25-04-2025
Lanzarote hotel room ceiling collapsed as family woken by 'big crash' at 3am
A fuming mum claims her family could have been killed on their Easter break to Lanzarote when a hotel room ceiling collapsed as they slept. Linsey Rees from Durham was on holiday with her mum and two kids when they were woken up by a 'big crash' at 3am on March 31. The 44-year-old couldn't believe her eyes, when she noticed the accommodation's 'concrete' bathroom ceiling had fallen down. Photos and video footage show large chunks of roof covering the shower, sink and floor - while exposed light bulb wires can be seen hanging down dangerously. Linsey was relieved her 74-year-old mum Denise Taylor and two kids Lucas Adams and Nevarah Littlefair, aged 15 and nine, weren't in the bathroom at the time. She fears Lucas's birthday trip abroad could have ended with her family members 'coming home in a box' had the ceiling fallen on their heads. The mum-of-two rushed down to reception where she says they gave her a new room and offered her free cocktails, which she refused and says she was 'disgusted' to only receive a £100 voucher from On The Beach, who she had booked the 'holiday from hell' with. However, after being contacted by reporters, they offered her a full £1,250 refund and an additional £100 voucher. Linsey told Teeside Live: "It's advertised as a four-star hotel but it certainly wasn't. It was a holiday from hell. At 3am all we heard was a big crash then my son came running into the bedroom and said 'mum look at the bathroom'. "The whole ceiling had come completely down. I was in shock and half asleep. Me and my son went over to the reception where I explained what happened but the receptionist said 'can I come and see?' because I think she thought it (had only come down) a little bit. "She walked in and said 'wow, I've never seen anything like this'. She moved us three doors down but my mum stayed awake and she didn't dare go back to sleep. "We only took our bags with passports because our main concern was just to get out of there because if those lights had snapped we would've got electrocuted. All this stuff in the bathroom was smashed but I couldn't get in to see what could be salvaged. "I know my mum's mirror broke, there were bottles of perfume smashed and the toothbrushes were covered in concrete. They didn't even offer us a complimentary toothbrush . "My kids were scarred from the experience and they wouldn't go in the new room's shower just in case. It was concrete that dropped so someone could've been killed if that had happened while we were in the shower or while we had gone to the toilet." The mum claims she was not told why the ceiling had collapsed and grew 'irate' when they offered her hotel freebies and a late check-out as an apology. Linsey said: "The receptionist kept offering us free drinks, free Wi-Fi and they tried to give me cocktails but I said 'I don't drink'. "She said she could give me a late check out and I did get irate and said I wouldn't take the late checkout but if they gave me a flight home now, I'd take that. Once I got home , reality hit me. "My children and mother could've been coming home in a box and that's not a nice thing to think. On The Beach only offered me a £100 voucher and it doesn't begin to make up for things. I think it's absolutely disgusting. If they offered me a free holiday there, I'd say definitely not. I'd never, ever step foot there again." An On The Beach spokesman said: "We are sorry to hear about the Rees' experience and understand how upsetting it must have been. We are urgently investigating this with the hotel . The initial support provided to Ms Lees did not meet our high standards or expectations and for that we are very sorry. "We have spoken with Ms Rees and she has accepted a full hotel refund with a further goodwill gesture for the inconvenience caused." The hotel has been contacted for comment.
