Travel Stories: Heart attack

*From doug88888 photostream - click image for more*

Today I received an email from the hotel that I have booked for my sister and myself for our trip to London. Actually it was sitting in my inbox at work after I came back from a day off.

Basically it stated that they had a problem with my credit card and if I didn't reply to their email within 24 hours then they'd cancel my reservation. I replied 32 hours later because that's when I got the email.

I am now waiting (impatiently) for a response and will be heading back to work to call them when it hits 9am local time in London (which is 8pm here).

I'm sitting here staring at my gmail inbox hoping for an email to confirm that my reservation that I placed in November is still ok and that we have a place to stay for the first 6 nights in London. I don't know why anyone would book their holidays direct themselves.

Being a travel agent I'm faced with disaster stories and problems and "oh I can get it cheaper online" everyday it baffles me when people are unwilling to pay someone else to stress for them. I know I would - but I can't. I booked this apartment direct with this hotel as I couldn't book it through my suppliers at work. It's the only thing for this holiday that I have booked direct and it's the only thing that I have had a problem with.

I don't want to worry about my reservation 8 days before I'm due to fly out. I don't want to get an email saying they'll cancel my reservation. I don't want this stress.

I want to be excited that in 8 days I'm returning to this magical city that I love and I can shop and run around being a tourist in the sunshine.

I sometimes wonder if these hotels understand just how much stress and heart-ache they can cause from one simple email.

Fingers crossed lovelies - I'm sure it'll be fine (I know when I say 24 hours, I sometimes mean 48). In the mean time I've just downloaded the season finale of Glee and will watch it once my sister gets home.

Glitter Sparks & Happyness

x x x

Brooke

**** EDIT - Update on the accommodation: It's all fixed. I called them and it turned out that they tried to "pre-authorise" my credit card for 1 night but because I didn't have enough cash on it, it declined. I transferred money into my credit card and it's all now fixed. HOORAY I have somewhere to stay for the first 6 nights. Morale of the story - always book with preferred suppliers (or hotels) or make sure your credit card has cash on it before you're about to travel ****