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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Steve Robson

Mouldy tea bags, a dirty toilet and no electricity: Mum says Manchester hotel was 'the worst she's ever stayed in'

Mouldy tea bags, a dirty toilet, dead insects, no electricity and no room key.

This was the nightmare stay that a mum endured during a recent trip to a Manchester hotel.

The family, who have asked not to be named, were visiting the city at the end of September as their daughter was starting university.

They travelled from London and stayed at the Victoria Park Hotel in Rusholme paying £130 for two rooms for one night via booking.com

READ MORE: Person killed after horror collision on major road in Ashton-under-Lyne

"It wasn't the most expensive place, so I wasn't expecting luxury," the mum said.

"I've travelled quite a lot and used booking.com for years.

"I wasn't expecting anything big, that wasn't the point of the journey."

"But we were quite shocked.

"It was the worst place I've ever stayed, I've never seen anything like it."

A mum has complained after a horror stay at the Victoria Park Hotel in Manchester (Supplied)

When checking-in, the mum says a member of staff told them there was a problem with the keys and they wouldn't be allowed to keep one for their room.

Instead, another member of staff, who didn't speak any English, used the same key to open both rooms.

"I was trapped in a filthy, stinky room with no phone and no electricity" (Supplied)

When the family returned, they were once again escorted to their rooms from reception and told they couldn't keep a key.

The mum eventually insisted on keeping one key between them that would open both doors but said she found the scenario 'very unnerving'.

The family had to share one room key that opened both rooms (Supplied)

"It was getting late and my 8 year-old-daughter was getting tired," she said.

"I took her to the bathroom and left it as soon as I entered.

"I’m not sure what was worse - the excrement traces on the toilet seat, the mould-eaten, filthy, window which did not shut, or the hair left in the shower plug. "

There were dead insects on the window sill (Supplied)

Had a bad stay at a hotel? Let us know in the comments.

"Never mind the décor of random pieces of tiles violently pushed together, clearly against their will.

"The floor stuck to our shoe.

"The overwhelming stench of mould was permeating every pore of our skin."

Victoria Park Hotel in Rusholme (Manchester Evening News)

Once her daughter was asleep the mum went to make a cup of tea but found the kettle wasn't working.

After trying all the plug sockets in the room she realised the lamps weren't working either.

"At that point it hit me there was no electricity," she said.

The stench of mould was 'overwhelming', the mum said (Supplied)

"I was trapped in a filthy, stinky room with no phone and no electricity and windows that didn’t lock.

"I wasn't about to leave my daughter unattended in this place where one key opens multiple rooms, and go seek help at the reception."

The mum says the ventilation problem in the room was so bad even the teabags were mouldy.

The Victoria Park Hotel did not respond to a request for comment (Manchester Evening News)

"My daughter was asthmatic as a child, thankfully she grew out of it but that was the first night she has coughed like that since she was three or four years old," she said.

"I found it difficult to breathe

"I don't know whether it was the anxiety as well."

The family paid £130 for two rooms for one night (Supplied)

Victoria Park Hotel did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by the Manchester Evening News.

A member of staff who answered the phone asked us to send an email which did not receive a reply.

Booking.com initially apologised for the mum's experience and offered her £26 in travel credit.

Other reviews have also complained of a bad experience at Victoria Park Hotel (Supplied)

After the M.E.N. contacted booking.com for comment the offer was upped to the full £130.

"The health and safety of our customers is a key priority for us at Booking.com, as well as listing accommodation that meets the expectations of travellers, which clearly did not happen in this instance," a spokesperson said.

"We have been in touch with the customer, offered a full refund and any other costs relating to the relocation and will be contacting the accommodation owner to address how they prepare their property for visitors to ensure all future guests have a good experience.”

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