A mates who forked retired £4,000 for a imagination two-week getaway to Mexico ended up surviving a nightmare erstwhile they were handed the keys to a "soaking" hotel room, lone to beryllium told aboriginal it should ne'er person been allocated to them.
Andrew Atkinson, 61, an electrician from Middlesbrough, and his woman Jill, 57, had booked their all-inclusive enactment astatine the Bahia Principe Grand Coba edifice connected Mexico’s Caribbean seashore via Hays Travel, expecting to bask the five-star luxury promised connected TUI's website. But upon their accomplishment connected June 10, they were greeted by a "Junior Suite Superior" drenched successful water.
Andrew recounted however helium dashed to the reception to study the flood but was met with a dismissive "we haven’t got thing other for you". The mates endured 2 miserable nights successful the damp conditions earlier being moved, contempt Andrew's repeated complaints.
Jill, battling COPD – a lung information that hinders breathing – suffered sick wellness for the remainder of their trip. Even Andrew's attempts to mop up the relentless h2o - seemingly seeping from the room's dehumidifier - were successful vain arsenic the flood returned by morning.
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"They gave america a country that was perfectly soaking bedewed and stinking – you wouldn’t enactment your canine successful it," adding, "It was perfectly disgraceful however they dainty people," Andrew said.
"The h2o wasn’t conscionable successful a small country – it was from 1 broadside of the country to the other."
On June 10, Andrew and Jill acceptable disconnected from Newcastle to Cancun, dreaming of a sun-drenched Caribbean escape. After a gruelling 15-hour journey, they arrived astatine the Bahia Principe Grand Coba edifice for their much-anticipated all-inclusive two-week stay.
"With the security it worked retired to conscionable implicit £4,000," Andrew recounted. But catastrophe struck arsenic soon arsenic they entered their suite; they were greeted by a flooded beforehand room.
"You could enactment your manus successful it," Andrew said, describing the grade of the flooding and the unmistakable odor of dampness that filled the air. The mates was peculiarly acrophobic arsenic Jill suffers from COPD and the moisture could exacerbate her condition.
Without delay, Andrew approached the reception to petition a country change. "I went to reception and said that 'room’s soaking mate and my wife’s not successful the champion of wellness see'," Andrew explained.
"But they said, well, we haven’t got thing other for you. They didn’t person immoderate much rooms available."
To his dismay, Andrew noticed that the root of the occupation seemed to beryllium a dehumidifier, which not lone caused sound passim the nighttime but besides posed a information with its electrical cables lying successful water. Left with nary choice, Andrew took connected the task of cleaning up the messiness himself.
"But if you tried drying the room, erstwhile you got up successful the morning, the h2o had conscionable poured retired again each implicit the floor."
There were different water-related issues with the room, including the bathtub which would not drain. On the 2nd day, Andrew said helium went backmost to reception and asked to alteration hotel. After speaking with the hotel’s impermanent relations team, Andrew said helium was yet offered different room. "The caller country was a batch amended – it was clean, it was dry," helium said.
Unfortunately the acquisition near Jill feeling unwell for respective days afterwards. "My woman was sick for astir 10 days of the vacation due to the fact that she has COPD and they enactment america successful a soaking-wet room. She wasn’t connected holiday. She was ill, laying successful furniture and sweating."
The mates besides had to lavation their apparel arsenic they "stunk of moisture". "It was similar a musky horrible smell," said Andrew, who contacted TUI lawsuit services to kick astir what had happened.
Andrew recounted however helium was initially informed that since his vacation was booked via Hays Travel, TUI couldn't connection assistance. However, helium aboriginal turned down their connection of £325 successful vouchers for compensation.
In a connection from the hotel's impermanent narration squad they apologised for the affair, saying "We astatine Bahia Principe Grand Coba are precise atrocious for the information of your country 33009 arsenic it should not of been issued due to the fact that of the enactment was not implicit and the country needed drying and cleaning...Guest relations Bahia rule coba Staff atrocious my English not the best."
Despite the hurdles, Andrew and his spouse managed to salvage immoderate enjoyment from the second portion of their getaway, though they admitted the ordeal had enactment a dampener connected their break. They've gone up and booked different TUI Mexican flight to Cancun for November 21 and are crossing their fingers for a adust country this time.
Andrew explained his determination to rebook: "We didn’t person a vacation truthful I decided to publication different one. This 1 outgo maine different £4,500 – let’s spot however this 1 goes. If it doesn’t spell well, I wont spell again. I’ll vacation successful England."
Hays Travel expressed regret implicit Mr Atkinson's ordeal astatine Bahia Principe Grand Coba successful Tulum, Mexico, noting: "We are atrocious to perceive astir Mr Atkinson’s acquisition astatine the Bahia Principe Grand Coba successful Tulum, Mexico. Hays Travel operates arsenic an authorised cause connected behalf of TUI, which means that mostly immoderate refunds oregon compensation related to prime issues are processed straight done them. We person been assisting Mr Atkinson with liaising with TUI throughout."
PA Real Life contacted TUI and the edifice for a response, but astatine the clip of going to press, they had yet to person a reply.