'It stunk so bad you could barely breathe': Family's £12k luxury holiday turned into 'nightmare'

Yahoo

8 hours ago

A family from Manchester claim they are 'so upset' after their dream £12,000 holiday to Jamaica turned into a 'nightmare'.
Lucy Hylton, 39, says the buffet at the five-star 'luxury' hotel she and her loved ones stayed at was 'filthy' and had broken furniture and that they resorted to eating out half the time they were there.
She also says that when they arrived the rooms were dirty, with one smelling 'so bad you could barely breathe'. The family, who have a young child, say they were also disturbed by fire alarms going off 'constantly'.
Lucy and husband Zata Hylton, 30, forked out £6,000 for a two-week all-inclusive holiday at Royalton Negril, Jamaica, with their four-month-old son Leo.
Lucy's parents Sheila Hoy, 69, and Graham Hoy, 68, also shelled out £6,000 to join them on their grandson's first holiday.
The family had saved for a year so they could introduce Leo to his father's side of the family, who live in Jamaica.
The five-star resort promises to give guests a 'luxurious experience, mouth-watering gourmet meals and superior, friendly service at every turn'.
Lucy said: 'It was a nightmare from check in."
'Our room was dirty," she said. 'Mum and Dad's room was horrendous.
"It stunk so bad you could barely breathe, the shower door was broken, the couch was broken, and the TV was broken."
She said the buffet area was 'filthy' and had broken furniture.
'The floor was dirty. It was unbelievable" she said.
"The grills were thick with grime, and the microwaves looked like they'd never been cleaned.
'We would never usually eat out because it was all-inclusive, and we paid £6,000 each, but we were scared to eat from the buffet, so we ate out seven times.'
Lucy also claims that on the penultimate night, the fire alarm went off so many times that Leo had to wear ear defenders and the family were forced to sit on the balcony until 5am.
She said: 'On the second to last night, the fire alarm was going off at 11pm.
"We thought they might be testing it, even though it was a weird time. The fire alarm in the room next door was going off constantly.
'Our fire alarm was going off every ten minutes from 1 am to 5 am. They came and removed the bit that makes the noise, which is dangerous.
'Leo was screaming so he had to wear ear defenders, and we sat on the balcony until 5am. Some issues are small, but together they're a problem. Because we were stressed, Zatar and I were arguing.
'My mum and dad were desperate to go home from day three.'
The couple had saved up for a year to take Leo to meet his family.
They booked the holiday through TUI, who emailed them two months before the holiday to say that the hotel was no longer in their platinum collection, but all of the five-star facilities remained the same.
After they complained, their rooms were cleaned, and they were offered the chance to change rooms.
They were also offered complimentary beach cabanas with waiter service as a gesture of good will and also a money off voucher.
Lucy and Zatar claim they have demanded a refund for the price of the hotel but say TUI have declined.
Lucy said: 'They said there's nothing they can do. Their response is disgusting, but I'm not shocked by it.
'It was our first family holiday, and we were so looking forward to it, but it was horrible.
'I felt terrible for my mum and dad, and I felt responsible because I'd recommended it.
'My husband is so upset because I've got a stale taste in my mouth for Jamaica, and that's his home country and my son's heritage.
'He had high expectations of introducing Leo to his family."
"I'll never use TUI again," she added. "TUI is the only company that flies from Manchester to Jamaica."
This was Lucy's fourth stay at the hotel, and she says it's completely changed since her last visit in 2021.
She added: 'I've always said Jamaica is the best Caribbean island, the people are friendly, it's authentic and there's loads to do, but this has put me off.'
TUI declined to comment.