DO NOT BOOK WITH WEEK2WEEK
DO NOT BOOK WITH WEEK2WEEK
I would strongly warn guests to think very carefully before booking with this company. Our experience was incredibly stressful and happened just one day before our stay.
We had booked and paid for a two-week stay in Newcastle months in advance. Just days before travelling, our confirmed apartment was taken away from us. Worse, we were not proactively contacted to tell us this had happened. We only discovered the issue because we called the company ourselves to ask about parking.
Had we not made that call, we could have travelled hours to Newcastle believing we still had valid accommodation, only to discover on arrival that the apartment we had booked was no longer available.
When we first asked why we had been moved, we were told that the person we were speaking to did not know and that another colleague appeared to have made the change. After we pushed further and asked to speak to somebody senior, the same person told us that this was her family business and then explained the reason for the change.
We were eventually told that the current guest in our apartment had extended their stay, and our confirmed booking had therefore been displaced.
When we questioned how another guest could simply extend into dates that had already been booked and paid for by us, we were told words to the effect of “that’s just how the company is run.”
That response was extremely concerning. The company had been happy to take our money upfront months in advance, yet apparently a “confirmed” booking still did not guarantee that the accommodation would actually be honoured.
The alternatives we were offered were also not equivalent to what we had originally booked, particularly in terms of location and sleeping arrangements. Because this happened at such short notice, suitable accommodation in Newcastle was extremely limited.
We were therefore left incredibly stressed and out of pocket, having to arrange alternative accommodation ourselves at the last minute.
For students travelling long distances for university placements or teaching, accommodation needs to be dependable. A booking that has been made, paid for and confirmed months in advance should not leave you scrambling for somewhere to stay immediately before arrival.
Our course requires us to return to Newcastle regularly over several years, and after this experience we will not be using Week2Week again.
What concerned us most was not simply that the accommodation changed, but the lack of warning, the changing explanation we were given, the fact that our confirmed booking was displaced because another guest extended their stay, and the unsuitable alternatives offered afterwards.
Based entirely on our own experience, I would not recommend Week2Week to anyone who needs certainty and reliability from their accommodation provider.
Reply from Week2Week Serviced Apartments
Tanvi, I am genuinely sorry that this was your experience with Week2Week.
As I explained when we spoke, we had sent an email advising of the apartment change prior to your call. However, I completely appreciate that you believed this had been sent in error and, importantly, our normal process of following up a relocation personally by telephone was not followed. I apologised to you for this at the time and accept that we should have communicated the change much more clearly.
When we first spoke, I genuinely did not know why the apartment had been changed and needed to establish what had happened before giving you an explanation. Once I had the information, I explained the circumstances to you.
We never want to move a guest from the apartment they have booked and only do so when circumstances mean a change is necessary. When this happens, our priority is to communicate directly with the guest and find a suitable alternative.
I completely understood your frustration and did everything I could at that stage to try to find a solution. We offered four alternative apartments, but unfortunately none met your requirements, particularly around location and sleeping arrangements.
As your reservation had been made and paid for through Booking.com, I also explained during our conversation that Booking.com would arrange either alternative accommodation or a full refund if you did not wish to accept the options we had available.
I was disappointed that we weren't able to find a solution that worked for you, particularly as I knew how important the stay was. We have since addressed what happened with the team and reinforced our relocation process, including the importance of speaking to guests directly when a change is necessary.
I am sorry that we did not communicate the change as clearly or personally as we should have. Once I became aware of the situation, I genuinely tried to put things right, and I am sorry that despite the alternatives offered we were unable to find one that met your needs.
Update following your further comments
Tanvi, we understand why you were upset to be asked to change apartments after booking and paying months in advance.
Thank you for clarifying that the reason was explained to your colleague rather than directly to you. We are sorry if our earlier reply did not make this clear.
Clause 4.1 of our booking terms states: “Although accommodation and location are confirmed in advance, the exact apartment cannot be guaranteed prior to arrival.” These terms allow us to offer a similar apartment if the original is unavailable, but we appreciate that this does not take away the disruption caused.
We offered four alternatives to try to find a solution. We understand your point about discussing further guest moves and why this added to your frustration.
As I acknowledged during our conversations, we should have communicated the change more clearly and handled it better. I am sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this caused you and your colleagues.
Claire Parry
Managing Director