Christian Peregin
Tourists accuse Gozo hotel of foul play
The Serena Hotel in Xlendi.
Ten per cent of formal complaints submitted to the Malta Tourism Authority last year concerned the Serena Hotel in Xlendi - the vast majority filed by tourists claiming their credit card had been used without authorisation or that they were unwittingly charged for services.
When contacted, MTA Quality Assurance director Frank Farrugia told The Sunday Times: "The complaints were very similar to each other and all related to some form of alleged fraud or payments which they felt were unfair."
The complaints - around 50 in total - have been forwarded to the police's Economic Crimes Unit or the Consumer and Competition Division or both, Mr Farrugia explained. Serena's owner and manager, Joe Vella, strenuously denies any wrongdoing and maintains guests were aware of the charges he debited.
Several tourists recounted their experience to The Sunday Times, claiming Mr Vella charged them hundreds, in many cases thousands, of euros in various incidents dating back to 2003. Guests said they made formal reports to the police and the MTA but have not been refunded or compensated.
Their stories are almost identical: A cheap holiday is offered to them by an online bargain tour operator like Bonus Week Breaks or The Gift Company - on condition that they attend a two-hour promotional talk on timeshare.
Then, they claim, Mr Vella contacts them and offers them free transport from the airport to the hotel. On arrival, he asks guests to sign a registration form and to hand over a credit card for "security reasons", assuring them that no charges would be made.
After that, they allege, he charges their account without their permission. The tourists allege that when they complain, Mr Vella produces a document which had either been given to them when they checked in or at that particular moment. This states that guests have paid on a 'room only' basis and that it is "compulsory" to pay - on arrival - for breakfast, dinner and utility fees. This amounts to an additional €490 per person a week.
On the popular travel website tripadvisor.com, 28 of the 35 reviews about the hotel speak of exorbitant "added" charges and a hotel manager to "beware" of. The negative reviews began in 2004 but have continued to appear persistently throughout 2007 and this year.
Mr Vella has on several occasions been questioned by police but has never been charged with an offence related to the allegations - the reason being that the case relates more to unfair tactics than to fraud or other illegal behaviour.
Mr Vella, who is from Malta, was fined by the authorities in 2003, but over a different matter when he advertised his two-star hotel as a five-star property. He felt it was unfair that the high quality Serena has such a lowly classification.
When contacted, Mr Vella offered three different versions as to why the reviews were on the tripadvisor website: first, that they were written by a person who bears a grudge against him; second, that various Gozitan hotel and restaurant owners were behind them because they disliked him; and third, that there was a particular travel agency which had given rise to a misunderstanding.
"I challenge you to write something. I have all the documentation to prove my case. If you write something I will ruin you, in every way," Mr Vella said.
Many of the former guests contacted by The Sunday Times said they want to get their money back and put Mr Vella out of business. They indicated a willingness to travel to Malta to testify in court - though they admit that this could be an expensive and therefore counter-productive exercise.
Edward Humphrey, a British tourist who stayed at the hotel in June, said: "Mr Vella told us that we could not stay there if we do not supply a credit card, so we had to concede. Thankfully, a taxi driver warned us that Mr Vella had a reputation."
So Mr Humphrey went to an ATM immediately to withdraw enough cash for the rest of his holiday and cancelled his credit cards. When he contacted his bank at home, however, he was told that the Serena Hotel had already taken £1,600 from the account.
This happened on the third day of his two-week holiday, which consisted of going back and forth from the police station and the hotel.
Mr Vella told police who questioned him at the hotel that there had been a mistake and that Mr Humphrey would be refunded accordingly.
But one night Mr Humphrey and his wife came back to the hotel to find they were locked out of their room. Mr Vella told them that he wanted them out because they were "troublemakers". The 'troublemaking' included speaking to other guests about their experience and encouraging everyone to check their accounts.
"Everyone else who checked their accounts found that Mr Vella had taken a similar amount of money from them. Even a couple of pensioners!" he said.
However, Mr Vella said that Mr Humphrey had only paid the commission to the travel agent who booked the accommodation, and that he knew full well that on arrival he had to pay for food and hotel utilities. When asked to specify which travel agent he was referring to, the hotel manager said he could not remember the name.
The Serena Hotel is one of a handful of hotels around Malta and Gozo that is promoted in package deals by Internet-based bargain tour operators. Mr Vella claimed that these companies offered holidays based on flights and accommodation only, and tourists were told beforehand that they would have to pay for breakfast, dinner and hotel utilities.
However, their booking form, seen by The Sunday Times, states only that "all resorts require a small (returnable) inventory deposit and some resorts may require a small utility charge payable at reception on arrival".
No complaints have been filed in relation to the other hotels that form part of these package deals - although their reviews on tripadvisor.com are not always positive.
Mr Humphrey's account is similar to that of John Craig, who in 2003 alleged that Mr Vella debited €568 from his credit card without permission.
The matter went to court - though the hotel manager told The Sunday Times he could not recall the incident - and Mr Vella was acquitted because of insufficient evidence.
In another incident, Susan Spencer and Michael Rees, who stayed at the hotel during the first two weeks of July, returned home and discovered that Mr Vella had debited €3,000 from their account.
Mr Vella insists that he was owed the sum for breakfast and dinner during their two-week stay, together with the three other adults they were travelling with.
Mr Farrugia said that, to his knowledge, the type of complaint levelled against the Serena Hotel had not been made about any other establishment in Malta or Gozo.
He also confirmed that the number of complaints was excessive in relation to those received about other hotels, though he stressed that this did not necessarily mean they were genuine.
Mr Farrugia also explained that in many cases, sales are made by tour operators directly to the customer - so misrepresentation may be taking place at that stage. In fact, in some cases, tourists were compensated for their experience at the Serena Hotel by their tour operators.
Mr Farrugia told The Sunday Times that the police, the Consumer and Competition Division and the MTA were working hard at trying to verify the number of complaints they received in the past months about the hotel.
Yesterday, The Sunday Times received another letter on behalf of 20 tourists currently staying at the hotel.
"We have got together as a group and have registered a crime of credit card abuse with the police in Victoria... We intend to make as much fuss as possible. This man... shouldn't be getting away with this," the letter stated.
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Sabine Cassar-Alpert
Sep 14th 2008, 13:07
I'd like to refer to the very first comment, by Ivan Galea, on this thread:
"If you write something I will ruin you, in every way," Mr Vella said....
Another cowboy it seems......but guess its checkmate for you this time SUR VELLA!!!! "
It seems he was wrong. It's business as usual. What has the outcome been of this story??
michael scott
Aug 20th 2008, 16:11
As a regular visitor to Malta and Gozo i will be pleased if this man is brought to justice ,he has to be punished for his scams as it could have an adverse effect on tourism.It has been reported in a number of English papers and i have had people ask me .knowing my love of your islands if this is common place.I have told them the truth in my experience this is not common .i visit the Corinthia Palace regulary and would trust all staff there the friendly and helpfullness of the Maltese people is unsurpassed in my humble opinion,there are always bad apples .
Sarah Darmenia
Aug 19th 2008, 12:48
Isn't it strange that this guy answers the phone and apparently does everything else??? Where are his employees...or have they given up on him too?
Sarah Darmenia
Aug 19th 2008, 12:47
@ Gunnar Grech
The same thing nearly happened to me. Last Friday evening I called every hotel in Gozo for a night from Sat 16th Aug to Sun 17th Aug and the Serena was the only hotel with a room available (surprise surprise!) He first told me that it was 40 eur and made emphasis that he has everything in the hotel u 'ma jkun jonqsok xejn' he kept saying. Then I asked what star the hotel was and he kept bragging that they are a resort, therefore they don't have stars. After all this, the price went up to 45 eur each + half price for my 3 year old daughter.
Thankfully I went home and browsed tripadvisor.com, and after seeing all those horrible comments, thanked God that I didn't confirm on the phone. I preferred going another day and stayed at the Serena's neighbouring hotel (not sure if I can mention the name here), got a better price and amazing service.
This excuse for a man has to be stopped! What does he think he is!!! I am willing to sign any petition to get these poor turists' money back whick I'm sure they worked very hard for.
Tanja Cilia
Aug 18th 2008, 23:52
With regard to Tanja Cilia's comment that Joe Vella should retain passports... can I just point out that the retention of passports in itself is illegal.
I never said he could take them, I only said he ought to ask for them - at which point people would refuse to hand them over. This is somethingother people learn too late, usually after giving them up, having been promised a job as au pairs, maids, teachers... and ending up as anything but. Here, at least, it was only their bank accounts that suffered.
apgrech
Aug 12th 2008, 20:20
There has been many abuses during Mntoff's time but it looks like the only time any government who truly cared for the average citizen was the one under Dom Mintoff and I wish the guy had a more open mind to continue governing during this IT age.
We are not citizens, we are slaves.
This Serena case has brought out the true colour of those who are supposed to work for us and I'm glad to see that many are feeling the abandonment by the authorities. The government is letting us down and this case exposed just a fraction of such let down.
apgrech
Aug 12th 2008, 13:03
This incident is a clear signal that the average citizen has no protection at by the government. It's a shameful story where it has been proven that if you're "smart" enough and have money, you can cheat and the victims are not protected by the authorities.
I hope someone from the Opposition brings this to Parliament and introduce new laws to protect the citizens from similar situations and they should give us, average people, a right to fight injustices.
Shame on the government for ignoring those who voted for him.
Jasmine Grech
Aug 12th 2008, 12:41
I found the EU Consumer Affairs info is helpful and hence, I would like to encourage the holiday maker/s to find out more about their rights relating to Timeshare, hotel accommodations, travel/holiday packages amongst others which are enforced by the EU .
"As an EU citizen, you have a wide range of rights enabling you to feel safe and confident while travelling both within the EU and further afield."
"EU law says that the travel organiser has the obligation to provide accurate information on the package proposed, including information on transportation, accommodation, meals, itinerary and insurance requirements."
See the link below:
EU Consumer Affairs : http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/citizen/my_holidays/index_en.htm
John Borg
Aug 12th 2008, 11:59
To All those people owning timeshares and feel that they are cheated please lets all join together and do something together.
Contact us through the Times of Malta they have our permission to give out our contact details.
Steven Evans
Aug 12th 2008, 01:53
We visited for a 2 week holiday at Hotel Serena Beach, GoZo, on the 9th June 2008. Mr Vella wanted a credit card, we gave him a mastercard knowing that there were only a few hundred pound on the card which normally covers the small security refundable deposit (30-100 euros from experience). Joe tried the card and claimed it was NOT VALID, we went to the cash machine ATM and brought him back proof in form of receipt and cash that the card was infact valid. When he origionally asked for a credit card he said that he only takes a manual imprint, but after challenging him, he told us he was trying to take out about 1625euros, but he said it would be refundable at the end of the holiday. He Made it very obvious too when we wanted to see the printout receipts from the credit card, that he would not let us see or give them to us. what he didnt want us to see, was the VARIOUS amounts that he tried to debit , three different amount.We DID NOT STAY THERE.We have evidence of our story in full. Contact us for evidence & full story.
p.grima
Aug 12th 2008, 00:13
I fully agree with Reuben Caruana. Otherwise.."mal-hazin jehel it-tajjeb" and we will never see these tourists and their acquaintances in Malta ever again either.
R Caruana
Aug 11th 2008, 22:50
how on earth complaints related to a vital industry that contributes to a quarter or so of Malta's GDP were not investigated. dear minister of tourism,,who is accountable for this? Malta lost millions through negative publicity from this single hotel through all these years...
by any chance, was this listed font 8 in the,,"Brand Malta" strategic plan
Bella Camilleri
Aug 11th 2008, 21:28
Oh I forgot to mention...yes he did over charge us for the time share yearly rent....we received invoices for a certain amount and upon paying Joe requested a much higher amount saying that on the invoice they are not the right amount but added a further 65 Euros and got the excuse of saying that abroad they were not aware of the cost of living and electricty bill has gone up and so on and on...the problem now is that we are left in a position that we cannot sell our time share as now it is tainted and we got lumped with it. Does anyone know of how to get out of this situation??? any help would be considered please urgently
Andrew Gatt
Aug 11th 2008, 16:04
This 'Hotel' should be closed down IMMEDIATELY. It is causing untold damage to our tourism product. You should see some of the reviews and comments! And Government/MTA should ensure that victims of this ripoff are compensated - perhaps they and their friends will give the Maltese Islands another chance.
Shame. This seems to have been going on for years and years. Why, why, why do we take so long to take concrete action?
helen magro
Aug 11th 2008, 14:01
This case reminds me of a film I saw once called 'Guest House Paradiso'. search for it on youtube and you'll get a good idea of the Serena hotel! with the difference that the film is funny.
Bella Camilleri
Aug 11th 2008, 13:46
Hi my family between us also have time share with the Serena.....any idea how to get out of it please!!
Mario Spiteri
Aug 11th 2008, 13:39
am absolutely not shocked by the news. I am Maltese and stayed at his hotel back in July of 1999. His website at that time stated that if you stay more than 2 weeks you will receive a 10% discount. That never happened. He denied that his website stated that, even though I showed him the proof. Anyway he overcharged me for my stay and like many other tourists he charged my credit card the minute I stepped into his hotel which I found very strange.
This whole thing amounted to a few hundred Maltese pounds and I had attempted to recover the overcharges without much success.
Later I appointed an attorney (the late Michael Grech from Victoria Gozo)to take over the case, however I found out that the statute of limitations have passed. Once again Mr. Vella got away with it.
I still have all the correspondence and should any Maltese Authorities request them I will be more than accommodating to turn them over.
P Sultana
Aug 11th 2008, 12:38
To me this suggests possible indifference, incompmetence,collusion or apathy by the authorities. It would be interesting to have a credible statement from the MTA and the Police.
Joanne Fenech
Aug 11th 2008, 11:40
My parents own a timeshare too with Serena Hotel as Ms Sandra Agius described yesterday.We feel cheated too!!! Ms Agius you are welcome to contact me through The Times.
Clive Waind
Aug 11th 2008, 11:38
Well done Christian. At last it looks as if somebody is willing to shake the apathy out of the authorities!
We had a case involving this man in 2007. "The rules " he claimed" meant that only 3 passengers may travel in a taxi. Anything above that number means that the charge has to double - be it for a second car or a bigger car to accommodate the 4th person"
We managed to resist the his bullying over the minimum charge for food etc ( we were after all in a self catering timeshare apartment ) The apartment was short of much basic equipment including a toaster. When asked if we could have toaster he replied instantly without pause for breath " Toasters were banned throughout the island last year after a very tragic accident with a young girl"
We were on the receiving end of abuse for not spending money in his hotel and told that he wanted no more like us in his hotel.
The sooner this hotel is run properly and to its full potential the better for Xlendi
Mark Bonello
Aug 11th 2008, 10:07
Oh and by the way, does the Inland Revenue have a copy of all these reciepts?
CIR please take note!
Denis Catania@yahoo.com
Aug 10th 2008, 22:15
Anthony Grech it's not hard for the police to audit credit card records, and see which charges had disputes on them Then they get in touch with the card holders. A written statement from a few hundred customers, should secure a case. You can even bring some of those to Malta to testify. All you need is a small team of detectives. They can't go back and hide the evidence. Will the Minister of justice willing to point this out to the police chief and will the Minister of Tourism have the guts to demand this.This is a black eye for Malta that can be fixed. Just think what the tourist would tell there friends, if we fix it for them. He would have to refund every single one of them. This could turn from a negative situation to a positive one for Malta.
Anthony Grech
Aug 10th 2008, 21:02
Some of the comments asked how come the police did not take action about this matter. As far as I know, although one gives the police information of whom and how the law is being broken, one must give them also his name and particulars and be ready to stand as witness in court, otherwise they (the police) can do nothing about it.
IS THIS TRUE? ASK THE COMMISSIONER.
j.sammut
Aug 10th 2008, 20:49
I am shocked and lucky I suppose as we were going to stay in this so called hotel but we was warned by some friends of ours,and instead we had a nice flat in Xlendi,we will warn our friends too,why is this guy vella getting away with it who does he know.
be wary of the serena hotel at xlendi
Sandra Agius
Aug 10th 2008, 20:07
Apart from the tourists who have been ripped off, there are also a large number of timeshare owners at Serena Beach Club. I am one such owner and when I bought a time share there it was sold to me with the premise that I could exchange my week internationally through RCI. RCI backed out of the relationship with RCI several years ago and Mr Vella then managed to get Interval International and Dial an Exchange. As of 2008 none of these exchange companies want anything to do with Mr Vella and Serena Beach Club. Our yearly maintenance fee still shows the exchange companies but we are stuck with a timeshare that we cannot exchange. Is there anyone out there who feels cheated like I do??
apgrech
Aug 10th 2008, 19:37
Will we be able to see a comment posted here by an MTA official?
You spend millions in advertisements abroad and when people see them, they get tickled to visit Malta. They see one single complaint like this on the Internet and they decide for sure that they won't visit our country.
Helen mgro
Aug 10th 2008, 19:13
Unless the MTA takes action we will continue to ask questions. Is this crook under the protection of some big wig? Can someone tell us if he's related to some untouchable maybe?
apgrech
Aug 10th 2008, 18:00
Sabine, you probably didn't put enough postage stamps :))
Don't be too sure that action will be forthcoming soon and this is what makes me very angry in Malta. Park illegally, drive 5 kms over limit and you'll get your ticket fast. Cheat customers and destroy the Tourism in Malta and you can sit down and sip a drink with the beautiful view of Xlendi, hire a good lawyer and you're in luck.
I hope we'll see an investigation soon by the MTA.
Sabine Cassar-Alpert
Aug 10th 2008, 17:42
@apgrech... for some reason my last comment never appeared here...
Again, I can't but agree with you. I wrote a similar appeal, via blogging, to the authorities this morning as soon as I'd opened the paper, but I can't get to my blog as there appears to be a problem again with the international internet links. Again. (grrr!)
But I have no doubt that some kind of action will be forthcoming now. Hope is the last to die!
H Turner
Aug 10th 2008, 17:21
Yes - I was one of those who posted on TA - and No I am not a person or another hotelier with a grudge, no I did not book through one of these internet TA's. I booked directly and organised my own travel. I did however, just like the package clients, find much higher charges on my cc statement when I returned home than those Mr Vella and I discussed at the time. Did I pursue it? No. I had other fish to fry. But did it cloud my judgement of Maltese Tourist industry? Yes a little bit - inevitably... Having said that - I will return to Xlendi, but rest assured not to the Serena whilst Mr Vella is in Charge!
M.Degiorgio
Aug 10th 2008, 17:14
Just another sad example of the very low levels in Malta when it comes to control and law enforcing...nothing new!
apgrech
Aug 10th 2008, 17:01
This is what concerns me a lot too, Sabine. The danger of Gozo losing its reputation with foreigners. We know Gozo is beautiful because we live in this country, but foreigner go by what they read and obviously, they liked Gozo but they did not like the dealings with the mentioned hotel.
Gozo is a unique island and when I have friends visiting from abroad, I always take them for a day trip to Gozo and they just love it.
Gozo is beautiful and if abuses take place, action should be taken and if MTA or the Police don't, then associations like GTA and even us, mere mortals, should voice our concern with the authorities.
And here I ask MTA and the police: Why is it that no action has been taken? Mr Vella was interview but how come they found nothing improper even though so many testified that they were ripped off? Some of the complaints are over 1 year old.
Sabine Cassar-Alpert
Aug 10th 2008, 16:52
I totally agree! I was relieved to see that many complaints on tripadvisor had nothing but praise for Xlendi and Gozo and didn't judge the whole book by the Serena-cover. But only God knows how many others got burnt but don't go public. Instead they'll be grinding away at our reputation by means of negative word-of-mouth. And I can't even blame them... :(
apgrech
Aug 10th 2008, 16:44
Thanks for your info Sabine. Since these abuses were known and no one had taken any action, the GTA could have pushed MTA or the Police to look into the matter.
Such attitudes by hotel owners are literally killing our Tourism Industry.
Sabine Cassar-Alpert
Aug 10th 2008, 16:28
@apgrech: the GTA can't do a lot - it is NOT a Gozitan equivalent of the MTA but merely an association of tourism establishment owners. In all probability, Joe Vella is one of their members...
apgech
Aug 10th 2008, 15:44
Here's a website with serious complaints about Serena Hotel. How come the MTA, GTA and the police never took any action? This could cost us thousands of tourists because today, information travels fast through the internet.
Click here MTA and wonder why you missed reading it before.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g230155-d234330-Reviews-Hotel_Serena_Beach_Club-Xlendi_Island_of_Gozo.html
and another one:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g230155-i5512-k1239224-Serena_Beach_hotel-Xlendi_Island_of_Gozo.html
Robert Morrison
Aug 10th 2008, 15:42
I am the owner of malta.com and we have removed this hotel from our listings until resolved. I recommend any other site owners listing this hotel to suspend their bookings for now. This kind of treatment is unacceptable especially when there are so many great hotels in Malta that will suffer due to these practices.
Oliver Magro
Aug 10th 2008, 15:35
Whilst I understand what A Grech means with Gozo "networking" (with all its good and bad point), can I just point out that according to the article Joe Vella is actually from Malta and not Gozo. I think it's relevant to point out the Maltese are also involved in such netwroks ...
With regard to Tanja Cilia's comment that Joe Vella should retain passports rather than take credit card numbers, can I just point out that the retention of passports in itself is illegal.
What baffles me, as someone else has pointed out, is that none of these charges have signatures - so it is then up to the merchant (Mr Vella) to justify to credit card companies why he levied the charges. To my knowledge, for someone holding a credit card issued in Malta, a signature is crucial when a charge is queried. But since the complaints of foul play are coming from the UK, if the complainants' banks have refused to reverse the charges there must be something that Mr Vella can produce to justify the charges he is making. Which is why The Times seems to imply it's not question of fraud but one of foul play.
Bill Millam
Aug 10th 2008, 15:29
If this man tried such a criminal act here in the US, he would be facing countless felony charges considering the amount and value of fraud he committed. Maybe it's about time that Malta introduces a ZERO LIABILITY consumer protection law when it comes to credit card transactions. Such a law would put no liability on the consumer for ANY unauthorized charge on his/her credit card, the credit card issuer would be legally bound to temporarily reverse/refund the charges immediately upon notification by the consumer of potential fraud. The credit card issuer would then investigate the matter and the BURDEN WOULD BE ON THE MERCHANT to prove that the charges were legitimate and NOT ON THE CONSUMER to prove that the charges were fraudulent. If the investigation shows that the charges were fraudulent, the reversal/refund of the charge would be permanent. If it transpires that the charges were legitimate, then the consumer would be billed/charged for the amount in question plus finance charges/interest.
Just food for thought.
Bill Millam
Los Angeles
Gunnar Grech
Aug 10th 2008, 14:59
cont.
Mr. Vella might have thought that since we had already made the trip to Gozo and it was already late in the afternoon, we would have no option but accept to pay the requested price. However we decided to vacate the room as we both felt that we cannot be treated in such a manner after paying such a premium price and getting such a low level of service and a room in a disgraceful state. Fortunately for Mr. Vella, a Maltese guy came into to lobby asking for a room and he was asked for €55/person/night.
I would like to ask the competent authorities on which basis a hotel is rated and stars awarded, since Serena Hotel is not offering a service at all, the state of the rooms is offensive, no access is offered to disabled persons since the "hotel" looks like a labyrinth with no proper signage and a treasure hunt to find your way.
DEFINITELY NOT TO BE RECOMMENDED !!!!!!!
Zap Branagan
Aug 10th 2008, 14:46
So it really seems that there's two things going on here. Mr. Vella's dubious actions, and how it stayed covered up.
Answers to both on a postcard please to ....
Gunnar Grech
Aug 10th 2008, 14:41
I would like to ask Mr. Farrugia is he is trying to protect Mr. Vella by claiming that there is a chance for misinterpretation. Only last weekend I experienced the best disservice ever. I phoned Serena Hotel on Thursday 31st July asking for a room for Saturday night on B&B basis. Mr. Vella asked for €40/person and since there were not many options to choose from I confirmed the booking. On our arrival at the hotel on Saturday afternoon, my girlfriend went to pay for the accomodation while I placed our belongings in a shabby, humid and smelly room. As soon as my girlfriend informed me that Mr. Vella asked us to pay €45/person, we decided to complain. As soon as I tried to make my point that over the phone, he had asked for €40/person and not €45, Mr. Vella asked me that I must have misunderstood him, that the price is €45/person and if we did not like the price, we should vacate the room and leave the hotel IMMEDIATELY.
cont.
Joe Morana
Aug 10th 2008, 14:05
People, please do not refer to the person who is under scutiny here as a "cowboy". Cowboys are by and large honourable and true gentlemen! If the allegations against him are proven true, he is then a fraudster, and thus a criminal. No crime in Malta (and Gozo) is a myth created by the MTA and propagated by property speculators and developers. Painting Malta as crime-free will certainly bring them in by the netful!
Those who felt unjustly charged should have blocked the business from any further transactions against their card. Prior to making their reservations with the said establishment, they should have looked further into the negative feedback that was made previously. Tthe business owner is also obligated to provide a detailed invoice for each credit card charge. Usually, credit card-issuing banks will circulate and blacklist the names of businesses who are less than honest in their dealings with customers.
Joseph Agius
Aug 10th 2008, 11:57
well done for the article. Good journalism. Keep it up!
Ronnie Gauci
Aug 10th 2008, 11:55
I agree with Dr. Sant Cassia, why the Police never took any action against the owner of this hotel after all these years? Not only that, he was never obliged to refund anyone. Is it that the law in Gozo, for Gozitans, is different than the one we have in Malta? Who's behind this man? In any other country this guy would have been out of business for at least a decade not to mention the time he would have spent in jail. Why are we letting people like these ruin our reputation abroad? The BRAND MALTA campaign shouldn't stop at throwing our ice-cream wrapping in the garbage cans but also in closing down establishments which give our country a bad reputation and scare possible tourists away.
A Grech
Aug 10th 2008, 11:53
Only people from Gozo and only those who are familiar with how network works in Gozo will understand my message:
Why was the Serena irregularities 'hidden' for so many years? This is an example of how the MLP and PN Gozo Officials EAT together.
Then it had to be a 'BARRANI' to bring this into daylight.
Thank you dear 'foreigners'
Ronnie Gauci
Aug 10th 2008, 11:29
I once stayed there and the impression that I took is that this guy never sleeps and that he comes out from everywhere.The other impression is that he charges you for everything even for breathing. Food portions are to the minimum to avoid you starvation. Phone calls to Malta from your room are the same rate as other hotels would charge you to phone to New York and the line is not provided before he interrogates you.
Tanja Cilia
Aug 10th 2008, 11:18
The tripadvisor site contains comments such as "On our arrival in Gozo, we asked for directions and were told 'don't give him your credit cards because he is a crook' ," , and "this man is a wolf in sheeps clothing.", and "two weeks of hell" and "The minimum I can say of him is that he is a dishonest.", "overcharged" , "forced to upgrade", and so on. A gay even couple thought it was being discimintaed against because we are a Cathloic country. I've heard it said that forwarned is forearmed... in fact, one person said "I can't believe i read all reviews here,and still went on with my reservation..." The mind boggles. If he wants secutiry, this Mr Vella, he has to ask for passports or identity cards, not debit or credit cards...
Reuben Caruana
Aug 10th 2008, 11:11
No wonder how arrivals are going down from the UK. So many complaints could not be all made up.!
so, the natural question is "How come on earth the authorities (police, MTA. Minister of Tourism / Gozo) and the Gozitan public have let it happen for so long?,,"dating back to 2003"
Is it not wiser to stop a few cowboys instead of spending millions on advertising around the globe and begging low cost carriers to bring more tourists. Wake up guys!
Mr. Humphrey and those cheated willing to testify ought to be invited over, put in 5 star hotels and asked to testify in court.
P Grech
Aug 10th 2008, 11:02
Why have the authorities not clamped down on this alleged fraudster before? So much of the good work by the MTA is undone by operators like Mr Vella. If there are numerous police reports agaisnt this hotel can the police confirm that all these claims were investigated and found to be unfounded? Stench of Mafia style networks..........
Paul Barrett
Aug 10th 2008, 10:56
I must be lacking knowledge here somewhere.
How does the hotel (or anyone) make charges against a credit card without the credit card holders signature/authorisation. I thought the Hotel would have to produce the signed slips to the banking system before they actually received payment unless authorised by virtue of a PIN machine.
Anyway, it does not matter if the charges are legal or not, the impression of being cheated does a great deal of harm to the good name of the Island. If there is an element of truth in the accusations which persist, perhaps a suspension of a licence to operate may be the answer.
Dr Paul Sant Cassia
Aug 10th 2008, 10:54
I stayed in tthis hotel in 1993 and it was AWFUL. Never again. At that time the hotel was guilty of gross misrepresentation. It's amazing that they have been able to get away with this for so long. What has the MTA been doing, apart from taking the "contributions" from all tourist establishments to keep their CEO's doing nothing? Or the renowned Gozo Police, well known for being vigorous, alert, and full of action? The fault is as much of this establishment as of the MTA and the Police for doing nothing. Readers who had negative experiences of this hotel should never allow this man to bully them and send their comments in on this site.
Lawrence Bonello
Aug 10th 2008, 10:30
I bet this is but the tip of a huge iceberg! God only knows how many tourists are ripped off daily by unscrupulous operators, taxi and bus-drivers, restaurateurs and the like. I pity them just as I pity the honest ones who have their reputations tarnished by these cowboys.
Helen Magro
Aug 10th 2008, 10:18
Can the agrieved tourists testify using video conferencing to avoid trravelling to Malta? if their allegations are true think of the damgae to the local tourist industry.
L Galea
Aug 10th 2008, 10:16
Its cowboys like this one who ruin ther sector's reputation and kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
Ivan Galea
Aug 10th 2008, 09:50
If you write something I will ruin you, in every way," Mr Vella said....
Another cowboy it seems......but guess its checkmate for you this time SUR VELLA!!!!