Q: I received a voucher as a gift from a local company for a weekend break to be used at a specific hotel. As instructed on the voucher, I sent an e-mail to the hotel with the details of the dates when I wanted to make use of the voucher. Unfortunately, the hotel’s reply was that they did not have available rooms for voucher users. When I asked on which dates they had availability, I was told that since summer was peak season, the voucher could not be used before October.

The terms and conditions on the voucher only state that the voucher cannot be used during the festive seasons.

I would like to know if I have the right to insist to use the voucher during the summer months?

A: Since the terms and conditions of the voucher only excludes festive seasons, and since the definition of a festive season is the period around Christmas and New Year, if the hotel has availability on the dates you requested to use the voucher, you should not be denied the right to do so.

If, after communicating this to the hotel, they insist on denying you the right to use the voucher, then you may proceed with registering a complaint with the Office for Consumer Affairs so our officers can carry out mediation with the hotel on your behalf.