A British family was left disgusted after finding their rented holiday home covered with dead flies, mould creeping up the walls and thick grease in the oven.
The family, from West Bromwich, said the mould and dead flies were just the start of a weekend-long holiday from hell at Pontins’ Brean Sands resort last month.
Iain Bate, 34, his fiancee Zoe Griffin, 31, and their three-year-old son, Evan, were due to spend a long weekend down at the resort, but their break was cut short when they were horrified by the ‘horrendous’ state of their guesthouse.
On Friday August 11, the family – who had purchased the break for £149 on Groupon – travelled down to the park and were greeted by the grim conditions.
Iain Bate, 34, his fiancee Zoe Griffin, 31, (pictured above with their three-year-old son, Evan) of West Bromwich, were left horrified to find dead flies, balls of hair and more at their rented guesthouse at Pontins’ Brean Sands Holiday Park.
The family, from West Bromwich, said the mould and dead flies were just the start of a weekend-long holiday from hell
Just a few of the problems the family encountered included: An oven thick with food and grease both inside and out, chewing-gum stuck to the windowsill, a ball of hair blocking the bath plughole, a broken smoke alarm, cabinets and drawers hanging off the walls and dead bugs dried into the wall above the shower head.
There was also a dirty toilet brush, mouldy tiles and flooring, rust on the bathroom window, a bloody plaster left in the sink, dirt all over the floors and an overgrown garden.
Communications executive Mr Bate told The Birmingham Mail: ‘We couldn’t believe the state in general of the holiday park. Before we were able to check in we spent a few hours there and it was really dated and grubby.
‘We hoped that our accommodation would be of a higher standard after seeing the pictures of the accommodation online.
‘The apartment was so filthy we didn’t even let our three-year-old take his shoes off indoors. It really was the holiday from hell.’
Mr Bate went to complain on behalf of him and his fiancee – who works as a retail assistant – as soon as the reception opened on Saturday morning and requested a deep clean for the grimy guesthouse.
Just a couple of the problems the family encountered included a rusty bathroom window (pictured above) and an oven covered with grease and food
The couple also found balls of hair the the plughole of the bath in the guesthouse’s bathroom
The smoke alarm in the guesthouse was broken (left), and the couple also found mould on the bath (right). The couple spent just 24 hours of their planned weekend holiday in the home
‘The cleaner eventually turned up at 4:30pm but I told her we were leaving so there’s no point in cleaning the apartment.’
The family requested an upgrade on their accommodation but Mr Bate was toldt hey had already been upgraded.
Mr Bate added: ‘The queue for customer services was really long and lots of people were complaining about the standard of the accommodation.’
The family left the apartment less than 24 hours after arriving and requested a full refund from Pontins in their complaint after having to fork out £140 for another accommodation in Weston.
Mr Bate added: ‘We were really looking forward to going away as a family and our holiday was ruined by the state of the park and accommodation.
‘The whole place needs to be knocked down and fully refurbished. I just hope other people realise what they are letting themselves in for before they decide to go to the Brean site.’
In a letter responding to the family’s complaint, Pontins apologised and on investigating the claims, admitted the guesthouse did not meet Pontins’ standards.
The couple found plaster in a plughole (left) at the holiday home and noticed that bedside cabinets were falling off of the wall (right). Communications executive Mr Bate said he and his fiancee couldn’t believe the state of the guesthouse. They had purchased the holiday for £149 on Groupon
In one corner of the guesthouse, the couple found that the vynil flooring appeared to be rotting due to dampness underneath
A ‘complaints handler’ wrote: ‘We were very sorry to learn of the problems you encountered with the accommodation you were allocated and we have noted all the points you have raised.
‘It is our intention that all accommodation is fully prepared for incoming guests and that no problems will be encountered. In the circumstances we can now only offer our sincere apologies that this was not the case.
‘Pontins continues to invest heavily in the refurbishment of our accommodation and facilities in order to bring them up to the expected standards, and resources are also invested in the staff training programme in order to enhance guest care.’
The letter continues to state that in response to feedback from its guests, Pontins has invested in new mattresses, cookers and electrical equipment that are being rolled out across the parks.
‘I have investigated your complaint and can see your stay did not meet our expectations,’ Stephen wrote.
The family were then offered £99 as a goodwill gesture for the nights they didn’t stay at the apartment – which they accepted.
MailOnline has contacted Pontins for a comment.