Compensation Clinic: Ibis Malabo Closed – Reader Not Informed

A LoyaltyLobby reader sent us a case about an Accor hotel in Equatorial Guinea not being open when the reader tried to check in, and an alternative hotel, Sofitel, was significantly more expensive.

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You can access Accor’s page for this hotel here.

READ MORE: Accor ALL Rate & Bonus Points Offers

Reader’s Email To Accor:

Objet : Re: ALL Customer Service – REMOVED – Letter before Action to Legal Proceedings

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have as of yet not received a follow up from the below message.

As stated, I turned up to the Ibis Malabo for my stay on April 19-21 2025 to find the hotel shut. I phoned up the travel agency who I booked the hotel with who informed me they had not received any notification of the said closure. On enquiring with Accor and with the hotel directly, the hotel confirmed by email that they had failed to inform me of the closure.

As such I suffered damages due to this closure and failure to inform me or cancel my reservation. The taxi driver instead took me to Accor’s hotel in Malabo ‘The Sofitel Simpopo’ which I had to pay for additionally.

The damages I suffered are as follows:

• Difference in cost between the Sofitel and the Ibis hotel £227 (The Sofitel was £397 and the Ibis was £170)

• Cost of taxi from the Ibis to Sofitel 50 euros (£43)

• Cost of taxi back from Sofitel to Airport 40 euros (£34)

The damages I have suffered have therefore come to the total of £304 British Pounds Sterling.

Whilst my contract was with Agoda Company Pte, the actions of Accor S.A by closing the hotel and failing to inform either myself or Agoda means that Accor S.A has committed tortious interference with contract. Such tortious interference with contract has caused me to suffer damages.

Whilst Agoda Company Pte has jurisdiction in Singapore, and whilst the hotel concerned is in Equatorial Guinea, the damages were suffered in England and Wales. This came about because the monies were paid out from a British bank account in Pound Sterling, and I am based in England. Therefore the Court of England and Wales do have jurisdiction to hear a claim, and Accor S.A do have an address for service in England.

Therefore I am giving you until Monday, May 12 2025 to settle this dispute for the sum of £304 British Pounds Sterling or the points equivalent in ALL points. I deem the ALL points equivalent to be 20,000 ALL points.

Failure to receive a response by this deadline will result in a claim being raised against Accor S.A for the above mentioned damages in the Courts of England and Wales.

The reader sent this demand to both Accor and the hotel in question.

Accor’s Email BEFORE The Reader’s One Above:

Thank you once again for your continued communication and for clarifying your willingness to accept compensation in ALL – Accor Live Limitless points.

We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by the unexpected closure of the Ibis Malabo during your recent trip, and we fully understand the frustration and disruption this has brought to your travel plans. Your loyalty to ALL is deeply valued, and it is important to us that we address this matter in a satisfactory and timely manner.

In the meantime, we are also reviewing your case internally to explore what we can offer directly from our side to help resolve this situation fairly. We will follow up with a concrete proposal shortly.

We appreciate your patience and understanding, and we are committed to restoring your confidence in our services.

This email originated from Accor’s customer service, not the hotel.

Email From The Hotel After The Demand Letter:

We are very sorry for what happened and we understand that it is a complicated situation for a person who has already scheduled his trip.

In view of this situation, we would like to inform you that your points have been credited.

We look forward to welcoming you on another occasion.

Conclusion

This case is a perfect example of how to handle a complaint letter.

Draft a clear complaint that includes only the facts and outlines your next steps if the issue is not resolved.

We have had numerous cases where guests were not informed of the hotel’s delayed opening or closure, even when booking directly.

It never ceases to amaze me how these corporations cannot adequately inform those with reservations if the property is not open during the guest’s stay, and offer alternatives in the immediate area.

I am glad that the reader was able to receive adequate resolution and precisely what they wanted.

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