A family’s £29,000 dream holiday to Florida turned into a nightmare after they encountered bed bugs, blood-stained mattresses and mould at a luxury resort.
Mary Anderson, 67, and husband Hugh, 66, travelled to The Grove Resort Waterpark in Orlando with their children, daughter-in-law and six grandchildren to celebrate Hugh’s retirement.
The family from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, booked the four-star resort for what was meant to be the trip of a lifetime last October.
Instead, they were met with filthy conditions that left them feeling “dirty” and “uncomfortable” throughout their two-week stay.
Two of Mary’s grandchildren suffered bed bug bites during their stay
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Upon arrival, the family discovered their rooms were in a shocking state.
“It was disgusting. When we arrived we found dirty beds, human hair everywhere, mould in all the bathrooms and filthy showers,” Mary told The Daily Record.
The conditions were far below what was expected of a four-star resort.
“When we found blood on the mattresses, we demanded to move rooms but they said they couldn’t move us,” she said.
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Mary Anderson, 67, and husband Hugh, 66, travelled to Orlando with their children, daughter-in-law and six grandchildren to celebrate Hugh’s retirement
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The family found the kitchen facilities were also unacceptable.
“The cooker hadn’t even been cleaned, you could see the previous guest’s food sprayed across the oven door,” Mary added.
Photographic evidence showed mattresses with blood stains, torn bedsheets, and stained pillowcases.
After one night, the family requested to move hotels but were told by Tui they would need to pay an additional £1,600 for the transfer.
“We had already paid £29,000 so we were reluctant to pay that kind of money. Given the conditions, the transfer should have been free,” Mary explained.
The family was forced to remain at The Grove Resort Waterpark for their entire two-week stay.
The family from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, booked the four-star resort for what was meant to be the trip of a lifetime last October
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Two of Mary’s grandchildren suffered bed bug bites during their stay.
“We spent the entire trip feeling dirty, filthy and uncomfortable. Two of my grandsons were bitten by bedbugs and had to go to a pharmacy for special cream,” she said.
Following complaints to Tui, the travel firm offered the family £1,900 in travel vouchers and an apology.
Mary dismissed this compensation as inadequate.
“That is a fraction of the price we paid. It will also never replace the memories that my husband, children, daughter-in-law and grandchildren should have made on this trip,” she said.
She added: “To me, their apology and offer is just a complete slap in the face.”
The holiday was originally advertised as the “go-to” vacation spot for “escaping the ordinary and diving into non-stop fun and endless amenities.”
GB News has approached Tui and The Grove Resort Waterpark for comment.