Husband-to-be “bucket list” TUI trip turns into holiday from hell

A HUSBAND-TO-BE has been left in dismay after his “bucket list” TUI trip – booked after a devastating cancer diagnosis – turned into a holiday from hell.

Adam Debeers had booked the £3,200 two week holiday to Thailand alongside fiancée Grace Cwalinska, with the couple jetting off last month in the hopes of making memories.

However, the 50-year-old says the holiday of a lifetime quickly turned into a nightmare upon the realisation that their resort in the Khao Lak district was essentially a construction site.

Poor conditions on the flight, a “mould-filled room” and no hot water were just some of the things that Adam claims ruined what could be their “last holiday together”.

Adam from Warrington, Cheshire, booked the holiday in-store at his local TUI branch after he was sadly diagnosed with cancer, coining the trip as a bucket list holiday ahead of his 50th birthday.

Despite being pencilled in to stay at a gorgeous bungalow at the Bandari Resort, distribution centre worker Adam claims things started going wrong in the airport as the flight was delayed by four hours.

This was followed by what Adam called “inedible” pasta served onboard and a broken air conditioner which dripped ice water on the pair for the duration of the 14 hour flight.

He claims that the cabin crew forgot to load blankets onto the plane which left passengers freezing.

He also says that other passengers were plied with alcohol to make up for the lack of food, which led to several incidents onboard.

Adam and his fiancée claim they were given an evening meal of a chocolate brownie and awoke to a breakfast of a fairy cake.

As their flight was delayed the couple missed dinner on their first night in Khao Lak but decided to check out the gorgeous bungalow they had booked with TUI.

When the couple arrived at their bungalow though, they were greeted by a “mould-filled room” and were left fuming as they soon realised they had no hot water and no WiFi.

The pair immediately contacted a TUI representative who they claim only arrived the day before they were due to leave, with a bowl of rotting fruit and an offer of a free massage.

Images show the luxury beach that Adam and Grace stayed at covered in rubbish as well as work being carried out by a digger.

The resort appears to be unfinished and the couple were left to see out a holiday from hell rather than the dream holiday that Adam had hoped for after his diagnosis.

Adam alleges that all of the rooms at the hotel were great and says he wishes that he had booked direct with the resort.

Speaking today, Adam said: “I had just been told I had cancer so we booked the holiday as it was my 50th birthday on December 20th.

“It could well be the last holiday we go on together, it sounds a bit sad but it was on my bucket list to go to Thailand and I was sold a dream deluxe holiday.

“We have just arrived back from two weeks in Khao Lak in Thailand and it was the holiday from hell, thanks to TUI at a cost of over £3,000.

“It was my 50th birthday and I had been diagnosed with cancer so I wanted a trip of a lifetime for my partner and I while I can.

“I went into the shop in Warrington and bought this holiday which seemed perfect, we were so looking forward to it, we even paid extra for a bungalow with WiFi at extra cost.

“On the way out the flight was delayed by four hours with no explanation, when we were onboard the dirty aircraft we got some cold pasta and sauce [which was] inedible.

“The air conditioning was broken and dripped ice water on us for 14 hours and they forgot to load blankets so we were freezing.

“They [cabin crew] plied passengers with alcohol and not food to keep them happy, resulting in three separate instances with drunk people.

“It was supposed to be a Dreamliner we were flying on, more like a nightmare.

“We had paid for a bungalow but were given a dirty room with mould and no garden terrace, we were told the door to the terrace had to be closed as it can’t be used when it’s overgrown.

“We had no hot water or WiFi and no air conditioning – the idyllic beach within 200 metres turned out to be a rubbish dump and the bed linen was dirty and musty.

“We contacted TUI but they did nothing besides arriving with a bowl of rotten fruit and an offer of a massage.

“TUI took my money and may have spoiled the last holiday that I may have.

“The bungalow stunk of mould and had issues with damp whereas the hotel looked great and the staff were fantastic.

“If I had booked direct I could have got what I paid TUI for.”

Speaking today, a spokesperson for TUI said: “We are so sorry to hear about the experience of Mr Debeers and Ms Cwalinska, as we do our best to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience.

“Our teams were in touch with the couple during their stay and have been in communication since their return to offer compensation, which they have declined.

“We’d like to again apologise for their experience, as we recognise it didn’t meet the standard we expect.

“We thank them for bringing this to our attention, and we are addressing it directly with the hotel.”