A family said their £12,000 dream holiday turned into a nightmare after arriving at a “filthy” hotel with “broken” furniture and a fire alarm blaring for hours.
Lucy Hylton, 39, 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.
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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, mouthwatering gourmet meals and superior, friendly service at every turn”.
However, Lucy claims that the holiday turned into a nightmare as soon as they checked in.
The personal trainer alleges that the buffet area was “filthy” and that there was “broken furniture.”
“It was a nightmare from check in,” Lucy, from Manchester, claimed to What’s The Jam.
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“Our room was dirty.
“Mum and Dad’s room was horrendous.”
She claimed: “It stunk so bad you could barely breathe, the shower door was broken, the couch was broken, and the TV was broken.
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“The buffet was filthy, and the floor was dirty. It was unbelievable.
“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.
Lucy and Zatar claim they have demanded a refund for the price of the hotel but say TUI have declined.
She 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.
“TUI is the only company that flies from Manchester to Jamaica, so they don’t care.
“They know they’ve got you over a barrel.”
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.”
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.
TUI declined to comment.
