Holiday accommodation from hell! AIBU?

[Weekendfromhellll]

NC for this.

My partner, myself and our toddler have gone on a weekend away five hours from home. We picked a lovely lodge with a hot tub. Well, we’ve arrived and it’s awful. It’s not a lodge, it’s a cottage which is also fine but not as advertised. But that isn’t the issue - the hot tub is around the side of the building with the jets not working, the cot they’ve put in the bedroom is broken, there is dust absolutely everywhere and the bathroom is filthy (last persons toilet stains still there), no plug for the bath, there’s an upstairs bit with flimsy railing so I don’t want my toddler upstairs, the oven is broken, there is a random freezer in the living room and the Wifi doesn’t work. I might seem to be overreacting here (and please tell me if I am) but £400 for this, and that’s a lot of money to us. We wanted a relaxing weekend away with local things to do for our toddler - which there thankfully is - but I just want to go home. I’ve contacted the owner who is rejecting my calls and has ignored my message, I’ve contacted the third party we booked through who are telling me to get in touch with the owner, and it’s too late to travel back home now. AIBU to leave tomorrow and ask for a full refund, or shall I just suck it up and get on with the weekend?

Oh dear. We once managed to somehow book a room on Booking.com that turned out to be in a bail hostel. The kids still talk about the holiday when we all thought we might die. Can you find a nice cheap Premier Inn or Travelodge and try to salvage your break.

@EthelTheAardvark

Make sure you follow up any phone calls in writing so there's a paper trail

This!

Do not rely on phone calls. Email everyone several times cc everyone, to say you're pissed off, with photos and do it right now so it's timestamped.

It doesn't have to be fancy, just do it. You can compose a proper request for a refund when you get home, but make sure there is a clear record that you complained at the earliest opportunity, and mention that your calls are being rejected.

(What's the difference between a lodge and a cottage? )

Emphasise the health and safety problems and you can take them to small claims court

@Hellocatshome

Oh dear. We once managed to somehow book a room on Booking.com that turned out to be in a bail hostel. The kids still talk about the holiday when we all thought we might die. Can you find a nice cheap Premier Inn or Travelodge and try to salvage your break.

😱😱😱😱😱

I'm sorry your break is ruined OP.

Others have good advice re getting stuff in writing, photo evidence and so on.

Horrible when a relaxing weekend is nothing of the sort and £400 is not cheap either.

I can’t believe there are six people who think you’re being unreasonable! Some people are easily pleased.

Sounds dreadful, I'm so sorry for you, what a disappointment. You must have been knackered after driving such a way. I hope you get compensation for the fuel you've wasted.

I've stayed in places that were dusty and tired but pretty lucky overall. Worst was one that had nettles growing in a pot plant, in the centre of the dining table.

@Hellocatshome

Oh dear. We once managed to somehow book a room on Booking.com that turned out to be in a bail hostel. The kids still talk about the holiday when we all thought we might die. Can you find a nice cheap Premier Inn or Travelodge and try to salvage your break.

I’m sorry but that’s so awful it made me laugh….

I’m sorry but £400 for 3 nights at this time of year is expensive. My 4 bed, 3 bath immaculate barn conversion is only £560 for this weekend.

@OpheliaThrupps What's the difference between a lodge and a cottage wood.

@blondiepigtails

I’m sorry but £400 for 3 nights at this time of year is expensive. My 4 bed, 3 bath immaculate barn conversion is only £560 for this weekend.

I agree, just looked on Hoseasons, typed in lodge with hot tub for 400 pounds for 3 nights (next weekend) and loads of luxury lodges appeared, most seem to be part of a bigger park, with other lodges nearby, I scanned them all and there wasnt a cottage among them, I hope you manage to sort this Op, Was it advertised as a luxury lodge?

I just had a look at their Terms and Conditions. They make it clear that the contract is with the owner - not them.

However take note of this section:

20.3. As the contract for the provision of the accommodation is between you and the Owner, you must tell them (or their representative) as soon as possible if you are dissatisfied. This means on arrival if you are immediately dissatisfied or during your stay as soon as you become dissatisfied. You must provide an immediate opportunity for the Owner to put right anything that is wrong before the end of your stay.
20.4. If you cannot contact the Owner or their representative, or if you are unhappy with their response, you must phone our Customer Services Line as soon as possible on the number shown on your confirmation with full details of your complaint and the Owner’s response (if any). You should make every reasonable attempt to contact us and must do so during your stay and especially before any decision to cut short your stay.
20.5. If you want us to, we will use our reasonable endeavours to liaise with an Owner on your behalf to attempt to resolve any unresolved complaints. Or you can pursue any complaint directly with the Owner.
20.6. If you feel that a problem has not been dealt with to your satisfaction, you must, within 28 days of returning from your stay, put your complaint in writing to us if you want us to liaise with an Owner on your behalf. We will then pass this on to the Owner. You can email us at [email protected] or write to us at Sunway House, Raglan Road Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LW, marked for the attention of the Customer Relations Department. We have designed this process to make sure we can help to resolve complaints as quickly as possible. Please help us and the Owner to assist you by following this process. If you fail to do so, this may affect your entitlement to claim compensation if this would be appropriate.

I would be providing them with evidence of the state of the place AND your attempts to get in touch with the owner. Do this ASAP! They cannot wash their hands of this - do not allow them to!

Hoseasons shouldn't be telling you to contact the owner, your contract is with them ( I speak as someone who worked in this industry up until last year) they have to sort it for you. Keep nagging them.

Is there not an office/reception on site to complain to and ask to be moved?

I second/third/fourth what everyone else has said: lots of photos and an initial email complaining tonight, CCing Sykes.

F

I'm going to now have to have a shower and a good scrub with a bar of Dove soap after reading this thread! But first, I have an upside down pineapple to upend!

Whoops, sorry, wrong thread!!! 🤣🤣🤣

@Tiddlesthecat i know exactly what thread you are on. 😂

But no £400 isn’t ‘cheap’

I hope you get your money back OP, I would be so disappointed with that and it doesn't even sound safe let alone relaxing! We paid only a little bit more for this weekend but our cottage is lovely, clean and a hot tub on a nice patio area with a view. For £400 I would expect about the same and clean and safe is the bare minimum whatever the price!

I would leave and try and find a premier inn. We stayed in two at half term, clean, comfy and good breakfast.

Do all of the above that pp have told you. Also keep copies of everything to send to trading standards and the environmental health team

In the days before internet , we once booked a cottage on the shore at Sannox, Arran- when we puled up we saw a crumbling garden shed, inches from the cliff wall- that was our 'cottage- dark, damp, shower cubicle plumbed into the (carpeted) second bedroom, grim, old fashioned furniture, basic indeed- but we'd just fostered a little dog who was timid and a bit piddly, which the owners welcomed and were more than understanding of, and the view straight onto the sea, with a bench from which to watch the sunset was compensation enough- we had a week of 'glamping' without the 'glam' really

@Hellocatshome

Oh dear. We once managed to somehow book a room on Booking.com that turned out to be in a bail hostel. The kids still talk about the holiday when we all thought we might die. Can you find a nice cheap Premier Inn or Travelodge and try to salvage your break.

We accidentally booked the plaza beach hotel in Blackpool similar thing thinking we were going to die the one room had a broken window next to the fire escape which had drug addicts sleeping at the bottom and when you flushed the toilet it came up in the shower never got a penny back certainly made for an adventure weekend

Good luck hope you get your money back, that is so not a cheap holiday