We were meant to be staying in the Utopia at the e...

We were meant to be staying in the Utopia at the end of our trip to Mykonos, and it was the part to which we were most looking forward by far, as it looked gorgeous and had fantastic reviews. We stayed at Utopia s sister property, Korali, for three nights beforehand. The receptionist there seemed surprised we were staying at Utopia and asked to see our reservation (booked only a couple of weeks previously), but didn t say anything further.

We then checked out and got transferred to - what we were told - would be Utopia. Instead, we were dropped off down the road at a completely different hotel, another sister property, called Myconian Villa Collection. We asked the driver if he was sure that was Utopia and he simply said this is your hotel . We thought maybe we would check in there and then be taken to Utopia, so continued.

The receptionist there told us that Utopia had had to close at the last minute unexpectedly due to low occupancy (not sure how that is in some way an unexpected surprise, given that people tend to book holidays weeks in advance) but lucky us, we ve been upgraded to this hotel! No apologies or prior explanation. And, unless you like being trapped in a purgatory with Peter Stringfellow in his mansion with your eyes gouged out, it s most definitely a downgrade - gaudy and tacky and utterly tasteless.

I understand that it s the end of the season, and could feasibly contemplate that the Utopia would have to shut early. But we should have been informed of that and presented with options, rather than being shuttled off and dumped at a hotel we never ever would have chosen. I am shocked that a group of hotels holding themselves out to be associated with Relais & Chateau would behave in such a duplicitous and underhand manner, as everyone working in the Myconian Group to whom we spoke and mentioned we were going to Utopia clearly knew it wasn t open anymore. Appalling.