A horrified Scots couple claim they've been refused refund for a 'bomb site' hotel by Booking.com.
Pamela McInally and Mark Fletcher said they 'walked out in disgust MINUTES after checking in' to the Blackpool hotel last weekend. They claim they were confronted with mounds of rubbish, dirty carpets, used urinals and an abandoned mattress at the Blackpool Promenade Hotel on Sunday.
The disgusted couple claim they handed the room key back minutes after accepting getting it from the reception reception, after seeing holes in the walls and being in such a mess that their daughter started crying. Housekeeper Pamela and engineer Mark, both 33, say they refused to let their four children inside the £68 hotel room, marched back to reception and handed the keys back.
They claim they were then forced to fork out a £200 deposit and £100 for new accommodation for the night. After requesting a refund from the hotel, described as being 'just yards away from Blackpool's golden beaches', they claim they were told to request it from Booking.com.
After waiting 48 hours they say they were told they wouldn't get a refund as the hotel said the family had checked in and spent the night there. Booking.com said it 'take any complaint seriously' and is investigating. Blackpool Promenade Hotel, also known as Garvey's Promenade Hotel, insists that the couple stayed the night.
But the couple has an email confirmation proving they had to make a booking at an alternative hotel. The hotel also says that Mark and Pamela's images aren't a true representation and the rooms that appear to be filled with rubbish are 'out of order' and had been left open for builders to access.
The hotel also claims the family didn't make a complaint, however the couple provided an audio recording of themselves on the phone to reception saying they couldn't stay there and complaining about the state of the hotel. Pamela, from Paisley, Renfrewshire, said: "It was disgusting. I was never expecting to see what I did.
"It was dirty, the floors were disgusting, the reception was non-existent. There was a mattress in the hallway. I wouldn't let a homeless person stay there. I was in shock, it wasn't right. I'm just glad that we were able to find somewhere to stay." Mark said: "It was horrific. As soon as we walked into reception there were alarm bells.
"The room directly opposite had the door wide open, it was full of rubbish. There were holes in the wall, the urinals were covered in pee, sh*t and toilet roll. We thought 'oh my god'. We just wanted to see the room and see if it was doable, we weren't expecting The Ritz. It looked like a bomb site, it was bad.
"We went back down to reception and said we weren't taking out kids in there, not a chance. My seven-year-old was crying and said she couldn't stay there. We asked for a refund and they said we had to get it from Booking.com. We contacted Booking.com and they got back to us 48 hours later.
"The hotel told Booking.com that we stayed in the hotel and checked out on the 10th, which isn't true. We had to find another apartment. There's six of us and it's not easy." The family had originally planned to spend three days in Blackpool and had another hotel arranged from Monday but decided to add an extra night to make the most of the Easter holidays.
Mark said: "It was cheap enough. We had been out all day, we were only going to be in there for a bed and a shower. The hotel looks nothing like it does on the website." Pamela said: "It's not even about the refund anymore, I just don't want other people to stay there because they might not have the money to get another apartment. It took a big chunk of our spending money."
The hotel is rated 'poor' and scores just 3.4 out of 10 on Booking.com's website and other reviewers have described it as 'dirty and full of rubbish'. One reviewer wrote: "The front of the hotel was disgraceful it was dirty and full of rubbish. The litter bin was full so rubbish was placed anywhere.[...]
"l thought we had walked into a derelict old house. It was disgusting so I wouldn't recommend this hotel and I wouldn't be going back again." Another wrote: "The property was very dated and didn’t look like it had been given much attention lately. The hotel itself was dirty."
A spokesman from Blackpool Promenade Hotel said: "We are aware of the current review circulating around various media outlets regarding a guests stay at our property this weekend. We must start by saying we operate a budget hotel and our hotels facilities do reflect its prices. However the pictures shared online are not a true representation of our hotel.
"The pictures shared are from rooms which are out of order and they were only left open as the builders were in and out working between the rooms. These rooms we do not let out as they are under renovation due to a major leak which happened recently - this has been repaired and doesn’t affect any other rooms than the one pictured, which is not open to anyone except builders.
"We have only just started the business and understand there is a lot of work needed to get the hotel to the high standard we would like. However, at the moment the rooms are done to a budget standard, this doesn’t mean we let rooms out like the images shown above.
"Even though we are a budget hotel, we still keep all our rooms to a high standard of cleanliness and still provide a good quality service for our guest which provides good value for money. The images aren’t a true representation of our hotel and we would not allow the rooms in the pictures to be let out to any guest.
"The guest stayed at the property and didn’t leave as stated in the review. At no time did the guest make a complaint to front desk or contact the hotel phone to do so. If we receive complaints, we follow them up appropriately and always aim to promote a good standard throughout the hotel.
"We are sorry in this circumstance that this had to escalate to such an extent however we completely disagree that these images and the review are a true reflection of our hotel." A spokesperson from Booking.com said: "We take any complaint seriously and are currently looking into the details raised."
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