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A mum says her holiday turned into a nightmare after the pool at the villa she booked was six degrees below what was promised.
Gulnara Adomene, from Romford, booked a holiday at beachfront villa Casa Dak at Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, with her friend Luda and both their children. You can see footage of the villa here:
The 40-year-old said she spent months planning the seven-day break, but was left gutted when they arrived at the villa to find the temperature of the pool was 24 degrees - six degrees lower than than 30 degrees promised by the owner - and the bathroom in a state of disrepair.
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Gulnara said: “We got there around nine o'clock at night and he was there.
"He showed me the property and the pool. I reached into the pool and felt it was a little cold.
"I asked him 'How many degrees is this?' and he said it was 26 or 25, but that in the day it'd reach 30 to 32. I trusted him thinking it was cold due to it being the evening.
"The next day I woke up and there were a few issues inside the house.
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"There was cracked glass, a broken shower head, and a mouldy washing machine, but the main thing was the heated pool."
The mum continued: "We tried to get in the pool in the morning. I opened the cover and my nine-year-old daughter jumped in but only stayed in for ten minutes. She came out shivering.
"The other kids tried but couldn't go in. For me and my friend it was too cold. I tried with my hand but there was no way I could go in that pool, it was freezing.
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"It was important for the kids, especially as it wasn't the summer months. The sea was cold. My kids like warm water so it's important for them.
"I contacted the owner. He said there were problems and that something was broken, but that he'd sort the problem the next day."
But Gulnara claims it took ‘several days’ for someone to come out to fix the pool and, concerned that it would take days to warm up, they checked out and booked into a new hotel for an additional £680.
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"We were looking forward to relaxing, having fun, and feeling safe,” she said. “Even when we changed the hotel, the kids were fine but I was stressed out.
"I feel sad and frustrated. I'm scared now to rent a villa again.
"I've never had this experience in my life. I'm really upset and frustrated about this situation.
"It's been a nightmare."
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Fabrizio Rossi, owner of Casa Dak villa, disputed Gulnara's version of events and shared footage that appeared to show how the pool was 30 degrees when the cover had been on correctly.
While Gulnara's photos showed the toilet and bathroom in a 'dirty' condition, his photos show it clean.
Fabrizio said: "I'm sorry for the problem but unfortunately it was she herself who created problems. I found the shower broken [along with] other things.
“The temperature of the pool is 30 degrees. The swimming pool must be closed at night and not opened since the temperature is 18 degrees outside at night.
"[As it is] an outside pool, if she had not put the cover on at night it is normal that it does not reach the right temperature. If it [the cover is kept closed] it keeps it much better.
"I [also] sent the maintenance guy for two consecutive days with a written registration for intervention.
"The customers [who stayed after them] have put a very different review.
"It seems to me not very honest and sincere [and she was] sending me like 80 messages in three days."
A Booking.com spokesperson said: "We take any complaint seriously and are currently looking into the details raised."
Topics: Travel
Claire Reid