Model forced to barricade herself in ‘prison' hotel due to broken lock — and then lost $1,000 in the ordeal

New York Post

08-07-2025

What a lock-block.
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 $950 on an Airbnb instead.
5 'I've done festival camping, I'm normally fine, but as soon as I walked into the bathroom, it had pure mould in it and there was a used ashtray in there,' said Chiara Cox.
Kennedy News/@_chiaracox
'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,' mold 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 realized they'd booked the hotel from hell.
'We got to the hotel at 1 a.m. 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.'
5 Cox said the main room was like a 'prison' with unsightly marks on the walls and an air conditioner that didn't work.
Kennedy News/@_chiaracox
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 mold in it and there was a used ashtray in there.'
5 There were stains on the mattress.
Kennedy News/@_chiaracox
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.
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.'
5 'The stress has not stopped. I wanted a break,' said Cox.
Kennedy News/@_chiaracox
'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 traveled 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.'
She added, '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 $950.
5 Cox and her friend used their belongings to barricade the door.
Kennedy News/@_chiaracox
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 $950 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.'