Angry N.Z. visitors

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 1

Angry N.Z. visitors

NZPA Montreal Fifty-five angry Olympic visitors from New Zealand

are complaining about the high rate charged for what they describe as inferior accommodation at a local hotel.

They were charged 65 Canadian dollars (SNZS2) a night for double rooms at the Chateau Renaissance, but one of the rooms measured four metres by less than a metre and lacked light bulbs, a closet, bath towels, and a plug for the sink.

Arnaud Young, a member of one of three New Zealand tour groups organised by Swissair, said: "We were told that we would be staying at a first-class hotel with all first-class conditions, and when we got here we realised that what we were getting was nowhere near that.”

Mr Young, who said he was better off than other members of the group, said his room had exposed water pipes and lacked airconditioning.

Neither of two rooms which were described had the official Quebec Lodging Bureau certificate, which by law must be placed behind the door of each room rented in the period of the Games. The group from New Zealand has asked Swissair to demand a refund from the hotel owner, but

Swissair has referred the matter to Ceylon Carriers, Ltd, which sold the accommodation package to the airline.

Rohan Manayakkara, Ceylon Carriers’ district manager, said that the accommodation had been misrepresented to him because promised renovations were not completed.

Mr Manayakkara said he had asked the owner for a refund.

Robert Singer, an official of the Quebec Lodging Bureau, said that the hotel owner was liable to fines for overcharging and for not posting its certificates. The hotel manager, Mr Nick Bullit, who said he had never talked to Ceylon Carriers about a refund, said he would not give one anyway because tne renovations had been completed.

“We don’t give refunds,” Mr Bullit said.

The lodging bureau’s certificates were not posted because he had been too busy, he said. Mr A. K. Hall, New Zealand manager for Swissair, said the accommodation and tours had not been arranged by his airline. Accommodation was offered via Montreal to Swissair, and in turn to two travel agency firms, United Travel and Newmans Travel.

“These agents purchased

accommodation directly from Montreal,” he said. As he understood it. all accommodation in Montreal was inspected by officials of a Government agency. It seemed a little incredible that a hotel that to the best of his knowledge was in the downtown area could be as described.