Mystery Shopper: Coventry travel agents sell an Eilat spa break

Mystery shopper was looking for a relaxing break for her and her friend and had heard Eilat in Israel is nice. They wanted to stay in a hotel with a spa and have a week of rest and relaxation with some spa treatments, shopping and restaurants.

The budget was about £800 per person. A strong showing from all agencies, except for Going Places, where the consultant could have suggested Egypt instead.

• The location: Coventry
• Wanted: Spa holiday to Eilat

Going Places

67 Hertford Street
Score: 37%

Both the shop and the staff were really well presented and when I entered, they both made eye contact and smiled and a consultant offered to help.

She was very friendly at all times whilst I was in the shop and quite enthusiastic.

When I said I wanted to go to Eilat, she searched her computer, but couldn’t’ find the company ‘Longwood’ in her database. She did mention that there used to be another operator, but she couldn’t find them either. She looked on her computer at the tour operators listed, and that was it.

She recommended trying the Co-operative Travel down the road, saying they may still deal with them. Alternatively, she suggested looking online. I found it very odd that they were happy to send me to another agency and did not think that the consultant went to any great lengths to try to find the holiday I was as looking for.

The Co-operative Travel

4 Bull Yard
Score: 79%

When I walked in the consultant was on hold on the phone, but she put the phone on loudspeaker, smiled, said hello and offered to help.

The on hold call was playing music and during the consultation the person on the other end of the call came back on line. At this point she asked them to bear with her while she finished dealing with me, although she didn’t make me feel rushed.

She knew the tour operator straight away, got the appropriate brochure and phoned Longwood Holidays to get prices. The hotel recommended was the King Solomon Hotel, from £714 per person.

The consultant was friendly, welcoming and very helpful. She managed to get a good price on the holiday that was at least £50 below budget for a better hotel than the ones that were quoted at other agencies.

I was also given two date options and felt my requirements were matched well. She didn’t try and close the sale or add on extras such as airport car parking.

Sherbourne Travel

473 Holyhead Road
Score: 82%

The details of my request and contact details were taken on a form. He said that the flight would probably be from Gatwick or Luton as that’s where flights departed to Israel.

He contacted an operator called West End, but found they were closed until Monday. He then did a computer search and tried to find a price with Superstar Holidays, but they were closed till Monday too. The agent then said he would call on Monday, which he did, quoting £1,394 for two at the King Solomon Hotel.

He said if I wanted to call into the office he could give me more information about the hotel and its facilities and we could perhaps look at booking the holiday.

I felt he tried his hardest to find a holiday to me, engaged well with me and was able to recommend the hotel. He seemed animated and excited about the holiday and made me feel like I had been given a personal service.

Thomas Cook

19 Hertford Street
Score: 97%

When I walked in all three members of staff looked up and smiled at me. The consultant who served me was friendly and welcoming, putting me at ease straight away. She was enthusiastic about Longwood Holidays, and was patient all the time.

The agent recommended the Royal Tulip Hotel with Longwood Holidays costing £815 per person. It was only £15 over budget and the hotel facilities were pointed out at length. She added that spa treatments weren’t included in the price but said these could be booked online prior to the holiday.

I was given a brochure to take away with me and the consultant stock a post-it on the relevant page with the details of my specific holiday. She also asked about insurance and tried to close the sale.

This shop gave the best service by far, with staff commenting on how much I would enjoy the holiday and giving their own experiences of spa holidays.

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Tips

• Eilat enjoys year-round VAT free status making it the ideal destination for picking up a bargain
• There are two ways to sell Eilat. The Isrotel Sun Express is a direct flight, but runs only on selected dates and only services a limited amount of Isrotel hotels. The other option is via Tel Aviv. This is a year round service, you can book any hotel on it and it’s ideal for twin centres (e.g. Jerusalem and Eilat)
• The five-star-plus Herods Resort is home to the Vitalis Spa, considered one of the best spas in Eilat. Spas are also available in a selection of five-star-plus hotels including the Isrotel Royal Beach, Dan Eilat, Le Meridien and Hilton Queen of Sheba all offering a range of treatments
• Eilat has a plethora of restaurants offering cuisines from around the world as well as local specialities such as falafel. One of the most relaxing vibes in Eilat is to be found at Dolphin Reef, where you can snorkel or dive with semi-wild dolphins or simply recline on their beach
• For more information on Eilat hotels, subscribe to Gazetteers.com.