Hays Travel - Ashford Avis 

We had a bit of a dilemma in that we knew what we wanted but was nervous to do the bookings online. So we ventured to visit Hays in Ashford and was lucky enough to be greeted by Tracy. Our experience from that initial greeting was totally painless for us and with Chloe on the phone our Hong Kong 8 day trip/holiday/our eldest Grandson's wedding was complete, paid for in full, paperwork explained which all made an elderly couple very happy. All the ladies in our Ashford branch contributed but Tracy was the Star.

Hays travel I always book with they helpful in finding U a hoilday at great price staff friendly thanks hays

Louise is a fantastic employee and has made holiday booking a breeze!

As always, we received a warm, friendly welcome and got exactly what we required at the best price. We had everything booked within a short time. Thanks to the lovely staff members.

It’s always been a pleasure talking with the team and to get everything done directly with them

Very upset with Pand O who I been loyal to. When my husband is ill in hospital. And my cruise needed to be moved to Sept. I had zero help from them. So my loyalty has now ended. Thanks for no help Pand O… Hayes travel tried their best.

It was a bit slow

Ashford branch lovely to use. Staff so knowledgeable, helpful and friendly.

Excellent service as always and thanks to Tracey for your help

As usual staff at the Ashford branch very helpful and knowledgeable. We use to book direct but after dealing with your company we will not continue on that path. Thank you Hayes

Always happy with the service. Helpful staff, knowledgeable and always very friendly. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

Holli at Ashford branch was very helpful & patient. As we are in our 80s we find it difficult to take everything in at once. She was so respectful & we appreciated that.

Staff were friendly enough but I feel I wasn't given enough information and didn't come away with the booking I thought I had booked. Which only became apparent the week before the holiday after my daughter got involved to actually drill down into what I had actually paid for. Which is when we realised I hadn't got the cabins etc that I was told I had booked. What should have been a relaxing holiday to thank relatives turned into a travel nightmare. I think the staff need to listen more to what the customer is actually asking for and also make it clear exactly what they are booking and have it printed out in plain english exactly what is booked.

Extremely informative answering all our questions and researching everything we needed to know and helped us greatly with booking two holidays we really wanted.

I have thought very carefully before writing this review, particularly because the travel consultant involved was helpful in responding to emails once problems began to emerge. However, having now experienced the holiday my 82-year-old mother was sold, I believe serious questions need to be asked about whether this trip was ever suitable for her and her travelling companions.

My mother booked this holiday through Hays Travel as a very special trip with her cousin and his wife. She paid for the trip and was incredibly proud of herself for arranging what she hoped would be one last big adventure together while they were all still able to travel.

The principal reason she booked was the Caledonian Sleeper experience. That was the dream. The rest of the Scottish tour was attractive, and she is enjoying parts of it, but the overnight train journey was what made her choose this particular holiday.

In reality, a trip on the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, a few comfortable days staying in Edinburgh and then a return journey on the Sleeper would have been more than sufficient for what my mother actually wanted. It would arguably also have been far better suited to her age, mobility and the needs of her travelling companions. She did not need a busy coach tour involving repeated walking to and from the coach at different attractions; she wanted the special experience of overnight train travel and some enjoyable time in Scotland with people she loves.
This is why I find it so disappointing that more time does not appear to have been spent exploring what my mother actually wanted from the holiday before this particular package was sold to her.

My mother is 82, uses a walking stick and has sight problems. Her travelling companions are also older. Yet they were sold sleeper accommodation involving extremely small cabins with bunk beds, where one person in each cabin has to climb into a top bunk.

My mother says she believed she had booked a double cabin with private toilet facilities for her cousin and his wife and a bunk-bed cabin with private toilet facilities for herself and me. She knew our cabin involved bunk beds; she did not understand that both cabins would be bunk-bed cabins without private toilets.

This was not a minor detail.

Mr and Mrs Fowler cannot safely climb into a top bunk. My mother herself, with a walking stick and sight difficulties, is also not a suitable candidate for climbing into an upper bunk.

My mother was asked whether anyone required assistance and answered no because everyone could walk independently. But being able to walk around a tourist attraction is completely different from being physically able to climb a ladder into a top bunk on a moving overnight train.

At no point does my mother recall anyone specifically asking whether these older passengers could safely access upper bunks.

Hays Travel has since told us that the cabin information was in the brochure.

My mother was never given a brochure.

That point matters enormously. It is not enough for important information to exist somewhere in a brochure if the customer was never actually given that brochure and the booking documentation she did receive failed to clearly explain what had been booked.

The confirmation information my mother received afterwards contained next to no meaningful detail about the sleeper accommodation. It did not clearly set out, in a way an ordinary customer could readily understand, that both rooms were tiny Classic bunk-bed cabins, that one person in each cabin would need to access a top bunk, and that neither cabin had a private toilet.

Had this been made clear, we could have raised the issue immediately.

Instead, my mother was encouraged to book quickly because spaces were limited.

Only around a week before departure, after I personally contacted Newmarket Holidays directly and sent numerous emails trying to establish exactly what had been booked, did the full reality become clear.

My mother had not booked the Caledonian Sleeper experience she believed she had booked.

She discovered the following:

both cabins contained bunk beds.
one passenger in each cabin would need to climb into a top bunk.
neither cabin had a private toilet;
the cabins were extremely small and compact.
access to the Club Car was not guaranteed;
and the shared dining experience she believed formed part of the overnight journey was not guaranteed.

Our contact in the local branch, Anne-Louise has always listened to what we would like and found us a great location. Takes the stress out of booking yourself.

Anne-Louise was very helpful as always

The lady was very kind and helpful

Hollie listened to our requirements and kept searching until she found the best option available within our given budget.
Will visit again soon to book next years holiday with Hollie as she is so helpful.

Excellent service by Isobel, very knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions