A mother claims her dream £4,000 family holiday to Turkey turned into a nightmare, with her sleeping on a 'piece of wood' in a 'disgusting' room. Sarah Kershaw, 42, from the UK, booked the all-inclusive trip to the Mirage World hotel in Icmeler for herself, husband Stephen, and children Paige (16), Patrick (13), and Stephanie (12).
The holiday was postponed multiple times due to the pandemic, originally booked for October 2020 and moved to July 2021, then again to July 2022. Sarah says she had to pay extra fees each time, including a £240 fine for taking her children out of school during term time and an additional charge for Paige, who turned 16 and was classed as an adult.
Upon arrival, the family found dirty bedsheets, a used shower, and poo marks in the toilet. Sarah told the Manchester Evening News: 'I had to sleep on a piece of wood which was made up like a camp bed. I suffer with back problems and I hardly got any sleep.' She also complained about the food and the general state of the room.
Sarah says she complained to hotel staff and handed a letter to the manager, but no issues were resolved during the stay. She has received £228 in compensation from loveholidays but is pushing for a full refund. A loveholidays spokesperson said: 'We’re sorry to hear that Ms Kershaw’s holiday did not live up to expectations. As no complaints were made at the time, we were unable to investigate. We have offered her a gesture of goodwill, which she has accepted.'
The hotel, Mirage World, did not respond to requests for comment. Sarah added: 'I don’t want another family to go through the experience I’ve had, especially if it’s their first family holiday.'
