Osnabrücker wins 1,000 euros after hotel bankruptcy: vacation for families instead of couples!

Osnabrücker wins 1,000 euros after hotel bankruptcy: vacation for families instead of couples!

A man from Osnabrück faced an unexpected hassle after booking a trip to an “adults only” hotel. He and his wife planned a relaxing vacation through a travel agency. But the travel documents we received later showed a different hotel, a family hotel that was only rated four stars. This deviation caused anger and the subsequent termination of the travel contract.

After the man canceled his trip, he was refunded the travel price of around 3,000 euros. The tour operator offered him another five-star hotel as an alternative, but it did not meet the requirements of an “adults only” offer and was also rated worse. As a result, the man decided to take legal action and went to court to claim compensation for “lost holiday joy”.

Judgment of the district court

The Osnabrück district court ruled in favor of the man and awarded him compensation of 1,000 euros. The court found that the tour operator was inadequate in its obligation to provide information by not informing the traveler in a timely manner about the changes to the hotel offer. This circumstance represents a breach of contract and led to an agreement between the man's lawyer and the tour operator.

This decision highlights how important it is for package holiday providers to fully inform their customers about any changes. Travel defects are a common problem that can, in many cases, have legal consequences.

What is a travel deficiency?

The definition of a travel deficiency applies primarily to package tours where transport and accommodation are booked together. If a travel deficiency occurs, certain steps must be taken to make a claim. The most common defects include:

• Mängel an Hotel und Unterkunft: Sauberkeitsprobleme, mangelhafte Ausstattung oder kein warmes Wasser.
• Lärmbelästigungen oder Geruchsprobleme.
• Probleme mit der Verpflegung: Qualität oder Auswahl mangelhaft.
• Ausfall gebuchter Leistungen, beispielsweise nicht durchgeführte Aktivitäten.
• Verlust oder Beschädigung von Gepäck.

It is advisable to document any defects and report them to the tour operator immediately. The tour operator is legally obliged to react to defects and, if necessary, offer replacement services.

The claim to a travel price reduction usually expires after two years, which makes it all the more important for travelers to act in a timely manner. Those affected should also find out about the Frankfurt table 2025, which can be used to estimate travel price reductions.

The case of the man from Osnabrück illustrates how important it is to respect contractual agreements and make informed decisions in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. Interested readers can find further information about travel defects and the associated rights at hopkins.law and ndr.de.