Cancer patient leaves ‘hell hole’ hotel over ‘pee and blood’ stained mattress

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A bloke with terminal cancer who forked out hundreds for a Blackpool hotel after a bumper 10-hour chemo session said he "broke down in tears" when he saw the state of the room.

Jeffrey Percival, 56, from Middlesbrough, decided to go to the famous seaside town to convalesce after the rigorous treatment at a hospital near his home.

He and his long-time partner Angela Norton went onto Booking.com and chose the Mellory hotel, just 900 yards from Blackpool Central Beach, and were looking forward to five days of relaxation.

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However, Jeffrey claimed that the unsanitary and shabby "hell hole" room left him in tears, and left them with no choice but to fork out over £275 on a room at a different hotel.

Speaking from the place he escaped to, he told the Daily Star: "It’s not the Ritz but it’s clean and tidy and it’s not advertised as something it wasn’t."

They had paid over £240 for the first property for a five-day stay and left after minutes. It was described in an online listing as 'deluxe' and with a sea view.

Jeffrey, who said he is surviving only through chemo, said: "At the moment chemo is getting quite hard, it’s a 10-hour session. It’s getting so stressful so we wanted to just get away for a while."

Jeffrey, who has a urostomy and colostomy bag so he can pass urine and faeces, said he is especially susceptible to germs so claims the room was a health hazard.

He said: "There was blood and pee all over it and their attitude was 'put a mattress topper on then that won't matter'.

"The room was not fit for purpose. The curtains were hanging off, the cupboards didn't shut, the plug socket was inside a cupboard, the bathroom didn't even have a sink.

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"It was on the other side of the room with a crack in it. The windows were full of bird poo, and even outside the room was filthy.

"It was nothing compared to what we expected. Even if you’re not sick, you shouldn’t be expected to stay somewhere like that."

An emotional Jeffrey explained that after 15 minutes he contacted the management and told them he didn't want to cause trouble and he'd be content if he left and they waived the cost.

"They didn't want to know, they got the money and they weren't bothered," he said.

Jeffrey said that the management even tried to claim that he and his partner caused the damage.

And a spokesperson for the hotel doubled down on these claims, saying that they have reported Jeffrey and his partner to Booking.com.

The spokesperson said: "First of all, this is a hotel, not a hospital. We are ashamed to say that you have stained the mattress with your urine bag."

The representative added that staff happily changed bed linen for the couple after it was soiled.

While Jeffrey said he has not been refunded, hotel management said that they waived the fee for all of the nights except the first one.

Jeffrey said he is "upset" that the hotel is blaming him, adding: "How or why would we want to [damage the room] when all we wanted was what we expected from the photo?"

On Tripadvisor other customers had complained about problems with the hotel, which is rated 2.5 out of a possible 5 after 52 reviews on the site.

One woman called the hotel "disgusting", complaining of dirty bed linen and adding: "My dog caught mites and tiks and I didn’t even stay one night of the two nights I’d paid for."

Another recent review warned 'do not stay'. Karen B, from Sheffield, added that she doubted the cleanliness of the room with its "disgusting mirror, filthy chips under bed, false nails on floor. Long dark hair on rug".

However, some people enjoyed their stay. Shaun T stayed as part of a stag trip and described the staff as friendly. He added: "Would definitely recommend, will be going back next year thanks guys."

Stephen B wrote in August 2021: "This Hotel is 10 out of 10. Can't fault my stay."

Booking.com has been contacted for comment.

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