A retired couple say they had to forgo a three-week £2,700 five-star beach resort holiday because their room stunk of sewage and the pool bar constantly blared techno music.
Clive Murray, 65, and his wife Rosie, 52, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, booked the all-inclusive Riu Touareg Hotel on Cape Verde’s Boa Vista island in April through Tui.
It was supposed to be a ‘relaxing holiday’ as the couple moved house, but they said it felt like being in Benidorm or Kavos.
After two weeks of trekking for almost an hour to escape the ‘noise’ of techno music from the hotel pool bar, the couple threw in the towel and booked an Airbnb in Sal Rei, despite paying for five more nights.
In all, Clive and Rosie say they spent more than £3,000 on holiday and, despite complaining to a Tui representative at the hotel, have not been contacted by the company for a refund or compensation.
Clive, who is currently busy renovating his new home in Cumbria, said he would not book with the company again.
“We wanted a relaxing three weeks away because, with the house move and everything, the whole year has been really stressful,” he said. We just want to relax…if only.
‘Almost every day, we would walk 50 minutes to the beach to escape.
‘So we’ll make sandwiches in the morning at breakfast – remember this includes everything – and sit on the beach far away from the hotel, so we don’t have to listen to this constant noise. And you can still hear it.
‘I know some people will call me an old grouch, but there are many old people there and yet the hotel has adopted the model of Benidorm or Kavos with really loud techno music.’
It’s not all bad according to the couple who said the food is excellent and the hotel staff is always very polite and friendly.
The retired couple went on holiday in early April after selling their home in Cheshire and turned to Airbnb while they waited to exchange on their new property.
Having been to Cape Verde before, in 2019, Clive and Rosie wanted to book the same hotel, but could not remember the exact name.
Instead of the Hotel Riu Karamboa, Clive ‘made a mistake’ and booked the Hotel Riu Touareg, which is about 15 miles away, on the south coast of Boa Vista, which costs £2,700.
At first glance, this appears to be a blessing in disguise.
The five-star all-inclusive hotel, which advertises a range of facilities, including three saltwater swimming pools, a jacuzzi and a Turkish bath, claims on its website to offer an ‘unforgettable experience’ and promises to make guests’ stays ‘as relaxing as possible. can’.
‘It looks like five stars on the surface,’ he said.
But from the moment they arrived at the hotel, which has more than 1,100 rooms, alarm bells started ringing.
Upon opening the door to their luxury suite, a five-minute walk from the lobby, the couple said they were greeted by the stench of sewage.
“I immediately thought, there was a smell of garbage inside the room, maybe it had not been used for a long time because it was so far away,” said Clive.
‘So we opened the door and walked out on the balcony and literally, white plastic furniture, I’ve seen better in skips.’
After six hours of the plane ‘crammed’, they were looking forward to a warm shower but Clive said the shower head was broken, so he used an elastic band to hold it in place.
Then, when he flushed the toilet, the button fell off the wall and he realized where the foul smell was coming from, he added.
“We were on the top floor and the smell was definitely rising,” he said.
‘The smell was coming out of the hole … and obviously each bathroom was on top of the other.
‘Finally, it’s just well designed. This should not be advertised as five star.’
They complained to the Tui reps and told them that their grievances would be reported, but they said nothing was done to remedy the situation and when Clive brought it up with the reception a few days later, it was the first time they heard about it.
But the room is not Clive and Rosie’s biggest concern, they are planning to spend most of their time outdoors.
Shortly after reaching the allocated sunbeds, the hotel bar started playing loud techno music and shouting bingo numbers.
“It started at about 12 o’clock,” he said. ‘It’s almost like they’re trying to imitate Ibiza.
‘Some people like that kind of holiday and that’s good for them, I don’t judge.
‘But I went there for a quiet, peaceful, five-star holiday, I didn’t go to imitate Benidorm or Ibiza.’
To escape the booming beats, the couple take daily walks along the beach and into the surrounding ‘desert’.
Since returning to the UK, the couple have completed a new home in Maryport, Cumbria, which they are currently renovating.
TUI UK and RIU Hotels & Resorts have been contacted for comment.
Contact the news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.
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