Couple on £4,000 Mexico holiday forced to mop up 'soaking and stinking' hotel room

A couple who forked out £4,000 for a dream two-week getaway to ended up living a nightmare when they were handed the keys to a "soaking" room, only to be told later it should never have been allocated to them.

Andrew Atkinson, 61, an electrician from Middlesbrough, and his wife Jill, 57, had booked their all-inclusive stay at the Bahia Principe Grand Coba hotel on Mexico’s Caribbean coast via Hays Travel, expecting to enjoy the five-star luxury promised on TUI's website. But upon their arrival on June 10, they were greeted by a "Junior Suite Superior" drenched in water.

Andrew recounted how he dashed to the reception to report the flood but was met with a dismissive "we haven’t got anything else for you". The couple endured two miserable nights in the damp conditions before being moved, despite Andrew's repeated complaints.

Jill, battling COPD – a lung condition that hinders breathing – suffered ill health for the remainder of their trip. Even Andrew's attempts to mop up the relentless water - seemingly seeping from the room's dehumidifier - were in vain as the flood returned by morning.

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"They gave us a room that was absolutely soaking wet and stinking – you wouldn’t put your dog in it," adding, "It was absolutely disgraceful how they treat people," Andrew said.

"The water wasn’t just in a little area – it was from one side of the room to the other."

On June 10, Andrew and Jill set off from Newcastle to Cancun, dreaming of a sun-drenched Caribbean escape. After a gruelling 15-hour journey, they arrived at the Bahia Principe Grand Coba hotel for their much-anticipated all-inclusive two-week stay.

"With the insurance it worked out to just over £4,000," Andrew recounted. But disaster struck as soon as they entered their suite; they were greeted by a flooded front room.

"You could put your hand in it," Andrew said, describing the extent of the flooding and the unmistakable smell of dampness that filled the air. The couple was particularly concerned as Jill suffers from COPD and the moisture could exacerbate her condition.

Without delay, Andrew approached the reception to request a room change. "I went to reception and said that 'room’s soaking mate and my wife’s not in the best of health see'," Andrew explained.

"But they said, well, we haven’t got anything else for you. They didn’t have any more rooms available."

To his dismay, Andrew noticed that the source of the problem seemed to be a dehumidifier, which not only caused noise throughout the night but also posed a danger with its electric cables lying in water. Left with no choice, Andrew took on the task of cleaning up the mess himself.

"But if you tried drying the room, when you got up in the morning, the water had just poured out again all over the floor."

There were other water-related issues with the room, including the bathtub which would not drain. On the second day, Andrew said he went back to reception and asked to change hotel. After speaking with the hotel’s guest relations team, Andrew said he was finally offered another room. "The new room was a lot better – it was clean, it was dry," he said.

Unfortunately the experience left Jill feeling unwell for several days afterwards. "My wife was ill for about 10 days of the holiday because she has COPD and they put us in a soaking-wet room. She wasn’t on holiday. She was ill, laying in bed and sweating."

The couple also had to wash their clothes as they "stunk of moisture". "It was like a musky horrible smell," said Andrew, who contacted TUI customer services to complain about what had happened.

Andrew recounted how he was initially informed that since his holiday was booked via Hays Travel, TUI couldn't offer assistance. However, he later turned down their offer of £325 in vouchers for compensation.

In a message from the hotel's guest relation team they apologised for the affair, saying "We at Bahia Principe Grand Coba are very sorry for the condition of your room 33009 as it should not of been issued because of the work was not complete and the room needed drying and cleaning...Guest relations Bahia principle coba Staff sorry my English not the best."

Despite the hurdles, Andrew and his partner managed to salvage some enjoyment from the latter part of their getaway, although they admitted the ordeal had put a dampener on their break. They've gone ahead and booked another TUI Mexican escape to Cancun for November 21 and are crossing their fingers for a dry room this time.

Andrew explained his decision to rebook: "We didn’t have a holiday so I decided to book another one. This one cost me another £4,500 – let’s see how this one goes. If it doesn’t go well, I wont go again. I’ll holiday in England."

Hays Travel expressed regret over Mr Atkinson's ordeal at Bahia Principe Grand Coba in Tulum, Mexico, noting: "We are sorry to hear about Mr Atkinson’s experience at the Bahia Principe Grand Coba in Tulum, Mexico. Hays Travel operates as an authorised agent on behalf of TUI, which means that generally any refunds or compensation related to quality issues are processed directly through them. We have been assisting Mr Atkinson with liaising with TUI throughout."

PA Real Life contacted TUI and the hotel for a response, but at the time of going to press, they had yet to receive a reply.