Gemma Banks, 39, said she and her family had the 'worst' holiday ever after booking the Grand Bahama Beach Hotel in Konakli, Alanya, Turkey, through LastMinute.com. She claimed the hotel, advertised as three stars, was 'more like a hostel', with unclean rooms and food that caused food poisoning.
Complaint dismissed
Banks raised a complaint with LastMinute, but emails seen by the Manchester Evening News show the travel website closed the case, advising her to contact hotel management, stating the hotel was responsible for the health of its guests. The email read: 'We offer a wide range of options and categories to suit all budgets and we provide users with reviews and ratings from other customers. The customer is always free to choose the product that best suits their preferences and needs before confirming their booking.'
Banks paid £1,562 for an all-inclusive two-week break starting July 11. She said: 'It was advertised as being three stars but it was more like a hostel.' She reported mould around the pool, gaps in tiles, flies near food, warm drinks, and cats in the kitchen, which made her family ill.
Family left distressed
Due to the food issues, the family had to eat elsewhere at extra cost, and the hotel 'repeatedly' ran out of soft drinks and alcohol. In an email to LastMinute on July 15, Banks wrote: 'We have 10 nights left and have very little money left and worried how we will eat and drink for the remainder of the holiday. We are having the worst holiday ever and this can’t continue my children are crying daily we are all tired hungry and very upset with this situation and would like it to be addressed asap.'
She said: 'LastMinute just told us to talk to the hotel staff, I didn’t get any help from them, we asked to be removed and they said nothing. They then said that they were closing the case. They left us in a dire state. We spent the whole holiday crying, it was horrific. There has been no explanation and no apology.'
Case closed
On July 19, a customer service representative told Banks they were 'truly sorry to hear' the family were unwell, but clarified that hygiene, buffet condition, food quality, and guest health were the 'sole, direct and exclusive responsibility of the accommodation provider'. The representative urged her to see a doctor, lodge a formal complaint, and gather evidence, adding: 'As the establishment itself is legally obliged to be responsible for the health of its guests, you should address any request for compensation or complaint directly to the hotel management. For our part, having clarified this point, we are now closing this case in our system. We wish the whole family a speedy recovery.'
Hotel listing removed
The hotel listing has since been removed from LastMinute's website, though an archived version from August 2025 rated it 'good' with three stars and a 7.6 rating. It averages 1.9 stars on TripAdvisor and 3.4 on Google Reviews. Banks claimed: 'It was said to be an all inclusive with cold drinks and a sandy beach. You had to cross a main road to get to it and it was rock beach. We feel completely abandoned by the company and believe consumers should be aware of how this situation has been handled. It is the first and last time I will book with them. How can they sell something and then have no responsibility for things that are so incorrectly advertised?'
A LastMinute spokesperson said: 'We are sorry to hear about the customer’s experience. We have been in contact with the customer and have escalated the matter with the accommodation provider. Our review is still ongoing, and we will continue to liaise with the relevant parties.' Grand Bahama Beach Hotel Alanya have not responded to requests for comment.
