Holidaymakers left furious after turning up to £10,000 Airbnb penthouse apartment to find it doesn’t exist
30 September 2019, 15:18
Ian and Denise Feltham turned up to a Spanish resort in Ibiza to find the accommodation they had booked didn't exist.
When Ian and Denise Feltham booked a luxury £10,000 penthouse apartment in Ibiza via Airbnb they were promised a hot tub, Turkish bath and a private lift to their VIP room.
What they found when they arrived a the Spanish resort was threw their holiday into chaos.
Ian and Denise booked their stay through Airbnb, and the apartment was listed by Lux Travel Collective – the accommodation had 37 reviews and a five-star rating on the site.
It also advertised itself as a dog-friendly apartment, which meant Ian and Denise bought their two dogs – Ross and Honey – on the trip with them.
The couple started to become unsure about their Ibiza accommodation after they received no details about their arrival to the resort the week before their trip.
After they attempted to contact Lux Travel Collective, the couple asked a friend in the Ibiza area to go to the location and ask about the penthouse.
Their friend was told their was no booking details, however, Ian and Denise claim Airbnb told them they would not receive a refund unless they turned up at the accommodation and were not given a room.
With this, the couple flew out to Ibiza with their dogs, only to be told by the receptionist: “There isn’t such a thing as the VIP Penthouse in Las Boas.”
The couple told The Times: “A gentleman who lived in the building said they get tourists turning up all the time and that it’s a very big problem.”
After being turned away, the couple had to find other dog-friendly accommodation, which in the end was located 40 miles away, this cost them an extra £200 a night.
The couple said: “What checks did Airbnb even do? I now realise the photos on the site could’ve been from any one of 30 apartments in the building.”
According to The Times, the apartment was still listed on Airbnb’s website until they got in contact about their story, which was when it was taken down.
Airbnb said in a statement: “Our handling of this issue fell below our usual high standards and we have reached out to the guest to apologise and refund them in full.
“We have suspended the listing while we investigate and are continuing to work with the guest to make things right.”
