Couple tell of 'honeymoon nightmare'
Andrew and Adele Williams, from Clevedon, married on October 4 last year and flew four days later to Gozo in Malta.
The couple, who have been together for three years, booked their £1,120 honeymoon with travel giant James Villa Holidays and had chosen to stay in a two-bedroom villa at Bella Vista in Xaghra.
But when they arrived at the resort they say the villa they had booked was not available and they were moved to another property which they claim was filthy.
When they complained to the holiday representative about the condition of the villa, they were told they could move to a hotel, but it would cost them extra.
They asked to be moved to another villa for their week-long stay but were told this was not possible as all the other properties – including the one they had originally requested – had been let out to other guests.
The couple say the condition of the villa was so disgusting with dirty bedding and a filthy bathroom that they were forced to spend the first night in a nearby hotel.
When other accommodation could not be found, they decided to come home the next day and had to use the £500 they had in spending money to cover the cost of the flights and a further £100 to get them from Gatwick Airport back to Bristol. On arriving home, they contacted James Villa Holidays to complain and were offered £250 in compensation.
Adele, a 29-year-old administrator, said: "When we arrived we were told we had been put in a different villa to the one we had booked.
"We walked into the villa and it was obvious it hadn't been cleaned.
"The bedding had not been washed and smelt dreadful and damp and the whole place was covered in dust.
"The toilet had faeces in it and smelt and the shower screen was covered in dead flies.
"The bathroom was so dirty we had to wear flip flops in the shower.
"The oven was covered in grease and burnt food and the outdoor barbecue was covered in fat and burnt on food.
"We had also paid £20 extra for a holiday welcome pack which included a few cheese triangles, some mouldy tomatoes, a loaf of bread and a pint of milk.
"We were devastated as we had paid our money and this was not the holiday we had expected. I just sat on the corner of the bed and cried."
The couple, who met while working together, said they felt they had no other option than to fly home.
Adele said: "We did not want to stay in a hotel because, as newlyweds, we wanted the freedom of a villa.
"Our only option was either to stay or book into a hotel which would have cost us extra money we didn't have.
"We felt the only thing we could do was come back home."
James Villa Holidays wrote to the couple in November and offered them £250 in compensation.
But Adele said she and Andrew want the whole cost of the honeymoon as well as the extra flight money and compensation.
Adele said: "We had a fantastic wedding day and were really looking forward to the honeymoon.
"But it turned into a nightmare and instead of having a romantic break we were landed with a honeymoon from hell."
A spokesman for James Villa Holidays said: "We accept that the villa had not been cleaned to our standard before Mr and Mrs Williams' arrival, and we apologise for this.
"However our offer to re-clean the property was declined by Mr and Mrs Williams. It is regrettable that James Villa were not given the opportunity to rectify the situation whilst the Williams' were in resort."
He added: "Throughout this unfortunate situation, we have complied with our booking conditions and the guidelines set out in ABTA's Code of Conduct."
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