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X-Rated Honeymoon
ChrisCrossings · March 8, 2001

Q: I had travel agency book arrangements for my honeymoon, which I just returned from a few days ago. My husband and I wanted a trip to Cancun, Mexico, at a hotel without kids and near the beach. The agent suggested the Blue Bay Hotel and told us it was for adults only. We specifically asked her if that meant "no kids" or if it meant "X-rated." The agent said she was sure it just meant no kids.

As you can guess, when we arrived at the hotel in Cancun we discovered it was a clothes-optional hotel where all the activities, including just sitting around or swimming in the pool, were worse than XXX-rated. People were engaged in all kinds of sex poolside and in the pool, completely uninhibited, even though they were in public.

Since we had maxed-out our credit cards and could not afford to go to another hotel, we ended up staying away from the hotel during the day and only able to enjoy the pool at night when all the "X-rated" activity moved to the hotel bars.

We are going to talk to the travel agent and ask for compensation for basically ruining our honeymoon. My question is: in this case what would be considered a standard or "fair reimbursement" by professional travel agency organizations?

-- Grace Murphy

A: Sounds like you had an interesting honeymoon. But I wouldn't be so quick to blame your travel agent. She probably booked your vacation based on second-hand information. Travel agents can't personally visit every property that they recommend.

I think the best thing to do is to take this up with the hotel. Actually, you probably should have taken it up with the property when you arrived, but it may not be too late. You should think of your travel agent an ally, not an enemy. She can help you gather the necessary information - brochures, listings, ads - to show that both of you were misled.

I am almost certain that both you and your agent were hoodwinked by the hotel, based on a cursory look at the hotel's promotional material and Web sites. But since I wasn't there, I can't be 100 percent sure.

I would submit a tightly written letter (one page, double-spaced) to the hotel manager. Be certain to send carbon copies to your agent, the tour operator, Blue Bay Resorts (the hotel's parent company) and myself.

For good measure, you ought to forward a copy to the Mexican Tourism Secretary:

Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR)
Presidente Masaryk 172 (3º), Col. Polanco
11587 México DF
Tel: (52) 52 50 85 55
Fax: (52-5) 250 54 44

You should not expect too much. After all, the hotel provided you with an acceptable room, even though what happened outside the room was unacceptable. You might get a percentage off a future vacation at Blue Bay, but that's probably the best you can hope for.

If you're still unhappy and you still believe the agent intentionally misled you, you may want to report this to the American Society of Travel Agents. Its members must adhere to a no-nonsense code of ethics that your agent may have violated.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at chris@ticked.com. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.