A family said they were left horrified by a stay in what they claim is the 'worst hotel ever ' with 'mouldy tea bags and no electricity, they say.
The family, who have asked not to be named, were visiting Manchester at the end of September as their daughter was starting university.
They travelled from London and stayed at the Victoria Park Hotel in Rusholme paying £130 for two rooms for one night via booking.com, reports the Manchester Evening News.
"It wasn't the most expensive place, so I wasn't expecting luxury," the mum said.
"I've travelled quite a lot and used booking.com for years.
"I wasn't expecting anything big, that wasn't the point of the journey."
"But we were quite shocked.
"It was the worst place I've ever stayed, I've never seen anything like it."
When checking-in, the mum says a member of staff told them there was a problem with the keys and they wouldn't be allowed to keep one for their room.
Instead, another member of staff, who didn't speak any English, used the same key to open both rooms.
When the family returned, they were once again escorted to their rooms from reception and told they couldn't keep a key.
The mum eventually insisted on keeping one key between them that would open both doors but said she found the scenario 'very unnerving'.
When the family returned, they were once again escorted to their rooms from reception and told they couldn't keep a key.
The mum eventually insisted on keeping one key between them that would open both doors but said she found the scenario 'very unnerving'.
"Never mind the décor of random pieces of tiles violently pushed together, clearly against their will.
"The floor stuck to our shoe.
"The overwhelming stench of mould was permeating every pore of our skin."
Once her daughter was asleep the mum went to make a cup of tea but found the kettle wasn't working.
After trying all the plug sockets in the room she realised the lamps weren't working either.
"At that point it hit me there was no electricity," she said.
"I was trapped in a filthy, stinky room with no phone and no electricity and windows that didn’t lock.
"I wasn't about to leave my daughter unattended in this place where one key opens multiple rooms, and go seek help at the reception."
The mum says the ventilation problem in the room was so bad even the teabags were mouldy.
"My daughter was asthmatic as a child, thankfully she grew out of it but that was the first night she has coughed like that since she was three or four years old," she said.
"I found it difficult to breathe.
"I don't know whether it was the anxiety as well."
Victoria Park Hotel did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by the Manchester Evening News.
A member of staff who answered the phone asked us to send an email which did not receive a reply.
Booking.com initially apologised for the mum's experience and offered her £26 in travel credit.
After the M.E.N. contacted booking.com for comment the offer was upped to the full £130.
"The health and safety of our customers is a key priority for us at Booking.com, as well as listing accommodation that meets the expectations of travellers, which clearly did not happen in this instance," a spokesperson said.
"We have been in touch with the customer, offered a full refund and any other costs relating to the relocation and will be contacting the accommodation owner to address how they prepare their property for visitors to ensure all future guests have a good experience.”
