Arena Travel Reviews 

Tour Code REBLE – Lake Bled, the Coast and Mountains of Slovenia
Booking ref 42896
I am still waiting for a refund of £322.33 re cancellation of the above holiday. I requested a refund on 20/08/21 after I was notified that there would be no departures in 2021. My original holiday should have departed on 20/09/20. I wrote again on 04/09/21 to refuse a credit note and ask for a refund. I merely received holding letters on 02/09/21 and 30/09/21. I wrote again on 11/10/21 but, for some inexplicable reason, that letter was returned by Royal Mail. I phoned Arena on 10/11/21, gave my bank details for the refund and was merely told that the request would be speeded up.
Arena has no right to hold onto my money for this length of time. If the refund is not forthcoming within the next 7 days, I shall have to resort to court action. I also expect to be compensated for my wasted time and effort and all the frustration I have suffered and wish to claim an additional £50.
Louise Chessher

Do not rely on their guarantee! We booked a 19 day holiday from Hull with arena which was cancelled because of Covid, rolled over to next year, cancelled again reduced to a 16 day holiday from London wanted an extra £732 for same holiday, so we cancelled, promised our money back in 10 days did not arrive but by chasing them again received money after 16 days.

Their price promise is worthless.

That’s not what your website promises, nor what the letter from your CEO said, if the price increases you will not have to pay extra once you have booked your price paid is guaranteed!

Our holiday was cancelled due to lack of bookings.

Asked for a refund, very little response. Posted a review on here and got a response promising that our refund would be processed as a priority. Well that was 9 days ago. So much for a priority refund.

My October holiday was cancelled, and I was offered re-book or refund, and I requested the latter because of personal circumstances. I received an immediate response and it was expalined that the refund would take some weeks. The refund has been made within the time frame idicated and without my needing to chase.

1/The Problem is the Breadsall Priory country club & hotel you used for Enchanting Peak District 23/09/21--Beautiful setting of Hotel and lovely grounds but building not fit for purpose, might be good for stag/hen parties but that's about all!, Appalling service from very beginning, disinterested reception gave key with no explanation of amenities, times, where etc. . No porterage for luggage. no direction how to find room through sprawling annexes. Room situated up 3 flights of stairs --down 2 flights then up another 3 steps along corridor to another 3 steps before arriving at door. Room pleasant but toilet not flushing properly -dead light bulb----reported it to disinterested reception every day of stay --even Arena rep did so ---but to no avail! Breakfast was a self service scrum -too many people for size of room - not enough seating -no trays to carry food --food/ juices/ milk not replenished after first wave ! ---No lounge, so one retreated to room of an evening. Only small crowded stand up bar, the only seating was out side on patio ( chilly and wet when raining !!) with limited number of iron seats Arena coach party was assigned to a small corridor like room behind reception office for evening meal, The room appeared to have been shut during pandemic and smelt musty and damp couldn't open windows to rid the stale smell and table and chairs were what one encounters in a canteen ! room may have been a store room previously ! Food was good and well cooked but served by very disorganised staff--( not uncommon for them to be wandering around the tables with a plate of food wondering who had ordered what, until food was cold when arrived at rightful place, Supermarket cafe would have given better service ! ( the main (non coach party)

dinning room looked pleasant enough )--- we felt as if we were of no importance!!
2/ ---- Certainly not Arenas fault to whom the coach driver was ---but as passenger I did not feel safe, I and husband sat in the front so could see driver -- at one point he was reading from notes held in hand whilst he was driving and giving a commentary --he
speeded on open roads( 80 miles,) and even did 50 miles in 30mile zone,Once he mentioned he'd have to slow down because he knew the police often waited along a side street !! that was the only time he did 30 within a built up area. !!--
3/ .Whew never again--- so disappointed -with selection of hotels and lack of saucing good coach companies. We will not be using Arena ever again and Certainly cannot recommend to friends --- ---

Appalling Customer Service. Germany Train Holiday cancelled over a month ago, no refund apparent. Fobbed off with excuses of staff shortages and very busy etc etc.
I was really hoping to recommend them, not a chance.
When will I receive my not inconsiderable refund ?

I booked a knitting holiday to Norway with Arena Travel for September 2021. This was cancelled last month due to ongoing travel restrictions. I'm still waiting for my refund!!
Emails, promises, excuses......... Still no refund. Managing Director Steve Goodenough promised me a refund this week - no refund! Lisa Hamilton assured me it would be in my account today - no refund!
This is no way to treat clients and retain us as clients - especially in the current pandemic travel climate!
In a nutshell - don't book with Arena Travel.

We booked a holiday to Kent n April with Arena Rail

After over 11 emails Arena Travel are refusing to refund me my money paid in good faith for a holiday booked for April 2020 and then carried over to April 2021. This is not good enough. As of today if I leave the UK I would have to have 3 PCR tests on return at a cost of at least £120 each and more tests to enter Scilly. Come on Arena do this right thing. I am in my 70's

Further to Fred's review entitled Refusing Refund, I am his partner and it was my credit card we used to pay the balance in January 2020, the deposit having been paid in November 2019.

We both agreed and accepted their offer to add 2% to the refund which would be paid on January 31st 2021. However, we are still being fobbed off with yet another stock reply from Arena Travel. We thoroughly object to our money being used to finance this company unlawfully. Any money they would have paid for flights, hotel, etc for our holiday was reimbursed to them many months ago, we understand. Our other holidays from other much more reputable companies we had paid for in early 2020 were refunded immediately without issues.

They have no excuse or reason not to have settled with us by their stated date of January 31st which has been cast in stone for several months.
We have enjoyed many holidays run by First for Bridge especially when it was owned and run by Martin and Judy and sold to Arena Travel several years ago. Sadly, it will be difficult to trust them in the future.

Have been asking for a refund for the Gdansk holiday they cancelled in April 2020. Their behaviour has been appalling and obstructive and refusing to refund despite it being unlawful. I have dozens of letters on file. Eventually l received a letter from their MD dated 10th September 2020 asking me to agree to wait until 31st January 2021 for my refund and they will add 2% bonus. I am still waiting. Maybe l need to engage legal help.

Just to correct Arena Travels reply with reference to my post stating that I could not apply for a refund before 31/01/21. They implied the refund had been made by themselves. This is incorrect, the refund came from my bank after I instigated a chargeback claim against Arena.

I have had a number of delightful holidays with Arena Travel over the years. This year however one has been cancelled because of the virus . I spoke to someone from the company who explained the situation .
I am happy to keep my deposit with Arena with the thought of a holiday next year to look forward to .

I went to Malta with Arena and could not fault it. Hotel was fantastic and the food was great!
They offer very good value holidays' and a brilliant service.
Once we get through Covid I will using them again.

In laws in their late 70s, booked a cruise with Arena Travel. It was cancelled as many other holidays have been. Company is refusing a refund, offering a credit note only. This is an atrocious way to treat your most loyal customers. They have been now forced to apply for a charge back from their bank.

Steve Goodenough (Ceo of Arena Travel), can you please explain why you believe Arena Travel has the right to break the law (because you are) and the right to keep hold of customers money.

Following this review Arena Travel did email me, with more excuses and NO REFUND to my parents in law.

Update on my review of 26th June.After spending my valuable time trying to sort out this issue with Arena I eventually managed to get a full refund via a credit card chargeback through my bank.Will not be using this company again.

Booked a tour for June through my local Travel Agent. In early April the tour was cancelled due to covid. I requested a monetary refund as I am over 70 years of age and not sure when I will feel safe or confident to travel again. Arena refused to give an immediate monetary refund, only a voucher which could be converted to a cash refund at end on January 2021 if I did not book an alternative holiday. I told my Travel Agent that this was not acceptable and that I wanted a cash refund by the end of April. Arena responded that it was not their policy to give an immediate monetary refund but under the circumstances they would give me a cash refund at end of July. I was agreeable to wait until end July even though I was legally entitled to a refund within 14 days.. It is now the middle of August and there is no word of the refund. Not impressed at all with this company as it appears that they had no intention of honoring their promises. Would not book with them again.

Added 21 September 2020:
They have finally refunded us. It took the threat of legal action to get them to do what they should have done immediately. However, to be fair to them they have paid us, so those who do want a refund, keep plugging away. If you are happy to wait in the hope of a better outcome next year we hope it works out for you, but we are pensioners.....

We accepted a postponement for a late May trip until the beginning of September. This was cancelled in July. No refund despite it being a legal requirement, and we made it clear a refund credit note was unacceptable and illegal. What is truly infuriating is that they are selling the same holiday now, almost certainly using the money of customers whom they have refused to refund. They have had our money since March 2019. Small claims court for us, I’m afraid, unless they pay what they are required to do by law.

Yet another story of Arena Travel refusing to give a refund. Our river cruise in April was cancelled by them due to Coved-19. We applied for a refund within 14 days according to the Package and Travel Regulations 2018. However, they say that it is not their policy to give a refund.However, we should wait until July 31 at which time we can apply for the refund. On July 31 we applied for the refund and surprise, surprise, they replied again that it is not their policy to give a refund. I guess we will have to apply to the court. I hope that they get fined for breaking the law

I completely agree. Will not answer phone calls or many emails. Completely refusing to refund a cancelled holiday due to COVID-19 only offer a credit off another holiday. This is completely against all advice and regulations. Becoming very stressed and spending far too much time on this Trying to get my money back now resorting to legal claim. Extremely poor service- unbelievable.