Almost GCBC story

Booked first night at GCBC thru JetBlue, many months prior to trip. Paid in full, sooo excited to finally stay here based on TTOL! All set for decadence, walk to awesome restaurants and start our week off right!!! Right??? Wrong!!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> 3 days before we left got email from Expedia we no longer had a room at GCBC!!!!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> they said reservation cancelled and offered to put us up in Anse Marcel at former Radisson....UHHHH no way, too far. So we looked at other properties and most convenient was Sonesta Maho....a FAR cry from what we were looking for! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> they picked up the all inclusive cost, however, we are not all inclusive people. Let's just say, not what we had planned, but we were in SXM with enough free alcohol to help us get thru it! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> going to BSV was wonderful! Best week ever in SXM!

what reason did they give your for the cancellation?

Glad it ENDED well for you, after a major dissapointment at the beginning!

Always best to book directly with the hotel...any hotel, not just GCBC. Sometimes the rates are lower than the travel sites.

They said overbooked/oversold. So incrdibly bummed. We were so looking forward to a night in grand case, walk to dinner, great beach. Oh well, the best laid plans....

You know I have heard several times about GCBC being oversold.

No criticism at all meant for kerrymarcie for booking through Expedia, but do you think GCBC would have cancelled the reservation if it was made directly through them instead of through a 3rd party? I'm just wondering who they decide to bump first?

I know you must have been disappointed. We had planned on 2 nights there in April and because of a lot of mess ups, we had to cancel. We were looking forward to the experience and were going for 2 nights, even though we had paid elsewhere for one of the nights.
We received a very nice email from them after we cancelled. So I have thought of booking with them again--hope this isn't an omen....
We both seemed to have a great time even though it didn't happen!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

IMHO, booking through a third party just creates one more relay hop where something can get messed up, so it's possible that the issue was communication. Assuming that GCBC was oversold, it would make sense that third party reservations would get cut first, as the commission paid to the third party nets any hotel a lower nightly rate on the unit.