A honeymooning couple claim their holiday was ruined because their hotel was littered with rubbish, they were bitten by fleas and when they complained they were refunded £80 in pound coins.
Newlyweds Sarah and Sam Davey, both from Plymouth, checked into the Trecarn Hotel in Torquay, Devon, on Sunday at the start of their week-long honeymoon.
But the couple claim that when they finally got to their room, after a two hour wait, they were devastated to discover it was ‘dirty’, and allege they found crumbs, rubbish and hairs all over the carpet.
Newlyweds Sarah and Sam Davey, both from Plymouth, checked into the Trecarn Hotel in Torquay, Devon, on Sunday at the start of their week-long honeymoon
They also claim that they were ‘bitten raw’ by fleas in the room, which they only stayed in for two nights, after they decided to cut their honeymoon short by five days.
The hotel, which charges between £35 and £100-a-night for a room, strongly denies the claims made by the couple.
Writing on Facebook, Mrs Davey wrote: ‘We had to wait two hours for our room to be ready, we had to wait in a bar with no staff cause it was only the receptionist working during the day, then when we got in our room it was dirty… there was rubbish under our bed, all crumbs and hairs all over the floor, there was long black hairs in our bed and to top it all off there was flees on our room and they have bitten my husband raw.
‘We put a complaint in on Monday and gave them the chance to go in and clean the room properly, as we went to the zoo for the day, when we arrived back they had changed the bed and hoovered, that was it! The bottle was still under the bed and the didn’t clean either… during the night me and the chap were bitten raw again and we didn’t sleep at all.. so i went up again and complained again to be told again nothing can be done. I’m not gonna lie it totally broke me and i cried.
But the couple claim that when they finally got to their room, after a two hour wait, they were devastated to discover it was ‘dirty’, and allege they found crumbs, rubbish and hairs all over the carpet
‘I’ve never felt so down and depressed in my life… this is our honeymoon and were meant to be having fun but instead were both itching and scratching ourselves raw.
‘Now thanks to them and that horrible experience me and the husband have come home today five days early cause theve totally ruined our honeymoon and due to them taking a chunk off the money we can’t afford to travel and book anywhere else either.’
When the couple asked for a refund on the room – which cost £262 for the week – they were given £80 in coins, with the rest set to bank transfer which will take another 10 days to clear.
But the hotel says the couple, who turned up two hours early, were given a free upgrade to a new executive suite before they complained and claim the guests spoke and behaved rudely to staff.
Lee Jones, Area manager for Britannia Hotels – the group that owns the Trecarn Hotel – told Devon Live: ‘As with all national hotel’s check in time is 3pm and where possible we do provide an early check in facility for our guests.
They also claim that they were ‘bitten raw’ by fleas in the room, which they only stayed in for two nights, after they decided to cut their honeymoon short by five days
‘However the guests on arrival at 1pm were advised no rooms were available at that point and on returning to the hotel they checked into their allocated room at 3:10pm.
‘As the couple were celebrating their Honeymoon they were provided with a complimentary upgrade to an Executive Room in our new accommodation wing which offers an open warm inviting bedroom and en suite bathroom with modern furnishings which are all cleaned to a high standard and the guests made no hotel employee aware of any issues after checking in.
‘With regards to the claim of fleas / bed bugs all our beds under go a thorough programme of treatments and checks throughout the year and we have received no previous complaints of this nature as this is something that would be acted upon immediately with necessary steps being taken.
But the hotel says the couple, who turned up two hours early, were given a free upgrade to a new executive suite before they complained and claim the guests spoke and behaved rudely to staff
‘A refund of monies for the remaining days not being availed of was issued as no member of staff or management should be subjected to disrespectful language and behaviour from any guest which both the receptionist and duty manager were by the said guests and witnessed by other guests.
He added: ‘Having reviewed the CCTV footage from the various cameras located in the Reception Area along with the statements from not only the affected member of staff who encountered verbal abuse from the said guest but also other guests who witnessed this, at no point did the manager show any unprofessional behaviour.
‘The manager requested that the said guest refrain from using obscene language and shouting otherwise she would be asked to leave the premises.’
Responding to claims about the money being refunded in coins, Mr Jones said: ‘This was due to all monies being securely lodged and the coins were the only acceptable way of refunding which the guest was happy to avail of instead of returning the following day.’