UK hot tub lodge parks, read from the operators’ own pages in October 2026
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Your Rights When a Hot Tub Breaks Down on Holiday

A hot tub that is cold, dirty or out of order is the most common complaint about a hot tub break, and a fee that appears late in the booking comes a close second. UK law has a clear answer to both, and this guide sets it out in plain terms. It is general information and does not replace legal advice. For a dispute that matters, speak to Citizens Advice or a solicitor.

The price you see must be the price you pay

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 banned drip pricing, which means revealing compulsory fees late in the booking. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) began enforcing the new consumer rules in April 2025. Its guidance on price transparency says the total price must include the mandatory charges a customer has to pay, such as a booking fee or a tax, and that giving them separately will not normally be enough.

For holidays the guidance has three points worth knowing:

  • An indicative price is allowed, such as a price for a 7-night stay for 2 people between specific dates, as long as it includes all the applicable mandatory charges.
  • Mandatory local charges, such as a resort fee, belong in the total where they can reasonably be worked out. If part is paid at the park, the operator should show a “pay now” amount and a “pay locally” amount as well as the total.
  • Optional extras must be shown, but they do not have to be in the total.

A cleaning fee, a booking fee and compulsory hot tub heating are charges you must pay to stay, so they belong in the headline figure. Logs or a late checkout you choose to add are optional. The CMA can fine a business up to 10% of its turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater, and can order compensation. Type your quote into the cost calculator and see how far the compulsory fees lift the first price. If a fee only appears at the last step, raise it with the operator in writing and keep a screenshot of each screen.

Cancelling a booking

Many people assume a 14-day cooling-off period. For a lodge it usually does not apply. The Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 exclude “the supply of accommodation” from the 14-day cancellation right where the contract gives a specific date or period. Once you book a lodge for set dates, your right to cancel depends on the operator’s booking terms, so read the cancellation terms before you pay and consider travel insurance that covers cancellation.

A tub that does not work

Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, every contract to supply a service includes a term that the trader must perform it with reasonable care and skill. A lodge sold as having a hot tub, handed over with a tub that is cold, dirty or broken, falls short of that. If the service is not up to standard, the Act gives you two remedies:

  1. Repeat performance (section 55). You can ask the operator to put it right. It must do so within a reasonable time, without significant inconvenience to you, and at its own cost. You cannot demand this if putting it right is impossible.
  2. Price reduction (section 56). If repeat performance is impossible, or the operator does not do it in a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, you can ask for a price reduction. It must be an appropriate amount, and in some cases it can be the full price. A refund must be paid without undue delay and within 14 days of the operator agreeing you are entitled to it, by the same payment method, and with no fee.

What this means on the day:

  • Tell the operator at once, by phone and then in writing, so there is a record of when you reported it and what they did.
  • Photograph the fault, the water and the control panel, and note the time.
  • Give the operator a reasonable chance to fix it. A tub that is dirty on arrival needs a prompt response, because you are on a short break.
  • If it is not fixed, say that you want a price reduction and name an amount. Keep every reply.

Is a lodge booking a package?

A booking for a lodge on its own is accommodation only. The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 define a package as a combination of at least two different types of travel service for the same trip, such as accommodation plus a transport service. A lodge booking on its own is one type, so the package rules do not usually apply. A booking that bundles a lodge with, say, car hire could be a package, and a package carries extra protections. The booking confirmation should say which kind you have.

Hot tubs and the operator’s safety duties

A hot tub let out with a lodge is subject to the Health and Safety at Work Act. The HSE says the risks must be managed in proportion, and for a tub of this type it says the water should be changed after each rental or each week, whichever is shorter. You do not need to check any of this yourself, but you are entitled to ask when the water was last changed and how often the tub is cleaned. The checklist has the questions.

If you cannot settle it

Write to the operator’s complaints address with the dates, the fault and the remedy you want. If the operator does not respond, Citizens Advice can explain the next step. Keep your booking confirmation, photographs and messages together in one folder.

Key takeaway: The total price must be shown up front, a lodge booking is rarely cancellable once it is confirmed, and a tub that does not work gives you the right to a repair or a price reduction.