Model barricades in ‘filthy prison' hotel after lock breaks
A UK model was forced to barricade herself in a 'horrendous' hotel room in Turkey after the lock didn't work – before giving up and shelling out over $US950 ($A1,425) on an Airbnb instead.
'We were so nervous because anyone could come in,' Chiara Cox, 22, told Jam Press of her demonic digs, which also featured a 'filthy mattress,' mould and a used ashtray.
The bombshell had reportedly flown to Antalya with her friend Toby Wolstenholme on July 1st for what she hoped would be a relaxing two-week getaway.
They'd reportedly reserved their accommodation through Loveholidays, a UK travel agency offering discount all-inclusive packages.
However, the trip quickly went South after Cox checked into their digs and realised they'd booked the hotel from hell.
'We got to the hotel at 1am and the guy was asleep on the sofa, we made him jump when we came in and said hello,' the South Yorkshire native recalled.
'He checked us in. It was meant to be all-inclusive, but he didn't give us any information about that, he just put the wristband on.'
She added, 'We looked at each other and said 'this isn't going to be good', we could just tell.'
Their worst fears were confirmed after Cox put the key in the door and it opened without them having to turn the handle 'because there was no lock.'
And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
'I went in first and turned the bathroom light on and said, 'Toby, we can't stay here,' recounted the Brit.
'As soon as I walked into the bathroom, it had pure mould in it and there was a used ashtray in there.'
Meanwhile, the main room was so shambolic it reminded Cox of a 'prison.'
She claimed that the aircon didn't work, the window didn't lock, and that there were stains on the mattress and wires protruding from the wall.
When they tried to upgrade to a 'nicer' room, the clerk attempted to charge them $175 ($A267).
As a result, Cox and her friend were relegated to spending the night in the heinous accommodations, whose lack of a front door lock made them feel completely exposed.
To keep out potential intruders, they resorted to reinforcing the door with their belongings like a scene out of The Blues Brothers.
'We woke up lots of times because we had to barricade the door with our suitcases and the furniture because it was wide open otherwise,' Cox said.
'We slept as best as we could and then we peeled back the mattress and it was absolutely filthy, stained, there were hairs on it.'
She added, 'We slept in the clothes that we travelled in, and it was horrendous.'
Eventually, the pair became so disgusted with their digs that they packed up and left.
'In the morning, we didn't say anything, we just left the key on the desk,' Cox recalled.
'As we were waiting for the taxi, the same guy that was asleep came out and asked if there's a problem.'
'He just said 'okay, no problem' and walked off. He didn't even care.'
As they still had a lot of days left in their vacation, Cox and her pal decided to book an Airbnb, which reportedly cost them $US$950 ($A1,425).
They subsequently complained about their predicament to Loveholidays, but the travel agency said they didn't provide 'enough time' for the hotel to resolve their issue. The company added that they needed 'evidence' that the inn didn't try and get them a better room.
'It's disgusting, we need a partial refund at least,' declared Cox. 'I know what places like that are like, they will probably say that the room is habitable.'
She has since vowed to stop using Loveholidays due to their poor standards.
Despite only paying around $US950 ($A1,425) for their entire stay, Cox believed that they should've at least provided the bare essentials.
'It's been such a stressful travel journey,' she said.
'The stress has not stopped, I wanted a break.'
To make matters worse, the besties were forced to cater for themselves for the remainder of the trip as the hotel was supposed to be all-inclusive.
However, she feels trying to get Loveholidays to refund them is futile.
'Even if they don't refund us for the flights, I'd really like a refund for the hotel,' Cox lamented.
'But I can guarantee they won't put their hand in their pocket.'
A Loveholiday representative has since weighed on the incident, but failed to offer much assurance.
'We're sorry to hear that Miss Cox's hotel did not meet expectations on this occasion,' they said.
'Miss Cox booked alternative accommodation before notifying our On Holiday Support team of her complaint, so we were unfortunately unable to offer our assistance to resolve the issues at hand.'
They added, 'We are continuing to investigate Miss Cox's complaint with the hotel and will remain in touch with her throughout this process.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Annual airline survey reveals surprise winners of best carriers
The votes are in, and the best and worst airlines around the world have been named. Each year, rolls out the red carpet in a global survey to narrow down travellers' top picks across various categories, including the world's best cabin crew service, best cabin crew uniform, most eye-catching aircraft livery, and even weigh in on the airline that gave the greatest peace of mind while travelling. Dubbed the 'the Flyers' Choice Awards', the categories aim to recognise excellence in the aviation industry based on passenger feedback. Unlike the website's similar World's Safest Airlines and World's Best Airline awards, which are determined by aviation experts using strict, measurable criteria, the Flyer's Choice Awards are a little more lighthearted and driven entirely by votes from the public. It means these results cut out the textbook criteria, and instead offers an authentic insight into which airlines passengers themselves consider the best. This year, the results are in — after thousands of participants took part in the survey. And it turns out, when it comes to local Aussie travel — the national carrier received several nods. CEO Sharon Petersen said while Qantas remained popular, it's no surprise Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand also made the cut. 'These results show that Qantas remains a highly respected brand and the preferred choice for many travellers,' she said, noting the result comes amid growing scrutiny of the brand and the airline's recent cyber security breach. 'I fully expected Virgin Australia to be in the top three, given its award-winning customer service year after year. Air New Zealand's strong showing is no surprise — despite its smaller size, its outstanding on-board offering clearly resonates with passengers.' So how did all the airlines stack up? Best Airline Livery (the airline's visual identity on the aircraft). 1) Qantas 2) Etihad 3) Air New Zealand Best Cabin Crew Service 1) Singapore Airlines 2) Qatar 3) Emirates and Cathay Pacific Who's winning the fashion game with the best Cabin Crew Uniform? 1) Singapore Airlines 2) Emirates 3) Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia Airline that gives the traveller the greatest peace of mind when flying 1) Qantas 2) Singapore 3) Qatar 4) Etihad 5) Cathay Pacific 6) Emirates 7) Air New Zealand Preferred Airline UK/Europe 1) British Airways 2) Lufthansa 3) Air Baltic Preferred Airline Middle East and Africa 1) Emirates 2) Qatar 3) Etihad Preferred Airline USA/Canada 1) Delta 2) Air Canada 3) United Preferred Airline Australia and Pacific Ocean 1) Qantas 2) Air New Zealand 3) Virgin Australia Preferred Airline North Asia (Japan, Korea, Taipai, Hong Kong, China) 1) Cathay Pacific 2) Japan Airlines 3) Korean Air Preferred Airline South East Asia 1) Singapore Airlines 2) Philippine Airlines 3) Malaysian Preferred Airline Central/South America 1) Avianca 2) Latam 3) Copa
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
New Zealander shelters from tsunami warnings in Honolulu, Hawaii
Kathleen Marr, a Kiwi, was travelling in Honolulu when she encountered tsunami warnings and evacuations.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
'This is no vacation': young Poles do summer army bootcamp
Sweating and out of breath, young Poles throw grenades and practise evacuating the wounded at a training ground outside Warsaw. Instead of relaxing at the beach, they have chosen to do army drills over the summer holidays. Nearly 10,000 men and women have volunteered for the month-long, paid "Vacation with the Army" programme, which the defence ministry launched to promote military service among young people as Poland beefs up its security. The EU and NATO member -- which borders Belarus, Russia and Ukraine -- has been strengthening its defensive assets since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 out of fear that it could be next. "The training includes shooting and tactics classes, field studies, and general air defence," said lieutenant Patrycja Adamska, spokeswoman for the army's 10th Car Regiment, one of the units involved in the programme. "The recruits have an opportunity to experience the discipline of soldier life," she told AFP. The participants, most of them 18 to 20 years old, spend 27 days in a unit, after which they are awarded a rank and can continue service or become part of the reserve personnel. Michal Piekut, a master's student in international security, was surprised by the rigour of the drills. Sporting camouflage paint and in full uniform, the 29-year-old was barely standing from the exertion. "This is no vacation, it's intensive military training. I thought I wouldn't make it," he told AFP after dragging a heavy munition chest across many metres of sandy terrain. "Nobody fainted yet, but the day is young," he deadpanned. Lieutenant Michal Gelej from the army recruitment office said the programme "constitutes a wonderful alternative to summer jobs", as a payout of 1,400 euros awaits those who complete it. Goran Meredith, a 19-year-old American studies student at the University of Warsaw, said the money and summer timing allowed him to participate, otherwise he "wouldn't have time to be here". The ongoing war in Ukraine was another incentive. Piekut said he was considering a future military career: "I want to become a reserve soldier, and if need be, serve my homeland." - Learning from Ukraine - Just after Russia's Ukraine invasion, Poland adopted a homeland security law that included the goal of "enlarging military personnel". It also updated its voluntary conscription programme in 2022 with an eye towards increasing the army reserve. It drew nearly 90,000 candidates over the years 2023 and 2024. The defence ministry launched the "Vacation with the Army" programme last year, along with exercises in schools and weekend boot camps for civilians, promoted by a large-scale social media campaign. "The Ukrainian example teaches us that the professional army gets used up in about a year" if it cannot draw on adequate reserves, said Bartosz Marczuk, a Sobieski Institute expert who co-authored a report on the idea of introducing mandatory military training in Poland. "We are the largest country on NATO's eastern flank, and its keystone of security," he added. Marczuk said that any reintroduction of mandatory army service -- which Poland ended in 2009 -- would need to be preceded by voluntary programs. "That's why all initiatives of this sort have to be supported," he told AFP. In March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that by 2027, Poland will expand its voluntary military training program to accommodate 100,000 recruits per year, in order to create "an army of reservists". Piekut doubted whether his compatriots were up to the task. "Most adults could not handle it. There are very high requirements, physically, psychologically, and in terms of discipline," he said. str/amj/gv
