Cancellation Policy Changes at Blue Angel

[living4experiences]

After reading many posts and seeing pics from Cozumel, I'm wanting to go back to the island and my dates are Nov. 8-15. I've not stayed at Blue Angel, but it seems to be popular on SB. The first thing I did was check their cancellation policy. On their web site:
CANCELLATION POLICY reservation and package.
If you cancel before the last 14 days of the arrival date, your deposit will be fully refundable. Among the last 14 days and 7 before the date of arrival, your deposit will be refundable by 50%. 6 days before date of arrival, your deposit will not be refundable.

They want a 40% deposit plus a 4% Paypal fee, with the remaining balance to be paid on site at arrival. After getting the booking process going, they changed the policy to:
"The deposit for your current reservation is not refundable under any circumstances, but transferable dates up to two years (until 2022) from original reservation date, subject to restrictions with change with no previous notice. For further information contact us to help you."

I e-mailed back stating I would prefer to be bound by the cancellation terms posted on their web site and they wrote back:
You know that maybe our Policy for cancelations were different, right now we had to modify this same policy:
"The deposit for your current reservation is not refundable under any circumstances, but transferable dates up to two years (until 2022) from original reservation date, subject to restrictions with change with no previous notice. For further information contact us to help you."

This also means that for other reasons, out of your hands, we will apply your deposit (on a 100%, with no penalties or extra charges) for a future reservation between 2 years (until 2022) form the original date reservation.

Now as you may consider, we are reactivating our economy here on the island, because in our sector (tourism) we had no income at all. This means that the accountability from all the companies had to adjust their selves to the current situation. Fortunately, our president and owner Ms. Eva Rasmussen take actions to not affect us, so for the moment, we have no funds designated to refunds, until this situation gets better.

This doesn't mean that we don't care about the concerns of our guests about their refunds, but unfortunately, we can't even when we wanted, to designate resources to do this action. This is because a lot of cancelations (even from groups that were almost Full Paid) had place at the beginning of the quarantine.

We can't confirm or denied a date to refund your deposit, but make sure that if you want to use it as credit, in the next two years, it will be honored on a 100%, until you decide or can travel again. We would love that you visit us, but we want to make sure that you are fully agree with our current policies.

It's not a well written e-mail and a bit hard to parse out, but now my deposit will not be refundable but issued as a credit for a future stay until 2022, which is the worst option given the uncertainties of travel now and the viability of this resort still being around. These days, I'm planning in the short-term for travel in the next couple of months versus a year in advance. I would really love to travel there and give them my tourist dollars, but it seems a little stingy to charge 40% down and then keep the deposit if there's a cancellation.

So what do you think? I don't know how long they've been around. Are they a good, reputable dive op? Has anyone had any issues with cancellations/refunds? I may have to stay somewhere else if I can't negotiate for the original policy.

Thanks for your input.

 

[DandyDon]

It's not a well written e-mail and a bit hard to parse out,

It was probably written by a native whose English is much better than my Spanish. It's understandable.

but now my deposit will not be refundable but issued as a credit for a future stay until 2022, which is the worst option given the uncertainties of travel now and the viability of this resort still being around.

Trip insurance would cover the possible loss. I have always taken trip insurance for international trips as my medical coverage at home does not cover me outside of the US, but there are other good reasons to buy it - and I strongly recommend it to family members.

So what do you think? I don't know how long they've been around. Are they a good, reputable dive op?

They have been in business for years, not sure how many, Gordy probably knows. I stayed there a few times before and once after the most recent ownership change, before their rates doubled - met Eva, her then husband, and her sister. It was an excellent hotel and dive Op then, I guess that it still is, and she has put the extra money into a lot of improvements. I think they will probably still be in business in a couple of years, as much as I can guess about such not knowing any more about them, but I'd still take the trip insurance.

Another option is to book the hotel only thru Hotels.com. I know that you've stated in the past that you didn't like them. That site recently added cheap cancellation insurance, only $25 per booking and it includes some medical coverage altho I doubt the coverage is impressive when you read the details. Your cost for diving would go up considerably tho as they have offer a great discount with their hotel+diving packages compared to their $90-100 for 2-tank trips.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

The Villa Aldora, and indeed Aldora Divers has never retained a deposit over 25 plus years. That is stupid business if you are in for the long haul.

David Dillehay

 

[DandyDon]

The Villa Aldora, and indeed Aldora Divers has never retained a deposit over 25 plus years. That is stupid business if you are in for the long haul.

David Dillehay

Really?! I can see the property's view easily. Room-nights are perishable, sell them or lose them, so I would think that deposit forfeitures would be at risk for the buyer. If the buyer cancels too late for the seller to resell, someone is going to lose that money. How can one run a rental property without forfeitable deposits?

Now, as a buyer, I do make my hotel reservations on Hotels.com always with free cancelation up to 14 days in advance, and this summer I canceled several. The BA's new policy doesn't allow such, but then they need to know that they sold the rooms even further out. Business is slow and the property is required to pay salaries and other expenses whether they get business or not.

 

[ggunn]

I
They [Blue Angel] have been in business for years, not sure how many, Gordy probably knows.

Sorry to disappoint, but I really don't remember. We have been staying there since 1982, but ownership has changed four times since then and the years sort of run together. In the early years it was pretty rustic; for some of our stays the hotel wasn't actually open (it was only operational 6-9 months of the year), so we were the only people staying there. Then there were the years that a couple of California party girls owned it; that was "interesting". Eva has owned it for several years now and has made many improvements. We like the place a whole lot, but in some ways the old days were more fun.

 

[ReefHound]

Really?! I can see the property's view easily. Room-nights are perishable, sell them or lose them, so I would think that deposit forfeitures would be at risk for the buyer. If the buyer cancels too late for the seller to resell, someone is going to lose that money. How can one run a rental property without forfeitable deposits?

How can one run a property if customers won't book in the first place if they might easily lose their deposits for events out of their control? Like flights canceled or travel restrictions imposed. Hotels don't offer generous cancellation policies because they lijke giving money back but because it encourages more people to book without worry.

As for the OP, that is pure BS. They have to abide by the policy they told you BEFORE booking, not AFTER booking. I'd tell them to return my deposit now or I'd file a dispute on credit card. As for them not having funds to return deposits, it was their choice to spend your deposit rather than hold it.

 

[Cert1967]

Really?! I can see the property's view easily. Room-nights are perishable, sell them or lose them, so I would think that deposit forfeitures would be at risk for the buyer. If the buyer cancels too late for the seller to resell, someone is going to lose that money. How can one run a rental property without forfeitable deposits?

Now, as a buyer, I do make my hotel reservations on Hotels.com always with free cancelation up to 14 days in advance, and this summer I canceled several. The BA's new policy doesn't allow such, but then they need to know that they sold the rooms even further out. Business is slow and the property is required to pay salaries and other expenses whether they get business or not.

 

[Cert1967]

Em, no edit button using IOS

Aldora?

I will take the owners guarantee over whatever hotel.com gives you any day

Your money is safe with Aldora and the best thing is well Aldora is the best place to stay in Cozumel but I admit to being biased

 

[ReefHound]

At the moment, the easy way to avoid deposit issues is to not make advance reservations at all. I just checked Orbitz for next week - about as short notice as it gets - and BA has plenty of rooms as do most others. Unless you're married to a place, just wait til a day or two before flight and then book. Especially if you're ok with a plan B.

Btw, noticed Hotel Barracuda is $35/nt next week, down from the odd $10,500 per night listed last month.

 

[DandyDon]

How can one run a property if customers won't book in the first place if they might easily lose their deposits for events out of their control? Like flights canceled or travel restrictions imposed. Hotels don't offer generous cancellation policies because they lijke giving money back but because it encourages more people to book without worry.

It's a balance of risk, which is what trip insurance is for among other risks. I wonder how one can run a property without nonrefundable deposits, but the answers would be complicated aspects of the supply & demand game.

Em, no edit button using IOS

Yeah there is. Under the Menu button at the bottom of the post.

Unless you're married to a place, just wait til a day or two before flight and then book.

That'd work if the hotel doesn't sell and go up or sell out. I like a the assurances of a room reservation, but I have been known to abuse the offers by changing hotels as the date approaches. More of the buyer & seller game.

Remember that Blue Angel is a small hotel and they can't even book all of the rooms, now up to 60% allowed I think. I do think that they are reaching too hard in trying to get $109/night with 14 cutoff on free cancelations on Hotels.com, but that's just a personal view. My favorite is $28/night with five-day cutoff.

Btw, noticed Hotel Barracuda is $35/nt next week, down from the odd $10,500 per night listed last month.

Hehe, they're showing $10,797/night on Hotels.com. Someone typoed.