Secret Escapes Reviews

I just changed the dates for the hotel so no refund as such needed and I paid the difference of £10 required

Due to covid restrictions my booking was cancelled by SE, I contacted them about my refund. Their policy was explained and I requested a full refund which reached a speedy conclusion all by email.

Following my experience of an insurance company deciding that they would no longer insure a break I arranged with Secret Escapes they did everything they could to resolve the matter. After 12 months of lack of communication from the insurance company Secret Escapes resolved the issue appropriately. I have used Secret Escapes on several occasions for short breaks and found them to be very efficient friendly and great value for money, would definitely use again.

I think Secret Escapes do a first class job and their customer service is second to none

Had to cancel a planned trip received refund within days happy with secret escapes

I have booked through Secret Escapes multiple times and the prices have always been unmatched and the quality of hotels have always been great. I recommend the site to everyone.

Have had some lovely short breaks with Secret Escapes, always high end hotels and excellent locations. Genuine savings and usually perks at hotels just for booking via Secret Escapes. No issue claiming refunds on trips cancelled due to Covid. No quibble, no stress, but decided to go for credits for the last cancellation as I know I will be booking something through them again...and again...and again!!

Booked a couple of breaks and had to cancel due to Covid Lockdown.Couldn't fault the cancellation. Dealt with promptly, with full refund or credit which was more than the original cost

We booked a four-night stay in The Arundell Arms Hotel, Lifton, Devon for March/April 2020. The stay included a full English breakfast, three-course dinner from the a la carte menu up to the value of £45 p.p. day and a glass of Prosecco on arrival per person.Due to Covid we transferred the booking to April 2021.In September 2020 a receptionist at the hotel said it had been sold and the new owners were not honouring the Secret Escapes deal. Also, the price had escalated from £406 to £720.We cancelled the booking and have spoken to Secret Escapes on 5 occasions, sent several emails and written to the new owners of The Arundell ArmsHotel.Our letter to The Arundell Arms did not receive a reply and Secret Escapes keep repeating that the money we sent to them was then forwarded to the hotel and they should reimburse us. Neither side is taking responsibility for refunding our money so you would do well to avoid both companies in the future.

Update - 4th February. Still no resolution. Unsurprisingly SE have passed the buck and said that Balmer Lawn Hotel received the money and they will ask them for suggestions. That was 2 weeks ago.———————-We have used SE a number of times and recommended to friends. Sadly after 10 months we are disgusted by their complete lack of integrity. It appears that unless you post a review on Trust pilot, awaiting a response or indeed a fair outcome is not an option. We recommended Secret Escapes to my parents in law in February 2020. They are elderly and have limited income and assets. When they made this booking they took the cancellation cover (recommended by Secret Escapes) as they have underlying health conditions. With COVID cases rising, they cancelled a few days before the hotel closed (and the March lockdown was announced), therefore they should be at the front of the queue for a refund. As they previously lost most of their income from the collapse of their work pension scheme, this amount is significant to them.Since March, we have numerous emails from Secret Escapes and Roomer confirming they would receive a refund. The hotel advised that they could do nothing as we booked via SE, but SE would provide a refund as they had not received payment.SE blame Rooner, Roomer blame SE and the so called customer support for SE ask us to be patient, using every COVID related excuse under the sun. It is galling that if my in laws had not cancelled themselves, they would have received a refund by now as the hotel closed a couple of days prior to their planned arrival. I can only conclude that one or more of the three businesses involved is acting inappropriately. Especially having just received the attached email from Roomer. Jan 22, 2021, 1:13 GMT+2Hi Neil,I’m following up on behalf of Roomer on the status of your case.As the hotel you booked has been closed, have you received a full refund from Secret Escapes?We unfortunately cannot issue refunds for closed hotels. However we have worked very hard to help travelers receive their money back when the hotel was closed.Please let us know if you’d like us to contact Secret Escapes and resolve it.Thank you,Best regards,RoomerOur requests for meaningful updates are ignored or like today, we receive another empty update from SE asking for further patience.My father in law passed away in November and my mother in law is in greater need of the £600 or so. There is a significant injustice with this situation and we have concluded that as Secret Escapes have no moral compass our only remaing option is to publicise the poor and unfair treatment and seek trading standards/legal guidance if there is no resolution imminently.

Here to add to the growing negative reviews for SE. I have had many run ins with them this year for two cancelled holidays. Both of which took months to sort. Terrible customer service, rude staff, and shocking refund process which makes customers beg or threaten legal action.Will never use again and encourage everyone else to never use them! Hope they go bust.

Had a booking made through secret Escapes email promotion. The resort and flights were cancelled because of Covid. They acted as an agent for Blue Bay Travel but when I approached Secret Escapes, they washed their hands of my refund claim telling me about the small print, and having to approach BBT. Talk about Pontious Pilot! Won't book with them again