Secret Escapes Reviews

Name: Secret Escapes
Rating: 1.32

1.3 Rating 252 Reviews

8 %

of reviewers recommend Secret Escapes

Company Reviews

Questions

Metrics

1.3

Based on 252 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Own Driver
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Over A Week
Customer Service	1.1 out of 5
Returns & Refunds
Refunds Process	Difficult

Visit Website

Phone:

0845 078 2029

Email:

support@secretescapes.com

Location:

20-28a Hatton Wall, London United Kingdom
EC1N 8JH

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Secret Escapes 4 star review on 27th March 2025

Ann Ferrier

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Total con artists had our trip cancelled to Italy (Rome) with the country on lockdown and hotel closed (The Glam Hotel) I have spoken to both and neither will Refund us the £711. We paid Absolutely disgusting of a travel company should be ashamed.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Our holiday in Crete to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary is, unsurprisingly, cancelled. The flight, car hire and airport parking all cancelled but we are being fully refunded by all three companies. The hotel in Crete, booked through Secret Escapes, is totally closed due to Coronavirus and Secret Escapes are holding £1050 of our money and like all these other reviews, they won’t return it - that is stealing from two pensioners and they should be ashamed of themselves.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“never ever book anything with this company, its run by VC who have absolutely no intention of paying customers back, and will probably put the company into administration when they have taken out their renuration we are owed over £3,000 (which they will not have paid out to the operators of the holiday) and refuse to engage with us DO NOT SE THIS COMPANY AGAIN this is illegal as it is in breach of contract”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I've also been ripped off by these people to the tune of £600 If we all contact ATOL WATCHDOG MARTIN LEWIS ETC as well as posting as much as we can on social media we might make them do the decent thing”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Do not book with these thieving cowboys! Our holiday has been cancelled. I have requested a refund and they’ve refused. They say they will Email with the options, and I’ve heard nothing. I’ve been told there is nobody to speak to in the complaints department, all correspondence must be done by email. They won’t give me an estimated lead time of when I will hear back. They are keeping a few thousand pounds and I’ve had no response! Really difficult to deal with. Don’t care about their customers. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“THEY ARE STEALING PEOPLES MONEY THEY OWE US £320 and they won’t reply to our e mails . THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CLOSE THRM DOWN FOR OPERATING ILLEGALLY.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“They refuse a refund and say they are not processing refund even though it is breach of contract”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I had booked a 3 night stay in malta back in jan for the end of March a d then covid19 came along as with so many of these reviews we were refused a refund but could re book if we gave dates immediately which as we all know is impossible to do I agree in times like these they should do the decent thing I for one intend to take this as far as I can when we get through this terrible pandemic this company is nothing but a bunch of lieing cheating thieving scum no doubt exploiting some loophole in the law THEY SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND I AGREE WE SHOULD ALL GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WARN OTHERS ABOUT THEIR THEIVING WAYS”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I also I’m disgusted we were supposed to travel early nxt wk had 1 email saying credited for a year nobody knows how long this cover 19 will last and only have selected holidays which I explained but having heard or been credited as of yet everyone should be refunded I would not go with again”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“We would NEVER book again with Secret Escapes. Our holiday to the Dominican Republic went ahead before any lockdown. We arrived Saturday and woke Sunday morning (15/03) to a message from our Rep that Dominican Authorities have stated that all flights were being suspended for a month from 6:00am Monday morning (16/03) and we should try to get flights ASAP. We had absolutely no contact from Secret Escapes and no more from the Rep. We tried calling them and it was engaged, after several attempts it rang and we held for over two hours with no response. We sent an email asking them to help us but nothing was ever received. We tried unsuccessfully to arrange flights ourselves as no flights available. We flew BA and I decided to log onto an old BA app on my phone. There was no record of our flights because we didn’t book direct with them. I kept searching flights and there was nothing. The App must have updated and I could now enter our flight number. The next morning I discovered another flight had been allocated for us, this was by chance as still no emails from Secret Escapes. We arrived home Thursday bringing our holiday to an early end and for us one that never even started with sheer worry and upset. One week after being home we received the email below from Secret Escapes... **We are reaching out to you today to understand if you are sill in-resort and would require our assistance. If you are already back home then simply ignore this email**. We were flabbergasted to say the least....they didn’t have a clue where their customers are and if they were safe! We are taking this further and I urge anyone with any complaints to do the same.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Yet another customer with a fully paid UK stay in April which can't go ahead due as hotel closed due to Covid. Have been trying to contact Secret Escapes since 18/3 and have rung, emailed, completed online forms and left numbers for them to call me back. Zero success. Last week I decided to ignore their "do not ring us" message and got through to someone who promised the refund would be resolved, only for the next day a different response saying it was the hotels's responsibility to refund us. I've now made around 20 calls between Secret Escapes and the hotel and I'm getting nowhere fast. The hotel have, quite rightly, said our contract is with Secret Escapes, and they themselves haven't actually received any money so can't refund us. Secret Escapes claim the hotel have to refund us, then claim the money back from S.E. So presumably the hotels run the risk of going bust while Secret Escapes rake it in. Absolutely appalling. Hope all these issues make their way into the media; Secret Escapes don't deserve to run a business when this is all over.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I've also a bad experience with Secret Escapes. I sought guidance from Citizens Advice and they are clear that the contract is breached (as they cannot deliver the service) and therefore we are due a full refund. The question is who we have the contract with - the hotel or secret escapes? In my case I had a hotel booked in the UK for mid-April - which is now shut. We will not be using secret escapes again and I'll be telling as many people as possible about their awful business practice in this difficult time. Their reputation will be severely damaged - I hope! I also raised this issue with Simon Calder. Needless to say we won't be using them again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Booked hotels with this company now can't go due to Covid 19. Secret escapes state not their responsibility to refund us they said it is up to hotel. Hotel inform us they have not been paid by Secret Escapes so obviously not going to refund us. We booked through Secret Escapes so our contract surely with them. Feel this company is trying to hold onto peoples money due to them being in financial problems due to Covid 19. join the club. This is disgusting service. Filled in forms - no response. We will never use this awful company again who in my opinion are acting illegally. We used to book regularly with them - never ever again and we will fight you - shame on you - absolutely terrible trying to pretend its nothing to do with you. You hopefully will no longer exist once this is over - companies who don't try to at least help you won't be getting the business back. Understand it's tough out there for you - doesn't excuse your business practice. DISGUSTING ATTITUDE”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Again, nothing from Secret Escapes regarding the refund we are legally entitled to, the letter below is an email I received on 13 March prior to our holiday which should have been on 29 March. We then received an email the following day advising we would get a credt note, NOT ACCEPTABLE, I have contacted Martin Lewis and Atol as this is illegal. Secret Escapes Dear Member, As a valued member who has booked an upcoming trip, we wanted to update you on current guidance, so you have as much information to hand as possible. Currently, the government is advising against travel to your holiday due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak. This means that you will not be able to travel to your destination and so we will need to cancel your booking and issue you a full refund of the booking placed with us. The money will be issued back onto the card that was used to make the booking and will take up to 14 calendar days for this amount to appear in your account. Should you require any further assistance please contact us on 0207 887 2772 Kind regards, Secret Escapes Secret Escapes © Secret Escapes 2020 120 Holborn, London, EC1N 2TD. England & Wales Company No. 07026107 This email was sent to jackie.ives”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“SE are keeping hold of the cost of my cancelled holiday as a credit on my account for use within 12 months. It was a package holiday.... flights and hotel. This is not acceptable. The whole nation is struggling on reduced income, and SE are keeping money they don’t have a right to. Shame on you!!!! No response to my emails, just an automated reply. I will never book with SE again. All trust gone. They’re capitalising on this pandemic.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Also impacted by covid-19. My show has been postponed until May 2021. I'd be happy to reschedule but as this is more than 12 months from the original booking, my hotel says this is not possible (due to Secret Escapes'policy). I have entered a contract which Secret Escapes cannot honour, it seem a straightforward candidate for a refund. I'd like to support the hotel and move the booking and help their cashflow but that doesn't appear to be an option. Secret Escapes are only contactable through a web form. I've filled it in but haven't even received a holding email to confirm they are dealing with my request. I understand they may be busy, but this is pathetic communication by Secret Escapes.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“I booked a hotel with Secret Escapes and had to cancel because of COVID-19. The hotel had not received the monies and yet Secret Escapes would not issue a refund. Other third party organizations, such as FlightHub and Expedia have provided refunds. I would never again deal with a company who lacks integrity! NEVER BOOK WITH THEM!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Booking in UK cancelled due to lockdown. Hotel has not received money yet SE will not refund!! These are exceptional times and surely this cannot be legal?!”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“If I could give no stars to Secret Escapes I would. I had a booking for this weekend in London and as Secret Escapes are effectively denying any responsibility as a booking agent, nor are they seemly supporting their suppliers, I cannot get a refund. I can re-book (which I actually wanted to do), but only if I give them new dates immediately....how can I do this when a) we don't know when lock-down will end and b) I don't know when I can re-arrange the rest of the trip (funnily enough, it's not only a hotel room that was arranged).....AAAAAAARRRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! At a time when we should all be supporting one another, it's shameful that companies do morally questionable things like this.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“Bombard all social media about this scandal, Trust pilot, Facebook,everyone and anyone. They only bother with a waffly platitude, refund people's money. During this pandemic it is the right thing to do.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

Secret Escapes is rated 1.3 based on 252 reviews