Aristocratic Model's Luxury Sri Lanka Retreat Turns into Construction Zone Nightmare
An aristocratic model has publicly lamented that her £1,000-per-night luxury retreat at a five-star resort in Sri Lanka has transformed into what she describes as "the holiday from hell" due to an adjacent building site. Lady Mary Charteris, the 38-year-old daughter of the 13th Earl of Wemyss and brewing heiress Catherine Guinness, took to TikTok to express her profound dissatisfaction with the ongoing construction work directly beside the exclusive Ahu Bay hotel in the coastal town of Ahungalla.
From London Recovery to Tropical Disappointment
Lady Mary explained she traveled from her London residence to this tropical paradise specifically to recuperate from a persistent sore throat and vocal issues. "I have come to a hot country to try and get my voice back because since I've been ill, my voice just has not been the same and I need to do some singing," she stated. "I thought I'd come and visit my brother in a nice, warm country. I paid good money for a hotel."
Her expectations were shattered upon arrival when she discovered diggers and construction workers operating merely "20 steps" from her beachfront accommodation. The mother-of-one was horrified by the proximity of heavy machinery, pneumatic drills, and construction materials to what was advertised as a serene luxury escape.
TikTok Exposé Reveals Stark Contrast
In her viral TikTok video, Lady Mary dramatically pans across the hotel's pristine, palm tree-lined beach before revealing the adjacent construction site complete with scaffolding, building materials, and active workmen. "That is a digger there. It is moving heavy rubble all day. There is a pneumatic drill all day," she narrated. "There was nowhere on the website where the hotel mentioned this."
She emphasized her frustration with the lack of transparency: "I understand that it happens sometimes... but you need to be warned. As a paying customer, I want to be warned, because then it's my decision as to whether I stayed at the hotel."
Hotel Response and Social Media Reaction
When Lady Mary confronted hotel staff about the undisclosed construction, she claims they responded that they don't warn guests "because sometimes it doesn't make noise." To this, she retorted: "I said, so what if it doesn't make noise? It's ugly! Look: beautiful beach, beautiful beach, beautiful beach... Ugly building site! Not cool."
The socialite, whose grandfather Jonathan Guinness, 3rd Baron Moyne, was a colleague of Andy Warhol, drew mixed reactions on social media. While some commenters ridiculed her first-world problems, others acknowledged her valid concerns about transparency in luxury hospitality. One commenter wrote: "If this was the worst problem I had today, this week, this year - I think I'd be OK," to which Lady Mary responded: "Did I say this was the worst problem I had?"
Luxury Resort Details and Past Controversies
Ahu Bay is an exclusive boutique hideaway featuring just 13 rooms and two standalone villas, positioned on Ahungalla Point between two secluded bays on Sri Lanka's southwest coast. The resort charges approximately £865 per night for its most exclusive three-bedroom Bay View Pool Residence villas, which include private plunge pools and extensive gardens.
This isn't Lady Mary's first encounter with neighborhood disputes. Last year, she made headlines for painting her north London terraced house a vivid hot pink, angering neighbors who described it as "a complete and utter eyesore" and "the talk of the street." Despite complaints to the council, no laws were found to be broken by the unconventional color choice.
Lady Mary, who has modeled for prestigious brands including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Nike, is married to Robbie Furze, lead singer of The Big Pink. She now advises fellow travelers: "From now on, if ever I stay anywhere - I highly recommend you do this too - wherever you're staying, whether it's an Airbnb, a hotel, a house, whatever, just ask: is there a building site anywhere nearby?"
The Daily Mail has approached Ahu Bay for comment regarding the undisclosed construction and guest complaints.
