our experience with Luxury Escapes omissions we are not willing to accept alternate packages so credits are of no value to us.
Full refunds have been received for all flights and accommodation booked by us directly with Airlines and Hotels and LE should do the same.
It seems not only do Luxury Escapes Over Promise and Under Deliver on their packages but also on their service as they are only considering what is best for their business and not what their customers need.
DO NOT book with Luxury Escapes and avoid the frustration and disappointments.

Disappointing that we were not notified when money arrived at post office and that it did not arrive until late on the day advised for collection. Also it took 5 days including a weekend for the bPay payment to be acknowledged which seems excessive.