Location: Cardiff and Newport
Wanted: A middle-aged man and his wife want to take his elderly parents to Venice for four days. The man’s father is in a wheelchair, so they are looking for an accessible hotel Budget: £2,000
The Travel Business
12a Risca Road, Newport
89%
This traditional-looking shop was clean and had a good window display. The agent greeted me warmly and asked lots of questions concerning dates, accessibility requirements and airport preferences, and was knowledgeable about Italy. I was quoted £2,251 with Citalia for four nights in two accessible rooms at the Splendid Venice hotel, flying from Bristol with easyJet on February 4. An option with Enable Holidays was also offered, with the same flights and transfers, for £1,960. The hotels weren’t specified, which the agent said was to protect its business model. I felt considerable effort was put in to ensuring a suitable holiday was found.
Thomas Cook
37 Queen Street, Cardiff
82%
This store could have been mistaken for being solely a currency exchange, as the stand was so prominent. The agent wasn’t an expert, but asked lots of questions. They asked for more time to look for appropriate hotels, later calling to talk me through two four-night Citalia trips, flying from Bristol with easyJet on February 4. I was quoted £1,716 for the Hotel Savoia & Jolanda and £2,107 for the Splendid Venice hotel.
Trailfinders
18 Queen Street, Cardiff
58%
This shop was clean, but the waiting area was uninviting and the desks crammed in. An agent who was on the phone called over to say that someone would be with me soon. An agent took my requirements on board, but I didn’t feel the quote was tailored to the party’s needs. I was offered a four-night break at the LaGare Hotel Venezia, with easyJet flights from Bristol, for £2,430. It felt as if I was an inconvenience to the agent.
Winning agent
Allan Howells, owner
“We don’t get a lot of enquiries with particular accessibility needs, but when people walk into an agency, they’re usually looking for something specific – and it’s our job to match their requirements.”
Top-scoring agent each month will win use of a car for 10 days.
The winning agent must be at least 25, for insurance reasons. Winners under 25 will win a week’s all-inclusive holiday at an Elite Islands Resorts property. The prize is non-transferable and the car must be driven only by the winning agent. The winner must not have any serious driving convictions. Elite Island Resorts will endeavour to supply the car to the agency but reserves the right to request the winning agent to collect and return the car from Essex or a central location