THE president and owner of Latin Tours Travelling Agency has lashed out against the bad treatment his Trinidadian clients have been receiving at the Laguna Mar Hotel, located in Margarita off Venezuela.

The travel agent told TnT Mirror he has been forced to cancel arrangements with the hotel for an upcoming tour in April, due to the large number of complaints coming to his company about the hotel. The Latin Tours president, who has been successfully running the agency for more than 14 years, revealed that he has received numerous reports from customers about alleged credit card fraud at the hotel.

“I received one particular complaint from one of my Trinidadian customers who told me that her credit card was used without her knowledge while at the hotel,” he said

“When she returned from her vacation in Margarita and received her credit card readout, she was shocked.

“The woman said her credit card statement showed purchases made in Caracas via the hotel.

“But the woman revealed that she never had access to her card while at the hotel until the day she left the country.”

The travel agency owner pointed out that all visitors to the hotel are usually asked to leave their credit card at the reception counter as a form of security, in case anything in their room is broken, destroyed or stolen during their stay.

However, after customers began complaining about their cards being used to make purchases without their knowledge while in the country, he became concerned about his clients’ treatment at the hotel.

“Other clients have also been calling me saying that when they return to Trinidad and call the hotel to make their complaints, the operator pretends he can’t speak English,” the travel agency owner added.

“If you are making an overseas call and the operator was only speaking a foreign language, you would get fed-up and hang up.

“But I have no control over what happens at the hotel, so when clients call me I have to phone the hotel to clarify the issues myself.”

He added that representatives at the hotel have also been accused of trying to sell time-shares to his clients while at the resort.

He further pointed out that he has personally made complaints to various managers of the hotel arising out of his costumers’ concerns, but said they seemed to be falling on deaf ears since nothing has ever been done.

The Venezuelan-born travel agency president, who has branches in Trinidad, Venezuela and North America, said he particularly treasures his Trinidadian clients, since his wife is a Trinidadian.

“That is why I have taken a keen interest into the complaints from this country’s nationals against the hotel,” he explained.

The owner admitted he chose Laguna Mar as one of the top hotels on his list in Margarita, as it claimed to be a five-star resort.

However, his perceptions have since changed.

He revealed that Laguna Mar’s standards have since deteriorated and he no longer views it at that same level.

The president revealed that his agency would no longer be operating with the hotel due to the several discrepancies being experienced.

He said there are better resorts on the island; Duones Beach Resort is one of the hotels his clients would soon be enjoying.