08 April 2023 , 17:55
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A furious holidaymaker fought back after her £18,000 dream getaway failed to deliver the stunning ocean vistas promised in the brochure.
Juliette Thomas, 58, went on a two-week British Airways break in the Caribbean with three of her four children.
But when she checked in to her bay-view room at the five-star Royalton Hotel in Antigua, the windows faced a dreary concrete block.
She said: “I take a two-week annual holiday and I always have a sea-view.
“When I pulled back the curtain to look out of the window, I was furious.
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Juliette Thomas shelled out £18,200 for a five-star break
The view from the Royalton Hotel in Antigua“You pay much more for an ocean view and it was never there to begin with. Just a block of white concrete.”
The celebrity interior designer, who has been on Dragons’ Den, also claimed there were brown stains on net curtains, no toilet rolls and piles of rubbish outside the hotel.
Ms Thomas launched a legal battle for a refund under mis-selling laws and now, two-and-a-half years on, she has recouped nearly all her money.
She got £8,000 from American Express under its credit card chargeback scheme and took BA to court.
Her luxury accommodation was not all it was cracked up to be in the glossy brochureBA paid a partial refund during legal action, leaving her £6,500 down.
Finally, Coventry county court awarded her £5,301 including costs – after deducting some cash because her son enjoyed going scuba diving.
Ms Thomas, of Stratford upon-Avon, Warks, said: “Had I known that was the view, I wouldn’t have gone there in a million years. Even now, the same bay view is advertised on the BA website. It’s mis-selling, plain and simple.”
There were stains on the curtains and no toilet rolls or soapBA apologised and said her experience was “rare”.
The firm said other bay view rooms at the hotel do have the views in images, adding: “We have ensured the issues have been taken on board by the hotel.”