Crooked Retreat

I’m really disappointed with The crooked retreat and how they’ve treated us. I booked a short break as a treat for my 81 year old mum. After a few days they charged £108 to my card, which I didn’t mind. A couple of weeks later, tests confirmed she has liver cancer and needs an operation and chemotherapy, so I had to cancel. I explained what had happened and asked whether a refund might be possible. I’m a disabled single mum caring for my sick mum, and money is tight. I got a text saying the boss had been asked and refused. When I requested his number, I was told he lived abroad and they had no phone number for him, though they contacted him through Facebook. I sent a couple more texts and was ignored. A friend had recommended the place, saying the people who ran it were lovely, so their attitude has left me feeling disheartened. Maybe £108 is a trivial amount to a Blackpool hotel that has probably let the room again and been paid for it, but for me it’s nearly a month of travel expenses to visit my mum. This has made an already seriously ill old lady even more stressed. How can anyone treat her this way?

The rooms smelled damp, the bedding was vile, and the pillows had black marks. The sheets weren’t clean, and we came home with bite marks all over our bodies from bed bugs. The bathroom was so bad I wouldn’t bathe a dog there, and the toilets were awful too, with a seat that looked like it could give you an STD. The hotel needs to close for a proper refurb. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for the Channel 4 show 4 in a bed, they’d rip it to shreds. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

We’ve been coming to Blackpool with our family for 21 years and have never been treated so badly. We’re parent carers to four young children, two with learning difficulties. For half term and the illuminations, we booked a family room with B&B over the phone a month ahead, for two adults and three children aged from 3 months to 6 years. We arrived by coach with plenty of time, but the landlords weren’t welcoming or helpful. They didn’t tell us breakfast times or where the fire exits were, and there was no information in the room or on the door. My son was told off for playing a few notes on the organ in the bar lounge, which felt uncalled for. We’d been put on the top floor in Room 10, and when I politely asked for help with our suitcase, that was apparently too much trouble. The room was dirty, with signs of damp on the ceiling. Just as we were settling in, the landlady said we’d booked only two nights, not six, because they were overbooked. It was awkward, especially since they had our contact details and this was meant to be our family holiday. A third party eventually fixed that booking mistake. The next morning my partner asked what time breakfast was, but the landlords said it wasn’t included. I reminded the landlord who took our booking that breakfast was part of what we’d agreed and paid for. Our two hungry children were upstairs, but the response was hostile: they said breakfast wouldn’t be provided and bluntly told us to leave. I backed down and agreed to buy cereal for the children if they’d provide bowls, which they partly agreed to. When I took rubbish downstairs, the landlord changed his mind again and said we had to leave immediately, offering a refund. It was half term and most guesthouses would be full. They showed no concern about putting two children under two and a six year old out on the street. They blamed us holidaymakers for their mistakes and even accused us of trying to swindle them as we left quietly. That accusation went against our Christian values. In desperation, with three young children in tow, we finally found a rather nice guest house. IF YOU WANT A GOOD TIME, DON’T STAY WITH THIS GUESTHOUSE!

The location was good, but this was my only weekend off work and it was ruined. There was no tea or coffee in the room despite the website saying there would be, and although parking was advertised, I had to pay to park on the next street. There was no kitchen, so breakfast wasn’t available. The room was dirty and had a cracked sink. Looking out the window, I saw terrible rubbish and a surprise, nothing running around. The shower and toilet were down the hall, which I didn’t mind, but the shower burned my back and I couldn’t turn the temperature down. Next morning there was no toilet roll, and nobody around to ask, so I had to wait until I got to the arcade to use the loo. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and I wish I could’ve got my money back.