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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be incredibly annoyed with Butlins right now

206 replies

bearfrills · 14/07/2014 21:44

I've come to Butlins with DH and the DC2 staying in gold accommodation with a premium meal plan.

We arrived today and got into our room at 3pm. By 3.15pm I had to contact maintenance and guest services about the state of the room.

  • floors not hoovered and covered in various bits of stuff, including discarded loom bands which my 2yo immediately picked up and put in her mouth
  • dead insects on the floor next to the windows in the living room
  • I had to clean poo off the toilet seat and back of the toilet before DD could go for a wee
  • old, used hair rollers in the cupboard
  • rollie cigarette butts shoved in the lock of another cupboard
  • security chain on the front door broken
  • shower pipe/hose leaking, a stream not drops
  • lino on the kitchen floor curling right up (4 yo has tripped on it at least four times)

We complained to reception who said they would get it sorted ASAP, today, before we got back this evening. Well we've gotten back this evening and it's not sorted. You'd think that given we had a specific list of complaints they'd have made sure they were all addressed? Nope. Came back to the room to dead insects still there, floor still make, lino still curling, cig butts still in situ and 2yo immediately found yet another frigging loom band. They've been in because the rollers are gone and the shower and door are mended.

I'm so angry Sad I've been looking forward to this holiday, our first since I had DS2 and it's gotten off to such a sour note.

It's Butlins. I don't expect mints on the pillows and flowers in every room but AIBU to expect it to at least be clean and serviceable rather than grotty and dirty and grim like we found it today?

OP posts:
MiscellaneousAssortment · 15/07/2014 14:40

I really hope it gets sorted. It's not the original f*ckup that counts, it's how it gets dealt with... And it sounds like no one has dealt with your problem or made any effort to solve it for you.

You shouldn't have to go online to understand that the maintenance team have been but the cleaning team haven't and therefore how to get someone to do something - that it butlins job, not yours!

I hope 'James' is going to kick up a fuss and get people actually helping. And I hope your holiday isn't ruined.

bearfrills · 15/07/2014 16:56

Update have gotten back to the room and it's been cleaned, thank goodness. Cigarette butts were still there though so I've cleaned those up myself. James emailed me an apology and I've replied to say I accept him apology but it doesn't address the fact that the room was, frankly, grim and that we've had to spend our limited holiday time sorting it out. And much as we can try paint a happy face on it does overshadow the holiday because it's added stress.

OP posts:
angelohsodelight · 15/07/2014 16:58

Did they offer any restaurant vouchers?

firesidechat · 15/07/2014 17:00

We went to the Minehead Butlins a few years ago, through no choice of our own. We were supervising a group of young people.

I didn't really want to go in the first place and the reality confirmed all my snobby prejudice. It was generally grubby and shabby and I had to clean every piece of kitchen equipment before we could use it. The shower was a weird plastic cubicle thing which had hardly any room for even one small person. The beds were covered in plastic incontinence sheets and the pillows also protected with crunchy plastic.

We've stayed in youth hostels and camped in farmers fields many times, so it's not as if I mind cheap and cheerful. Butlins wasn't even particularly cheap and definitely not cheerful.

It was dire, dire, dire and nothing would make me go again.

HavantGuard · 15/07/2014 17:02

Ewwwwwwwww. Another reason to never ever go to those kind of places.

firesidechat · 15/07/2014 17:05

Sorry James. Didn't see you there. Blush

MyLatest · 15/07/2014 17:07

Having to wait that long was ridiculous. Stuff like this is what puts me off Butlins even though DS would probably love it.

bearfrills · 15/07/2014 17:08

We haven't been offered anything, except apologies which are nice but don't really fix anything.

OP posts:
loopylou6 · 15/07/2014 17:17

Dont wait to be offered, TELL THEM that you are wondering how they intend on compensating you.

KenAdams · 15/07/2014 17:19

How do you want them to compensate you OP?

Coconutty · 15/07/2014 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KnackeredMuchly · 15/07/2014 17:28

2 days of yuckiness and they still couldn't sort out all the specifics.

And they're sorry . Good for them Hmm

KnackeredMuchly · 15/07/2014 17:29

Or is it 3 days?

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 15/07/2014 17:44

So despite this bad publicity Butlins still didn't manage to actually completely resolve the problem in over 24 hours. And they've offered you no compensation?

Great PR work James, really.

MimsyBorogroves · 15/07/2014 17:47

Sigh. Butlins is one of the few things we can look at doing as a family but these sort of stories really put me off.

Tits and toddlers on the other hand...

bearfrills · 15/07/2014 19:14

In my email to James I've said I appreciate the apology but that I believe we should be compensated given that it was so bad and that we've had to chase round, it's not what we've paid for.

:o at tots and toddlers - made my day!

OP posts:
bearfrills · 15/07/2014 19:15

Autocorrect fail. I meant tits.

OP posts:
itiswhatitiswhatitis · 15/07/2014 19:23

Crazeelady it was Skegness

Crazeeladee · 15/07/2014 22:17

That would have to have changed a lot then, I went in 1999, I left a ring in the chalet, couldn't even bring myself to go back in to get it!

queenofthemountain · 15/07/2014 22:23

I once won a week at Butlins and we left after 2 days.
Grim

Amy106 · 16/07/2014 00:17

I hope they offer you more than just an apology. Good luck.

IamSlave · 16/07/2014 00:47

Bearfrills, I suppose you have threatened trip advisor, who is james is he very high up, did you take pics of the state of room?

is it time for DM sad faces Grin....I would!!

Its really really not on, I would be kicking up almighty stink about this.

bearfrills · 16/07/2014 10:23

I have feedback forms to hand in which I'm going to follow up with a written complaint when I get home. Might have to practice my DM sad face and get cracking on a trip advisor review.

No response to my email yet....

OP posts:
PedlarsSpanner · 16/07/2014 11:18

That's a shame.

Boo Butlins.

KnackeredMuchly · 16/07/2014 11:21

I hope you took pics!! I see James has scarpered. I was really hopeful you would get an upgrade.