GalaHotels.com has anyone used this site?

A question about : GalaHotels.com has anyone used this site?

Has anyone booked a hotel through GalaHotels.com? I received an email from them this week and the hotel prices look quite competitive. However I'm a bit wary of booking because of the prices and also there are no proper contact details i.e. address on the website.

Best answers:

• I too have suspicions about this site.
  I have never used them but i get an email from them
  there is no specific contact address details only an odd phone number
  and more importantly my browser advises caution when their site address is tracked directly.
  Any search indirectly comes up ok.
  example,
  globalholidays.com.....................shows caution
  review.org/global holidays.com ....shows safe as you are visiting review.org not global holidays.
  Stay clear I think
  mr saver
• I booked a room at Holiday Inn York for last weekend (24 Oct) on 6 October through Gala after carrying out a web search of available deals. The Gala booking system seemed OK with a security padlock and they were very efficient giving confirmation straightaway. I became a little concerned when I rang the hotel direct and discovered that the confirmation number given was not recognised by the Holiday Inn system and even more concerned when I read this forum!
  I spoke to my card company who put a watch on transactions for me but nothing untoward has subsequently occured.
  Gala responded to a query from me very quickly, explaining that they booked through a third party (Holiday Inns say this is quite common) and after a couple of more days I received confirmation that my booking was accepted at the hotel.
  After using the hotel everything worked well. Given that the stay was at the start of the half term holiday it was almost impossible to find a room with only a couple of weeks to go and Gala were the only company offering anything acceptable. Their rate given was 60% of the standard Holiday Inn rate (the same as was being offered a month or so earlier by a Holiday Inn special deal) so after a few days of self generated concern and some extra telephone calls I was pleased with the deal.
  Unfortunately I am now receiving numerous emails from the company trying to get me to book more rooms that I do not want through them, which always puts me off. Apart from this my experience was one of value.
  Hope this is of use.
• Attention ! galahotels.com is Turkish page. They offer low but unreal prices.
  .Not recommendable.
  Company main office in Turkey
  After cancellation reservation they promised sent money back to the bank account.
• Well, I think they are good enough. I made a reservation thru them and they send me the voucher immediately, I call them to ask if there are anything else to do, the person I speak, was very nice and this is something I like, personal care, they don't just send automatic mails, I don't know It felt me better.
  I never had a problem at the hotel, It was a good experience and I'm now thinking to use their site again.
  btw yes the firm is based in Turkey, but the prices are real and on the phone they are not insisting so it is relaxing.
• Even though I've blocked this company and unsubscribed I still receive e-mails left right and centre somehow.
  Blatant spammers - I've never even booked anywhere with them either.
  Highly dubious and extremely irritating.
• I booked a hotel in Barcelona using this site on Friday. It is now Tuesday and no confirmation email has been received. Should I be worried?
• 0044 2032874042 Call them for your reservation. They answer normally
• I'm traveling for my job and I did many bookings from Galahotels.com and i didn't feel any regret about my bookings. Especially my last booking was for our family vacation in Barcelona, we were six people and it cost much more cheaper than the other booking web sites that I ever used. And the customer service is so friendly, they helped me all my bookings.Ans they also send voucher immediatly, so you don't need to worry about anything. Thanks Gala Hotel.
• They were not able to deliver the advertised hotel and price and offered a fully refund. Now 5 weeks later I still wait for the refund.Your credit card is charged same day you book the refund takes time and time. Will it happen anytime?
  Frank
• I booked a London Hotel through this website last night (22/01/12) at a very competitive price. At 08.45am this morning, I received an email advising unfortunately they are unable to process my booking and offered me alternatives involving additional costs. The alternatives did not suit me so I requested a refund. I am advised that this will take between 7-9 days.
  I will revert back to the forum after 3rd February 2012 and let you know how I have got on. I much say I am a bit anxious after reading someone else's post that they are still waiting after 5 weeks.
• Now two months later I have got back the full amoung due of €260 to my credit card account, hence it took time but at the end everything was fine.
• I booked a hotel in France a few days ago with Gala Hotels. I received the confirmation, invoice and voucher within a few minutes. I noticed the address for Gala was in Turkey and decided to check them out online. This site and others got me worried so I contacted the hotel directly. The hotel has confirmed my booking, there was no need to worry.
• If there was ever a thread full of newbies, this is one of them. Hmmmm not sure the posters are the real deal
• I book hotel in Paris via Galahotel.com. They sent the confirmation and voucher for me and debited my account immidiately.
  One day before the trip they informed me that they are not able to provide the hotel without offering alternatives. They allegated that because of technical problem from the side of the hotel. Excusing, etc.
  I contacted the hotel directly and they said there is no reservation under my name and they did not work with Galahotels.
  I have been still waiting my money back.
  Completely not recommended. Avoid them.
• GalaHotels.com is a very good place where you can get some good deals for your travel abroad. I have to use it and found good. The procedure of this site is very helpful and you can understand it very easily.
• Be careful with this site!!!!! My experience: I booked a room at Best Western in Bordeaux for last weekend (12 Oct) on 19 September through Gala after carrying out a web search of available deals: it was just impossible to find a room there. But Gala was offering me different choices. I booked two double rooms. The conditions for cancelation: I should notify 3 days before arrival without charge.
  On September 22 I received a telephone call from a hidden phone number. I was told that they were calling from Turkey. I was told that, unfortunately, they couldn’t offer the rooms, but that they had another hotel to offer me. That they would send a letter with the details. The mail was received on the 23rd. I didn’t like the hotel and wrote them to cancel the reservation. Another mail was received on the 24th: “We cancelled your reservation. You will get a full refund for it. Please take note that this process can take up to 21 working days for verification. We apologize for the inconvenience”. I didn’t understand at that moment what they meant with the “verification”. But I immediately understood it: my VISA had already been charged (Ђ1,072.10) on the 22nd, the same day they were telling me that they were not able to offer the service required. I was supposed not be charged in advance (I didn’t see anywhere this) and they were telling me that they needed 21 working days to give my money back.
  Today, October 22nd, the money has not been returned yet. Is it so easy to steal the money?
• A year later... In a bit of a hurry, I booked a hotel in Dublin with this crowd. Just sensed something wrong with it when I received a confirmation email. On the top of the page I read "Be careful! This sender has failed our fraud detection checks." - Alarm bells..! From doing some fishing around the vast internet knowledgebase, (including here) I have read some unsettling stuff. I feel sorry for anyone who's been scammed out of any big money.. I'm only out 50 quid so far. The hotel has still no record of our stay - (it's tomorrow - Thu) If they come good, that's ok, but Judging by what I've read so far, I'm not convinced.. As far as the comments above are concerned, I see what ya mean about Newbies and their fake posts..! I'm a newbie myself, but I guess ya have to start somewhere..!