A Scottish football fan’s much-anticipated trip to the Euros turned into a nightmare after a €2,000 holiday booked through Booking.com left him with beds made out of cardboard and accommodations in an abandoned medical facility.
Rory Bradley, a 28-year-old Glaswegian, traveled to Germany with three friends to support Scotland, only to encounter shocking and unsafe living conditions that overshadowed their trip.
The Initial Booking: Expectations Shattered
Rory Bradley and his friends had high hopes for their trip to Germany, having saved up since Scotland qualified for the Euros.
Their journey started positively with a pleasant stay at their first accommodation. However, upon arriving in Düren, their experience took a drastic turn.
The property they booked was in a deplorable state, with beds made from cardboard and held together by duct tape, and a broken, filthy sofa bed.
A Desperate Search for Alternatives
Faced with these appalling conditions, the group spent three hours on the phone with Booking.com.
Eventually, an agent arranged alternative accommodation for them, but it was located across the city, forcing them to walk there in the middle of the night.
Upon arrival, they found themselves in what can only be described as a scene from a horror film: an abandoned medical facility filled with hospital beds, industrial equipment, and dangerous tools.
Discovering the ‘Dungeon’
Videos shared by Rory depict a terrifying environment with exposed chemicals, industrial equipment, and an axe lying around.
The main room featured a makeshift kitchen and three single beds crammed together, with bare concrete ceilings and exposed cables.
The front door couldn’t lock, leaving the group feeling extremely unsafe. Rory and his friends were horrified, describing the place as something out of a human trafficking horror film.
Booking.com’s Response: Adding Insult to Injury
The group immediately contacted Booking.com again, only to receive unsatisfactory responses.
They were told that it was not company policy to source replacement accommodation and that they would need to find new lodging themselves and then seek reimbursement up to €900.
This solution was impractical, given the skyrocketing accommodation prices and the group’s limited financial resources.
Financial and Emotional Toll
Rory and his friends, who had already spent €2,000 on the trip, excluding flights and spending money, had to pay an additional €1,000 for new accommodations.
They managed to find a hostel but had to share a single room, doubling their original costs.
Booking.com staff suggested contacting family and friends for financial assistance, adding to the group’s frustration and emotional distress.
Social Media Outcry
Taking to social media, Rory expressed his frustration and disappointment. He recounted the entire ordeal, from the initial discovery of the appalling conditions to the inadequate support from Booking.com.
His posts highlighted the extreme discomfort and danger they faced, drawing attention to the need for better customer service and safety protocols in accommodation bookings.
Reflection on Safety and Accountability
Rory’s experience underscores significant issues within the accommodation booking industry, particularly regarding safety and customer support.
The mismanagement and lack of adequate responses from Booking.com not only ruined a highly anticipated trip but also placed the travelers in potentially dangerous situations.
It raises questions about the accountability of booking platforms and the measures they have in place to ensure customer safety.
Conclusion: A Call for Improved Practices
As Rory and his friends continue their trip under challenging circumstances, their story serves as a cautionary tale. It calls for improved practices in the accommodation booking industry to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Travelers should be assured that their accommodations are safe, clean, and as advertised, and companies like Booking.com must enhance their customer support and emergency response protocols to handle such situations effectively.
Rory’s ordeal highlights the need for stringent safety checks and better accountability to protect travelers from such nightmarish experiences.