Hotel Imperator Concorde Nimes  

In Jan 2012, we booked 2 rooms at the Imperator Concorde in Nimes for arrival 8th July 2012 and departure 13th July 2012. We had carefully selected this hotel as the most convenient for our stay before making a considered booking. This booking was confirmed, and a credit card number was provided.Upon reaching the Imperator Concorde after travelling for 30 hours, we were told at reception that they did not have our accommodation available but would be able to send us to a newer more modern hotel with a swimming pool just a bit further from the centre of town. We could just hop in our car and drive there. When we said we did not have a car they said they would pay for a taxi there. When asked why we had not been notified of the change they said they did not have any contact details for us as they were not provided by the booking agency. We were driven to the Best Western Nimotel at the edge of the industrial part of town and given two rooms with one bathroom. Breakfast would be thrown in. When challenged that we had purposefully booked within walking distance of the centre of town, they rang the Imperator who then agreed to pay our taxi fares for the duration of our stay. They said that a musical group did not want noise in the hotel so they moved us out! As if someone in their 60’s and 70’s would run amok in the corridor. The next afternoon we found that the Imperator Concorde had emptied 15 rooms – of what appeared English speaking guests - to accommodate the band Radiohead. Some of those people now staying at the Nimotel with us had booked and paid for the accommodation in November last year and specifically come from New York, Chicago, England for the Radiohead performance at the Arena. The Imperator Concorde had refused to refund their advanced payments even though the hotel had not provided the accommodation. We paid the account at the Nimotel before our departure. Two days later, we received a note from AMEX that the Imperator Concorde had tried to bill our card for the full amount of the booking as though we had stayed there. Fortunately the card had in the time between January and July been made redundant and the account was not debited for a “service” never received! We are looking at the legal options available in France to obtain compensation, and we will also contact the CEO of Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Mr Bernard Grainer located in Paris, to inform him of the events which took place in Nimes. Sydney/Australia.