Where do I even begin? We made a terrible mistake by booking our holiday at Merry Hill Store. My husband, daughter, and I were all excited to go, especially after our agent highly recommended it.
We arrived late at night and were sent to a room the furthest away from anything, across a road. To make matters worse, the key cards didn’t work. I went back to reception and asked for a room closer to the front of the hotel, away from any open road. They gave me room A37, but the toilet was making noises like a T-Rex, and the shower didn’t work properly. These issues were reported on the first day.
The TUI team on site, on the chat, and the hotel staff advised us multiple times that maintenance would fix it, but they never did. They didn’t even go to our room at any point. On the morning of day 5, they offered to move rooms, but it was day 5 of a 7-day stay! I was given a key for another unsafe and isolated room, just as bad as the first.
The ceiling had been replaced multiple times and looked like it had been lifted and shifted out of Baghdad. There were cracked tiles everywhere that people could get hurt, and multiple chunks of concrete steps were missing from areas, leaving raised metal drains that could cut open people’s feet.
The entire hotel was dirty. From the eatery to the stairs leading to the rooms, there was rubbish and hair everywhere. It was clear that the hotel needed money spent on it rather than TUI sending that money elsewhere.
The food was also a major issue. There was fish in the cheesey pasta, undercooked food, and basic hygiene was missing from the dirty plates. Hair was even found in the food as it was placed on the surface. It was just disgraceful.
On another day, a child was sick in the food area, and the family was not seen for a few days after.
I requested a downgrade of our food option, as evidenced by the photo I have (it’s £934). Multiple placards around the hotel advertised the costs of upgrading. The place is a health and safety hazard. We’ve spent over £1000 eating out of the hotel because of its poor quality and dangerous conditions.
Why can’t you downgrade if you can upgrade? It’s the same process in reverse!
After speaking to other people, I discovered that the entire hotel is in the same state, and the staff are fully aware of it. The TUI rep, Dylan, offered to sort my late check-out, but it was only until 2 pm because they had others coming into our room. I asked how he could possibly put people in the room knowing its condition, but he said that was his problem to sort out if they complained. He’s sent me a link to refund me the 20 euros to the wrong mobile number, which seems like it’s been done on purpose, I’ve asked the TUI team on the app a number of times to correct this and they still haven’t.
An hour until we leave, and the receptionist recommended using the ‘spa’ shower, advising us to book it quickly as they get booked up. We went down to use them, and my 9-year-old daughter and I went to the ladies’ room. Next thing, there was a crash, and the shower door came off, hitting my daughter. She slipped and fell onto the raised basin, where there was a rusty latch or screw that had broken off. She has severe bruising and is screaming. I ran to the receptionist, who said she had told the hotel and TUI staff that they were not safe repeatedly, but her advice had been ignored. This clearly indicates that despite being told that there’s clearly no care from either TUI or hotel management.
The TUI manager and the deputy hotel manager came down to speak to us. I asked the hotel manager to fetch a doctor, and he got the doctor to check Scarlett’s ribs to make sure they weren’t broken.
This hotel is dangerously unsafe. I’m horrified that there’s no accountability or ownership of the issues we raised. Multiple laws are being broken, and it ended with my child sustaining a serious injury.
I have photos of every point I’ve made above, including the injury she sustained.