Advertisment
The advertisement stated:
“EXECUTIVE ROOM
In the Heart of Galway City
The four star Hotel Meyrick is Galway’s most central hotel, situated on Eyre Square close to the Connacht Rugby grounds, the Latin Quarter and Quay St. The executive hotel rooms at the Hotel Meyrick feature rich colours, fabrics and furniture which have been carefully chosen to compliment the classic old world features that the Galway hotel has to offer. With original sash windows and higher than average ceilings encapsulating Victorian elegance, this is truly an iconic 4 star hotel in the heart of Galway City. Some rooms benefit from looking out over bustling Eyre Square but please note that square views are limited and allocated only on check in if available.
Designed with the discerning traveller in mind, all rooms have Wi-Fi access, comfortable seating areas ideal for working or relaxing and marble bathrooms. These rooms are ideal for business or leisure and twin beds are also available on request.
To book your Galway city break, click here to see our Special Offers.
Please note the photo shown is representative of the room category. Each Executive Room is uniquely different and may only be allocated on check in.”
A photograph of a large spacious room with two sash windows and a cabinet (with fruit and bottled) water was depicted.
“Standard Room
Contemporary Design
When booking a hotel break in Galway, the city centre 4 star Hotel Meyrick offers the perfect location for business or pleasure. Standard bedrooms are decorated in a modern, contemporary theme with soft and mellow lighting. Described as city centre havens perched above the streets of Galway, the standard rooms at Hotel Meyrick range from 20m² – 22m² (215-237sq ft) with en-suite bathrooms.
A great option for visitors to Galway, these rooms are the ideal pied-à-terre for guests seeking to explore the city as well as offering the most convenient location in the city with Galway Train station next door and the coach station just one minute walk away. The Galway train station is the most centally (sic) located station in Ireland and offers trains to Dublin.
All hotel rooms at Hotel Meyrick are equipped with complimentary wi-fi, flat screen TV and in room amenities.
Please note the photo shown is representative of the room category. Each Room is different and may only be allocated on check in.”
Two photographs depicted a standard room, with one decorated in a similar style to the Executive Room and the other in a more contemporary style.
Complaint
The complainant said after viewing the Executive Double Room on the advertisers’ website, he booked a room in the hotel at a cost of €220 per night. He said while the room advertised consisted of a very large spacious room with double windows and a sideboard containing fruit and bottled water, what he had been provided with was nothing like what had been advertised. He said the room he had been provided with was very much smaller in size, with one window and had contained no fruit or bottled water. It was his opinion that the room he was provided with was a standard room. The complainant said that it was only when he raised his concerns that the hotel agreed to reduce the cost of the room to €199 i.e. the cost of a standard room for one night’s B&B.
The complainant provided photographs of the executive room advertised and the room he had been provided with for comparative purposes. He considered he had been misled by the advertising.
Response
The advertisers said their hotel was celebrating its 165th year this year and the main house of the Hotel was a listed building with nearly every room in this section different in layout and size. Further to receiving the complaint, however, and after checking their website the advertisers said that at no point had they advertised that they supplied fruit platters or mineral water in their executive bedrooms. They said these items which had featured on their website had been merely props.
The advertisers said that while some rooms were smaller in size and not all contained two sash windows, the room in question was situated in the main house of the hotel and featured ornate chandeliers, was rich in colour and overlooked Eyre Square. In conclusion they said they had not falsely advertised an executive room rather than a standard room.
Conclusion
Complaint upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response.
The Committee considered that the depiction of fruit and bottled water implied that these items would be provided on a complementary basis and would not be regarded by consumers as ‘props’. As they were not provided, the Committee considered that their depiction in the photographs to be a breach of Section 4.1 of the Code.
The Committee considered the photograph of the room the complainant has been allocated and that depicted on the website. They noted that the description had indicated that the rooms could vary in size from 23 metres squared to 33 metres squared. However, as only one room type had been depicted the Committee considered that consumers would not be aware of the scale of difference there was in the Executive room types. In addition, they noted that the description had referred to ‘sash windows’ indicating that each room had more than one sash window. In the circumstances they considered that the advertising was likely to mislead and in breach of sections 4.1 and 4.4 of the Code.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The advertisement should not appear in the same format again.
