Tourist says ‘smelly, mouldy’ hotel in UK seaside town is ‘worst place he’s ever stayed’! B
Jason Smith, from Canada, stayed at the OYO Sherwood Palm Hotel in Torquay and said the experience was “horrific”.
A tourist has recounted his traumatic experience at what he described as Torquay’s “worst hotel”. Canadian visitor Jason Smith hated his four-night stay at the OYO Sherwood Palm Hotel so much he said it was the low point of his tour around the UK.
Smith’s distressing stay by the English Riviera saw him endure a litany of horrors at the hotel on Belgrave Road. Confronted with a pervading “smell of mould” and the shocking sight of “blood on the sheets” he described his visit as “horrific”.
Amongst the appalling discoveries listed by Smith were hostile hotel staff, a congested shower and “garbage” strewn across the floor.
His photographic evidence displays furniture bizarrely blockading a door, a chaotic lounge featuring a tainted food prep zone, discarded laundry littering the floorspace, slug repellent greeting guests at the entrance, and an immense spider lurking ominously on the bedding.
OYO, the global company behind this beleaguered establishment, is not blind to such dismal reviews.
Confirming they are in touch with the ageing owners, OYO warns it’s prepared to “sever the relationship fully” unless significant improvements are witnessed shortly, reports Devon Live.
World traveller Jason, who has explored every US state and countries like Nepal and Costa Rica, was appalled by his experience in a Torquay hotel, stating: “I have never had a problem like this with accommodations until I stayed in Torquay at this hotel.”
His scathing online review warned others: “Don’t stay here – and I can’t say this enough. This place is not even fit for a human to stay in.”
His isn’t the sole voice of dissent; the Sherwood Palm hotel is garnering infamously negative feedback across Google and Booking.com, with scores of just 2.4 and 4.3.
It languishes at the bottom of TripAdvisor’s rankings for Torquay hotels, occupying the 77th spot from 240 reviews and accumulating a staggering 121 ‘terrible’ ratings.
Speaking to DevonLive, Jason expressed his dismay: “I am a visitor to your country and decided to visit Torquay based on recommendations. My stay at the Sherwood Palms Hotel was horrific and the worst I’ve ever been in.”
He outlined a litany of horrid conditions: “The staff was rude, fire exits blocked by furniture, room doors that are broken, garbage everywhere in the hotel, the lounge is a health and fire hazard, blood stains on bed sheets, spiders in room, chemicals not stored properly and accessible. Lastly, the hotel smells like mould.”
Jason recounted his dismal stay at the hotel, stretching from 7 to 11 September, for which he shelled out £152.35. “No one was available to speak to,” he lamented.
“The front desk was empty and the staff were in the lounge talking on their cell phone showing no interest in the guest.”
He also detailed his frustrating interaction with the hotel employees when a shower malfunction arose, pointing out that they refused to change his room despite the request. His barrage of grievances includes a range of issues: absent WiFi, a solitary toilet roll, a window view marred by trash, a battered door, the lack of a room telephone and air conditioning, missing fan, walls marred by cracks and some even crumbling.
Yet Jason’s negative feedback pales in comparison to other scathing online reviews of the hotel. Complaints ranged from an overpowering stench of urine to finding vomit in the drawers.
One reviewer commented on the “the hallways smells funky,” smell in the hallways; another left hastily after surveying the decrepit room conditions.
Other succinct reviews were just as damning with single-word summations such as “Spooky”, “Disgusting”, and a blunt “S***”.
Contrastingly, travel website descriptions of the Sherwood Palm speak of a three-star establishment complete with many amenities Jason noted missing, praising its premier location near Torre Abbey Beach.
A few guests left more encouraging feedback, using words like “Pleasant”, “Phenomenal” and “Ok, be back again before Xmas.”
Some opted for pragmatism: “What do you want from a room? ” while others advised, For £39.00, for one night sleep, you cant complain. .
In response to Jason’s review, the hotel posted online: “Dear, Jason! Sorry for the trouble that has caused. We would like to thank you for sharing such valuable reviews. Definitely we can work on it to make sure that your next stay turns out to be awesome. Regards, Kenneth!”
An OYO spokesperson commented: “The hotel is being operated by a really elderly couple. Given the bad guest reviews, we have been counselling them to focus on both physical and service improvements.
“We had already removed the OYO branding from all booking platforms so consumers don’t assume a certain quality level associated (with) the brand. We are being patient since this is the livelihood for aged owners.
“But we are monitoring closely and will sever the relationship fully if things don’t improve soon. We do hope for the owners sake that they are able to turn the quality around.”
