Our Trip Planners and Consultants
Hallmark Travel Planners
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2006)
- Member Of:
- ASTA & KATO
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $800 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
DE
Email Kitti | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beware of booking with Hallmark -severe operational lapses that required escalation with authorities
We selected Hallmark Travel Planners after careful research. Pre-booking communication with Levis was strong; responsiveness declined markedly after the down payment was made, and repeated operational and financial issues emerged during our trip that significantly impacted our experience.
Key issues included:
• Being asked to pay USD 990 in conservancy fees that had already been prepaid by us.
• Failure to secure our prepaid beach resort booking in Diani Beach, with rebooking to a hotel of lower standard without proactive communication and transparency regarding the price difference (refunded after pressure).
• Provision of a downgraded safari vehicle for a portion of our safari without prior notification.
• Inconsistent provision of promised water on game drives.
• Milestone birthday activity was cancelled at short notice due to payment issues on Hallmark's part. The activity had to be rescheduled to the next day.
The most troubling aspect was the reactive communication approach. Emails frequently went unanswered, phone calls were not returned at all, and issues were addressed only after escalation.
During the tour, a reimbursement of USD 1,350 was agreed upon after we had escalated the lapses to the relevant regulatory bodies. Although we were informed that payment had been made, we did not receive the funds for a significant period without explanation for the delay. Standard proof of international transfer was not provided, and the resolution required repeated follow-up and another external escalation with the Kenyan Association of Tour Operators and the Tourism Regulatory Authority.
This was intended to be a milestone family vacation. A substantial portion of our time was spent managing issues that should not have arisen. While financial discrepancies were eventually corrected, the experience fell short of the contracted terms. We cannot recommend this operator at all.
Email Mike | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Poorly planned and did not refund fees we paid for them
Hallmark not only poorly planned and communicated our safari but failed to pay certain fees that we ended up having to pay with promise of reimbursement. It's been 6 months and now after multiple lies about the "check is in the mail" will not answer email regarding our payment. Basically stole from the 3 couples.
Reply from Hallmark Travel Planners
Posted on Mar 27, 2023Dear Mike,
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry to hear that your safari experience did not meet your expectations. We have looked at all the issues that you mentioned and all that went through your 14 day trip hope to be able to deliver better experiences to any future customers. We certainly had some challenges with your particular trip and later on with mode of reimbursement of the amounts in question. Reimbursement of US$80 has since been made to all the 3 couples that were in your party. We still hope to serve you and others in the future.