A couple got more than they bargained for when their romantic city break was ruined after claiming they found their room filthy and covered in blood and condom wrappers.
Luke Tait and his girlfriend thought they’d have a romantic trip away in Liverpool for Valentine’s Day, but the pair were left shocked at the state of their “luxury suite”.
Mr Tait claims there was blood covering the bed, condom wrappers littered across the floor and labelled the room a “disgrace”.
The 23-year-old says he rarely gets any time off work so wanted to make the most of some quality time away, the Liverpool Echo reports.
But after paying £250 for the room at Dream Apartments in Dale Street – which included parking, a security fee and late check out – he was left bitterly disappointed.
He said the trip was “anything but a dream” due to the filthy room.
Mr Tait, who is originally from West Derby but spends more time in London now because of work, said he and his girlfriend checked in at around 5 pm and went up to their room to get ready for a romantic meal.
But when they got inside the apartment they found a beer bottle next to a chair and a bin overflowing with rubbish.
The mess was even worse in the bedroom where Mr Tait found blood covering the bed and used condom wrappers littering the floor.
Mr Tait told the Echo: “It was disgusting in there – it was an absolute disgrace.
“There was blood covering the bed – and when I say covering, I mean covering.
“We were quite agitated at this point because we had to get ready for our meal and had been looking forward to this trip for weeks.
“I only get a couple of days off a month so anytime we have together we want to make it as special as possible.”
Mr Tait said the experience went from bad to worse when he went to the reception to speak to staff about the mess.
Mr Tait claimed the staff were “rude and disrespectful” – and said they would clean the room but the cleaner was working in another room and wouldn’t be free to deal with the problem until they were done.
He claims the staff didn’t offer any compensation for the mess.
He booked the luxury apartment as a late Valentine’s trip as he often finds himself working away for weeks on end.
Mr Tait said he “accepts mistakes do happen” – but “as disgusting as the room was, the attitude of the staff was worse.”
He admits he lost his temper and raised his voice when complaining about the room – and he was later asked to leave the hotel because of it.
Mr Tait said his special trip with his partner was ruined and they missed their dinner booking and had to pay to stay in another hotel.
Mr Tait told the Echo he has requested a refund from Dream Apartments but has only been offered a refund for his late check out and the option to stay in the apartments in the future for free.
Mr Tait said: “Why would I want to return to stay in an apartment where I’ve received that kind of service?
“With the amount of time off I get a month, every second I get with my girlfriend is precious.
“We were made to feel like we’d inconvenienced them by asking for the room to be cleaned.
“Our trip to Dream Apartments was anything but a dream.”
A spokesperson for Dream Apartments told the Echo: “After a thorough investigation, we have discovered that Mr Tait was accidentally checked into a room that had not been serviced by our housekeeping department following the departure that morning.
“A new member of the reception team who was still undergoing training, unfortunately, made the mistake which could have been quickly and easily resolved.
“However, Mr Tait’s behaviour turned aggressive including swearing at staff on-site, slamming doors and approaching other guests when he visited reception to report the error and he was asked to leave the premises because of this.
“The hospitality industry is facing an incredibly challenging time due to the effects of the global pandemic and staff shortages.”