We were booked to depart on Friday morning. Thursday morning I started our online check in in the hopes to get us some good seats on the flight from London to Barbados. What a shock to then see on the British airways website that the leg from Barbados to Grenada with Liat airways was cancelled. It said there to contact BA which I did. The person confirmed that this flight was indeed cancelled but that I needed to contact the agency who booked our tickets. Andre eventually managed to get hold of them during the day, Thursday. It was booked online so we didn't exactly have a specific person we booked with but anyway, after much correspondence Andre let me know that it's all sorted and the best they could do was to get us onto a flight from Barbados to Grenada the next morning at 6am instead.
So we booked a hotel for the night. I was at first very disappointed that we'd be having a later start to our holiday with our family but in the end made peace with it and thought it could actually be nice to spend an evening in a hotel with my husband. From the website the hotel looked pretty nice with a pool and bar right by the pool so I had visions of us sipping cocktails by the pool (virgin cocktails for me of course) and spending some time together on our own.
Checking in at the hotel was another joke. I booked online through the hotel's own website and was emailed confirmation with the price to pay. But on arrival the receptionist was not expecting us at all. She was like, what you want to stay here? It was so strange and very unprofessional. It took her ages to do what she needed to do. I was hot and bothered and pregnant and not having any nonsense from her.
She got on the phone with our confirmed booking print out I gave her to find out what she needed to charge us. She wanted to still add tax as well as an additional charge per person per room. After it clearly showed on the paper I gave her the tax amount before the total as well as that I paid for two people. After about three phone calls about the price to someone I made her understand I will not pay one extra cent than what their own website quoted me. She agreed and we paid. Then back on the phone to find out whether she needed to give us a receipt. Really?!! Of course you give someone a receipt if they just paid you money! She said we'd have to come back for the receipt later and we left it at that because clearly it was going to take her a long time to work out how to do the actual receipt on the computer. I asked her whether there were other people staying at the hotel as it looked deserted. She started answering me but then as someone walked by she went to speak to this person to order herself a sandwich. In the end we found out there was one other person staying in the hotel. It was a big hotel with 4 conference rooms, a very large pool with green water which we decided might not be safe for swimming in. The rooms were nice, clean and we had a balcony over looking the (green) pool. We stayed in the room, just relaxing and decided to use the time to practise the hypnobirthing exercises. Also to help calm me after dealing with the lady at the reception desk.
Oh while at the desk another lady came on shift and I thought she might be more clued up so when our lady went off to check our room was ready (twice) I decided to ask this other lady about the airport shuttle they mention on their website for the next morning. She said yes she can book us a taxi. But didn't do anything about it. I gave her the time and asked whether she will be booking it and she said ok. Clearly not all there so I gave up.
The hotel also has a bowling alley and it was clear the local youth enjoyed this on a Friday night. We walked over there to get dinner and asked to have it as take outs so we could have it in our room. While waiting we had some drinks and when the food arrived the girl said we didn't have to pay for the drinks. We paid for the food. Thought it a bit strange but anyway, walked back to our room. We were hardly back in the room when the phone rang. The bartender wanted his money for the drinks we had!! Andre had a burger and chips. The burger was edible but the chips really oily. I really really wanted nachos from when we were still in the UK so I was excited to see it on the menu at the hotel. But they didn't make it anymore so I ordered chilli cheese fries. It would have been edible had I had salt to have over it. I maybe had 6 chips then gave up. We walked back to the bowling alley, Andre had another beer and I wanted to get a bottle of water anyway and we paid for it all this time.
The other funny thing is, they would give you the price in Barbadian dollars. for example our bar total came to B$20. I said we wanted to pay in US$. The bartender thought for a while and then said ok $11. So they just make it up as they go.
We told the receptionist we will be checking out at 4.30 and needed a taxi to the airport. All was pitch dark in the reception area this morning. We found a guy sleeping in a chair nearby. i called to him and he then woke up the receptionist. She said that guy could take us to the airport. He just went back to his chair and back to sleep. I stood in the middle of the room not believing my eyes!! I asked him whether he will be taking us or not, he said he works at the hotel. Eventually the receptionist told him to take us. At he airport I ask him how much, he said to just give him something. I reckoned the airport taxi must have been a rip off, this guy doesn't usually drive guests and would have no cue what taxis charge so gave him just under half what the actual taxi charged. We were happy to have made it safely to the airport.
Finally we can be on our way to see the family in Grenada. Just an hour's flight and we'll be there. Whats the chance! At the flight check in counter we get told we have to pay another US$300 since we changed our flight. We tried to argue but paying was the only way to get us on the flight. Apparently the original flight never was cancelled. We're taking this up with the travel agents and will be fighting to get our money back.
So now were still sitting waiting for our flight to depart from Barbados to Grenada. Our 6am flight has now twice already been delayed by an hour each time. At the moment we're hoping it will leave at 8am...
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