Colin Newton and his wife Paula have vowed never to return to Butlin's after leaving the Skegness resort just 16 hours into their three-night break. The couple, both aged 63, paid £249 for the stay but say they were met with foul conditions.
Upon entering their accommodation after the 4pm check-in on Friday, June 26, they say they immediately smelled vomit. Mr Newton, a retired police officer, said they noticed dried vomit on the carpet, skirting board and wall.
Attempts to resolve the issues
Mr Newton tried calling the number on the key card for help but said no one answered. A staff member agreed to clean while the couple went for a meal, but when they returned the vomit was still there. After further unanswered calls, Mr Newton went to reception and a staff member cleaned the vomit. Mrs Newton then found thick lumps of chocolate on the curtains, and a staff member said someone could change them the next day.
Around 10.10pm, the couple discovered what they described as poor bedding in both the twin and double rooms. Mr Newton found his wife sobbing in the twin room with brown marks on the beds, which he suspected were faeces. The other twin bed had a torn quilt cover, and the double bed had sand and biscuit crumbs.
Blood on the bedding
Mr Newton said he lifted a pillow and saw blood on the bed, adding that his 32 years as a police officer meant he knew what blood looked like. Staff promised fresh bedding, but by 11.30pm no one had arrived. The couple considered sleeping on the sofa but found sticky haribos and crumbs between the cushions. They stripped the double bed but discovered a yellow mark on the duvet, so they slept on the bare mattress.
The next morning, they decided they could not bear to stay and checked out shortly after 8am, just 16 hours after arriving.
Refund and council complaint
After contacting customer services, Butlin's initially offered £41.50, then increased it to £83 as a goodwill gesture. Mr Newton rejected this, arguing the unsanitary conditions prevented them from enjoying any part of the break. On Wednesday, July 22, Butlin's agreed to a full refund.
A Butlin's spokesperson said: 'We're very sorry to hear about this guest's experience during their stay at our Skegness resort. This falls well below the standards we expect and is not the experience we want any guest to have. As an apology, the guest was offered a gesture of goodwill.'
The couple have lodged a formal complaint with East Lindsey District Council. A council spokesperson said: 'The Council has received a complaint and is investigating accordingly. The Council has a statutory duty to investigate complaints.'
