My husband and I splashed out on an £8,000 holiday to the Maldives to celebrate his 50th birthday. Our choice of villa turned out to be full, and we had to pay a further £1500 for what we were told were wonderful views but turned out to be a bit of greenery and the swimming pool. After being fobbed off by the tour operator and the travel agent we have now written to ABTA.
If your villa was double-booked you should have been offered you equivalent or superior accommodation at no extra cost. If what you ended up in was inferior you are entitled to compensation. ABTA is likely to offer you arbitration to settle your dispute, but sometimes you are better off getting a solicitor to put your case over in court rather than relying on arbitration based on written evidence.