Angry couple demand refund after walking out of 'bomb site' £68 Blackpool hotel
A couple claim they have been refused a refund for a "bomb site" hotel - despite walking out in disgust just minutes after checking in.
Pamela McInally and Mark Fletcher claim they were greeted with mounds of rubbish, dirty carpets, used urinals and an abandoned mattress when they walked into Blackpool Promenade Hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire, on 9 April.
They say that shortly after accepting their keys from reception, they handed them back to look for accommodation elsewhere.
Housekeeper McInally and Fletcher, an engineer, say they didn't want to let their four children inside the £68 hotel room after seeing the mess, and then had to pay a £200 deposit and £100 for new accommodation for the night.
The hotel has defended itself insisting pictures taken by the couple are "not a true representation of our hotel" and that rooms pictured were only open due to building work being carried out and are not currently used by the public.
The couple have claimed that after requesting a refund from the hotel, they were told to contact Booking.com.
After waiting 48 hours 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 they "take any complaint seriously" and are investigating.
The Blackpool Promenade Hotel, also known as Garvey's Promenade Hotel, insists that the couple stayed the night - despite the couple having an email confirmation proving they had to make a booking at an alternative hotel.
The hotel also says no complaint was made, despite the couple claiming to have an audio recording of themselves on the phone to reception saying they couldn't stay there and complaining about the state of the hotel.
McInally, 33, from Paisley, Scotland, 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 was in shock, it wasn't right. I'm just glad that we were able to find somewhere to stay."
Fletcher 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 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."
The couple said they went straight back to reception to say they were leaving.
"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.
McInally said: "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."
However, a spokesman from Blackpool Promenade Hotel defended the business. A statement said: "We are aware of the current review circulating around various media outlets regarding a guests stay at our property this weekend.
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"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."
He said that all rooms were maintained "to a high standard of cleanliness" and provide good value for money.
He also denied that the family left the hotel to stay elsewhere, saying: "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."
When contacted directly by Yahoo News UK, the hotel refused to comment.
A spokesperson from Booking.com said: "We take any complaint seriously and are currently looking into the details raised."
