Cologne court awards 60% travel refund after Egypt hotel check-in refusal

The Cologne Regional Court (Landgericht Köln) has awarded a family a 60 percent reduction in their travel price and compensation for wasted vacation time following a failed hotel check-in in Hurghada, Egypt.

The family had booked a 13-night stay at a five-star luxury hotel for over 10,000 euros, specifically requesting a junior suite with a sea view, club lounge access, an on-site diving reef, and childcare services. Upon arrival, hotel staff refused their check-in despite a valid voucher. A replacement hotel was organized approximately four kilometers away, but it lacked several promised amenities, including the diving reef, club lounge, and childcare, and the room did not have a sea view.

The court ruled that the deficiencies constituted significant travel defects rather than mere inconveniences. While the family was awarded over 7,200 euros in total compensation, the court denied their claim for the reimbursement of an 11,000-euro room upgrade they paid for independently. The court noted that the plaintiffs should have first provided the tour operator with a reasonable period to rectify the situation and that the upgrade costs were disproportionate to the original booking price.