To ensure a pleasant stay for guests, it is important to understand which situations most often lead to complaints. Below you will find the most common causes, as well as the potential consequences when issues arise due to lack of maintenance, insufficient quality or negligence.

Common causes of complaints

Most complaints during a stay can be prevented. Complaints often occur due to:

Insufficient cleaning on arrival
Examples: dust, hair, stains, limescale, unclean bedding, dirty bathroom or kitchen.

Defects or poor maintenance
Examples: broken lights, non-functioning heating, leakage, outdated appliances, poor Wi-Fi.

Incomplete or unclear information
Examples: missing instructions or manuals, unclear guidance on waste disposal, parking or key collection.

Lack of basic amenities
Examples: not enough kitchenware, crockery, cleaning products or linen (if included).

Disturbances or inconvenience
Examples: noise, unexpected construction works, disturbance from neighbours or external factors.

Prevention: what Sun & Sea Holidays expects from owners

To avoid complaints, we expect that your accommodation is:

• clean, well-presented and guest-ready upon arrival

• in good technical condition and functioning as described

• safe and compliant with basic safety standards

• equipped with a complete and logical inventory

• maintained in a timely manner, with repairs carried out when needed

Consequences when complaints are caused by negligence

When a complaint is the result of poor maintenance, insufficient cleaning or negligence, this may have consequences for the owner.

Possible consequences include:

Compensation to the guest
If compensation is required, it may be charged to the owner if the issue was within the owner’s responsibility.

Lower ratings and reputational damage
Negative reviews can directly impact future bookings and visibility.

Reduced visibility on OTAs
External platforms may reduce the ranking of a listing if guests are repeatedly dissatisfied.

Additional costs for corrective action
If Sun & Sea Holidays must intervene to resolve issues (e.g. urgent cleaning or emergency repairs), these costs may be charged to the owner.

When costs may be charged to the owner

Costs may be charged to the owner when:

• there is lack of or poor maintenance

• the accommodation was not clean, complete or guest-ready on arrival

• the owner does not report known defects in advance

• recurring complaints happen without improvement

Temporarily taking the accommodation offline

Sun & Sea Holidays reserves the right to temporarily take an accommodation offline if it does not meet the minimum quality standards or if repeated complaints are received.

This may occur when:

• multiple guests report similar issues in a short period of time

• there are serious shortcomings in cleanliness, safety or maintenance

• complaints are not resolved or required improvements are not implemented

• the owner does not comply with agreed standards or quality guidelines

Being taken offline may mean that:

• the accommodation is temporarily not bookable on our website

• connections to booking platforms (OTAs) are paused

• new reservations are stopped until the issue is resolved

The accommodation will only be republished once the quality has been restored and it is confirmed that future guests can expect a safe and pleasant stay.

Why this matters

Satisfied guests lead to:

• better reviews

• repeat bookings

• higher occupancy

• fewer complaints and unexpected costs

Summary

• Most complaints can be prevented through proper preparation, cleaning and maintenance.

• If complaints arise due to negligence, costs and compensation may be charged to the owner.

• Repeated issues can lead to lower visibility and reputational damage.

• Sun & Sea Holidays may temporarily take the accommodation offline in serious or repeated cases.

• A well-maintained and clean accommodation increases guest satisfaction and reduces complaints.