A mother has been denied a full refund after what she described as a 'horrendous' ordeal at a Haven holiday park in Norfolk. Karmen Paige, 36, from Essex, booked a week-long stay at Haven's Seashore Holiday Park in Yarmouth for £1,837, hoping to escape the pain of her father's first anniversary after his death on July 24, 2025.
Upon checking in, the NHS worker found a pungent stench in their caravan. Minutes later, her three-year-old daughter pulled sheets and children's clothes from under a bed, soiled with what appeared to be urine and faeces.
Discovery of soiled items
'I can't say for definite, but I've worked in hospitals and care homes for five years, so I'm pretty clued up,' Karmen told Metro. 'That's what it looked like, and that's what it smelled like.' She was most upset that her daughter had been the one to discover it.
The family also noticed a broken window handle, carpet peeling off the floor, and a light with exposed electric wires hanging off the wall. Karmen took pictures and moved the soiled items outside in a carrier bag while her partner complained at reception.
Manager apologised and offered partial refund
The manager was 'really embarrassed and apologetic' and sent a cleaner and maintenance worker to address the issues. The family received vouchers worth £30 to spend on-site. However, when they returned, the smell was still 'horrendous' and the stained mattress had not been changed.
Karmen's eleven-year-old son, who is autistic and has sensory issues, 'really struggled' with the smell and slept in another caravan where family friends were staying. Karmen decided to stay because she 'couldn't take the children home from their only holiday' and felt responsible for their friends.
She reported the incident by email and was offered a £100 refund 'as a gesture of goodwill', but she asked for a full refund instead. In an email seen by Metro, Haven's Head of Park Experience & Leisure Operations acknowledged that 'the discovery of soiled items underneath the bed in the children's bedroom was clearly unacceptable and is not representative of the standard of cleanliness we expect our accommodation to be presented to our guests'. However, they declined to issue a full refund.
Impact on the family holiday
'It was just stressful the whole time,' Karmen said. 'I spent my holiday on the phone complaining. I know it might sound like I just love a complaint, but I'm really not that kind of person.' She added: 'I find it quite uncomfortable, but these were things I was just so upset over and I felt my family holiday was not safe.'
Despite spending 'a fortune in the arcades' and doing all the little activities, Karmen said she will 'never' consider booking with Haven again. 'There'd been no checks before we went in. The cleaners obviously are doing the bare minimum,' she said.
A Haven spokesperson told Metro: 'We're sorry that on this occasion our accommodation wasn't up to the standards our guests expect from us. As soon as we were made aware, our team acted quickly to address the complaint. We apologised to the guest and provided a partial refund.'
