In a Haven holiday... hell

[Mandybrighton]

Urgh. I am currently in a Haven Park about a hour away from home with my two boys and never thought I would actually crave to go home!

We stayed at this park in the summer and enjoyed it so much I decided to bring us back for the October half term. This time I booked a ‘ luxury lodge’ and it’s cost just under £800 😫.

For this price I was expecting something extra nice. However it’s basically just a jumbo sized caravan with the same furniture and fixtures that the previous ‘ deluxe’ caravan had. The only difference is 2 showers instead of one, a larger dining table and a larger outside area. Okay fair enough it didn’t live up to the expectation I thought on checking in but it gets worse...

When we arrived at the check in time they advertise I drove round to find repairs still
Being carried out to the ‘ lodge’. Okay not great as with two kids and just me I didn’t feel comfortable to start unloading everything in so they delayed us.

Upon placing things in their rooms and kitchen and so on I notice the cookware is thick in the previous people’s food and greasy. Then I see there’s a pubic hair in one of the showers. Then o walk into the bedroom to see BLOOD smeared on the wall by one of the beds... I called reception and explained. A cleaner turns up and removes the blood, and exchanges the manky cookware for clean ones.

Then the accomadation ‘ manager ‘ comes in all smiley and very dismissive saying to me well we aren’t responsible for the previous people staying and my cleaner said it was a bogey. I told him I had taken photos and it wasn’t a bogey. I explained this is supposed to be ‘ luxury’ and it’s not. He apologised but said ‘ well we got it sorted for you very quickly ‘ with a cheesy grin and a couldn’t give a toss attitude... I said you wouldn’t expect these standards and how could a cleaner miss it !?? That it made me feel sick and for the price I paid .. it was a let down.

When he left I emailed head office and sent them some photos. I said in the email I hoped to find nothing else but going to bed last night I went to pull back my duvet to feel something crusty and old ( looked like food ) on the corner of the duvet...

Also when I moved one of the smaller beds to Male way for my son’s travel cot again noticed stains on the sheets. If I don’t sleep like this at home why on earth have I paid £800 just under for this experience...

I’m
Gutted ... they don’t care with the well we fixed it attitude.. I’m planning to go home early. What I didn’t know and what he never told me is that Haven do have a gurantee that if your not happy with your standard of place you can go home the same day and recurve a refund. Well I didn’t know that and we have stayed now..

Some things I have found after the Intital email to head office. Shall I email again with the other things ? I just feel dirty in here and I expected way better. No where that I have ever stayed in had had someone’s blood there for us to walk into too..

😖😖😖😖🙂

hope you get youre refund thats disgusting

and to a pp you cant drive anywhere drunk private land or not

tweet in.with pics.twitter usually gets a immediate sorting.
im so sorry for you with this.dont let it go.it not not not right.

Then the accomadation ‘ manager ‘ comes in all smiley and very dismissive saying to me well we aren’t responsible for the previous people staying

Erm, yes they very much are!

I agree pp about reporting them Environmental Health.

I am surprised at PP's complaining about Ayr.

We've been for the last week in August for the last couple of years as a little getaway before school restarts and we have found it fab.

A pp who said Ayr Butlins, it hasn't been Butlins for years, so you must be talking about a very long time ago.

Sounds like it's the luck of the draw with the accommodation, but we have always been lucky thank goodness.

Sorry OP, it sounds gross, but I would be demanding to be moved rather than spoiling the kids holiday.

Ugh!

I second bugging the shite out of them on SM. As well as posting on their fbk wall, write in the "comments" section of any of their recent posts. They won't want anyone reading that.

No experience with Haven, but I took on Collect+ recently. I made a grade A PITA of myself (sorry not sorry!) And it worked.

We went to Craig Tara a couple of years ago. Our van was okay and the overall site facilities were fine but the pool was utterly grim. Oh and some of the people were interesting characters to say the least!

Christ OP, get a feckin refund, don't put up with anymore shit, (sorry pun not intended) Now, I'm off for a shower, I feel thoroughly grubby after reading your post.

Fucking hell, I proper wretched at that photo. Absolutely disgusting. I'm not normally one for hitting the social media to complain but given the manager's response - get on over there!

We stayed at Devon cliffs a couple years ago, we were given a larger caravan than we booked (extra bedroom) but when we got to the van there was a smell of Wee, someone had pissed on the sofa (it was soaked), I ended up having to buy a load of cleaning products from the shop and cleaned it myself. We didn’t pay much for the caravan and everything else was pretty good, we loved the site and everything it had to offer but if I was paying £800 I would have gone crazy and demanded a refund. We would go again.

Last year we stayed a a hoseasons Park in Wales and payed £600 for 4 nights for a log cabin, it was awful, most of the light bulbs didn’t work, door handles missing, damaged floor in the bathroom and the cafe on site was horrible (hardly anything on the menu), my daughter fell on the decking outside and injured herself. I made complaints but got nowhere.

Make a very big noise on Twitter.
I can’t believe they didn’t tell you about the refund policy.

How horrible for you, don’t give up till you get a full refund. Threaten to take it to the papers as well

I have been going to haven every year since I was 4. I’ve visited every park in the U.K. I can say without a doubt the absolute best park to go to is hafan y mor. The direst site is golden sands. It really depends on where you book - I’m desperate to get to hafan next week - but it doesn’t look likely to happen. Oh and we’ve never accepted poor cleanliness, they will always upgrade you where they can!

Usually I am of the opinion that you get what you pay for, and that if you spend £2.50 on a week on a holiday park you can't expect the Ritz.

However, £800 for a break is not cheap. We have stayed in many 4 and 5 star holiday cottages for that money, and all have been immaculate. Haven are clearly not putting the time and effort into cleaning their properties - of whatever standard. There is no excuse for filth, even in the most basic accommodation.

Kick up a fuss OP, complain, keep complaining, post pictures on FB and Twitter, make them sort themselves out.

OP, hope you get your refund.
we loved the site and the beach at Devon Cliffs, but as others have said we went via private renting caravan, (I think it was Newmans Holidays? )

Could of probably had a break abroad for that kind of money.

Op what a horrible experience

I do think Haven can be very hit and miss.

We stayed at Seashore once and came home early and complained. We were put next to a van full of young blokes on some sort of stag weekend I think. One night we had one of them knocking on our van at 3am and when my dh opened the door he was stark naked! I can only think he was on some sort of “promise” as we had a van of young women on the other side of us and I think he got the vans mixed up! He was very apologetic but the whole experience was awful- none of us slept, loud music all night, van doors banging open and close etc. Dreadful. We rang security several times and they would come out and tell them to quiet down and then when security left they would start up again!

When we came home we wrote and complained and didn’t get a penny back in compensation despite lots of emails etc etc.

However, a few years after that we took our chances and booked at Caister after being given a free break (through a disabled children’s charity) and we loved it! So much so we now go back every year as our son loves it so much. Very family friendly site, quiet and peaceful, lots to do and see etc.

We have decided to try Greenacres in Wales this year for a change and I’m nervous and excited- I hope it’s a success!

We always just booked the newer standard model vans. We’ve had prestige and deluxe before and it really wasn’t worth paying the extra. Standard newer has a larger main bedroom and are always very clean.

Can't believe Lovemusic33 staying in a caravan that had a wee soaked sofa. Just grim ... gives me shudders.

We stayed in Bognor Butlins one year and had a similar experience to op. We were there with friends who had travelled over from another country so we had no choice but to stay. It was awful. I cried with relief when we left!

Stayed at a few Havens in Norfolk and Suffolk and luckily never had an issue, I made the horrific mistake of going to Pontins a few years ago though.....

We are big fans of Haven, and have never had a problem with cleanliness, but had a problem at Church Farm one October half term when the owners mob took over the main live lounge with their halloween/end of season events. There wasn't anywhere to stand let alone sit, and my little one was so disappointed at not being able to do the disco. We couldn't get on the dance floor let alone to the bar. Put me off doing Haven in October ever again.

The wee soaked sofa is grim, if it’s a wee soaked mattress on the other hand then the cleaners are instructed to turn them over before the new people arrive - fact from ex cleaner at Lydstep Park, Wales.

You know, reading these posts about horrendous accommodation, you would think, because more people are holidaying in this country, holiday firms would be upping their game, to keep people coming back. Why aren't they???

You've been ripped-off

We’ve been to church farm and it was lovely so it’s really crap the service you’ve received.

@nickynack Haggerston is haven. Haggerston isn’t in Scotland though.

I’d never pay £££ for haven tbf, we always book through Breakfree and upgrade to the highest we can. We’ve never once had a dirty caravan. Most we’ve ever paid for m-f was £170

The wee soaked sofa was grim, I kind of ruined our holiday, luckily we just use the caravan as a base and only slept there.

Next year we will be camping instead in our Campervan and awning, it will save us a fortune and put a end to shitty accomadation.

We have stayed in many different holiday parks and have seen some pretty awful places. I’m done with them and would rather camp on smaller sites or wild camp sites.