A UK seaside resort has been forced to apologise to a family who abandoned their holiday after being met with a “horrific” smell, “mouldy pillows” and “holes in the walls”. The 41-year-old woman from Brighton, who wanted to remain anonymous, took her family to Butlin’s in Bognor Regis for a four-day getaway last month in the hopes of a relaxing stay with a trustworthy and long-standing “British brand”. After shelling out just under £1,100 for two adults and four children, however, she was met with “holes in the walls, peeling furniture, broken lights and stains all over the carpet”.
“It looked like someone had stayed there on an adult weekend and had a fight and smashed up the room,” she told The Argus. The family was eventually moved to a different room, where they were welcomed by a “horrific, vomit-like smell”, which they later traced to a drip tray behind the fridge that was “full” of rotting milk.
The 41-year-old also discovered stains and “mould marks” on her son’s pillows and bed linen the morning after they arrived.
“My son has learning disabilities, so something not being clean is horrific for him,” she said.
The family eventually elected to abandon their trip a day early and were given a refund for half of their stay – although they are pushing for a return of the full sum.
“We’re still complaining and they’re still not willing to refund all the money,” the woman said. “I work really hard for my money; you don’t expect to pay a branded hotel more than £1,000 and have to leave early.”
A spokesperson for Butlin’s said: “We’re sorry to hear about the accommodation issues this family experienced during their stay last month.
“This is not the high standard we expect for our guests, and as soon as our team was made aware of the issue, the family was moved to a different accommodation unit.
“As an apology, we provided a refund covering their accommodation, dining and any missed activities, which was accepted while the family was on resort.”
