Cockcroaches, flys and maggots, free (Hoseasons)

Member Name: Scooobydooo

Product:	Hoseasons
Date:	14/03/04 (2830 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: maggots, flys, thieves

With the holiday season fast approaching it took me back a few years ago when we decided that we would love to go on a chalet holiday in Fort Augustus, Scotland which was really not far away from Loch Ness which is a place we visit time and time again as we love it.

So there I was ready to book with Hoseasons and it stated that the Fort Augustus Chalet Park was a thriving holiday park and clean and mainted to a high standard. I ummed and ahhed a bit but the girl said if we do not book it quick, we could loose the place as the park was getting full even though it was only the start of the season.

It was supposed to be an idealyic holiday set amongst the forest with a stream at the side and on the other side of the park was the Caledonian Canal. This would be ideal for us as we could take our two dogs that we only had at the time and there were free child places. One of our friends who were strapped for cash and could not afford the holidays that year, so we offered to take them with us.

The whole holiday cost us around £300 for one week as you pay per chalet. We were so excited when we all started to set off, two dogs, two kids and two adults. It was a long journey this time and traffic was an absoloute nightmare getting up there. By now it was getting rather late and eventually we pulled up at the chalet park.

Phew, all we wanted to do was to find a chippie and then head for bed. The only problem was, was that it was pitch black and there did not seem to be enough life around there. There definatley was no people to say welcome or hand us the keys to the chalets. We were really annoyed. In fact the chalet parks street lighting had not been turned on and we were frightened to try peoples chalets incase we disturbed anyone.

We eventually found a number from our book and was told we would have to go to its
sister park 20 miles away to pick up the keys. This was not amusing as the kids were not getting ratty teds an
d the dogs were panting and we were shattered. We voiced our concerns there and they really did not care. We eventually got back to the chalet park and thought oh well things must seem much better in the morning.

We got into the chalet and lo and behold, no lights would come on. then we realised it was metered so we popped some coins in and it come on. In fact I wish it really had not it was gross. The carpets were all ripped or holes in them. The beds were broke and also the bedding had looked as though it had been used for 20 years and not washed. Luckily we had brought our duvets up for the dogs which were spotless so we used them instead.

After awaking at 6am to sound of building work, we were not amused. Apparently the Caledonian Canal was under construction and although Hoseasons knew about it they failed to tell us this. This went on from the crack of dawn till night time. We complained about the night lights and it was scary when they did not work but all the time we were there they were not working.

So we made the best of it and went up to Loch Ness and Skye and all sorts of places, but we had to return to the Chalet Park from hell. Then we went to use the cookers and the rings were broken and dangerous, we opened up the drawer and it fell apart and then we thought we will get it sorted and then put the food in another one. We opened the door up and cockroaches came out ewwwwwwww. This really got on my wick. We rang the sister park up again and they offered us one of their chalets but it was too far away for us. We wanted to be in this area not another 40 miles away round trip every day.

The electric meter cost us around 50p for 10 mins of electric and money was just swallowed up and on site there w
as two caravans where the reps stay. But suprise suprise, we had none. The nights were bitter, so we went to the caravans to see if they had any spare duvets. What a shock, I have never ever seen anything like it in al
l my life. It was like out of a horror film. All over the caravan was maggots and dead flies. There were no duvets as everything was covered in it and we left it. We again told the sister park who sent down a workman to fit everything and he really just left us the glue for us to do.

I showed him the caravan and he blamed one of the reps who liked fishing and had a spat with the chalet park and left a box of fishing maggots in there which grew into flys and they died as there was no way they could get out. The gentle stream was like a rapids at the back and very dangerous if you had pets or dogs. We decided we would only use this as a base and would come back only to sleep. We would eat out which was really expensive. We had to buy torches as there were no lights on the park.

Oh by the way, when we woke up the first morning.... we were the only ones on the park, so much for been packed. Another couple arrived about two days into the holdiay and they had problems with cockroaches and they flipped and they moved up to the other park. They were disgusted. So again we were the only ones left.

Well we decided we could take it no more and informed the sister park, we were escaping the holiday park from hell. We set off home two days early. Kids in the back, dogs in cages in the boot and our luggage in a small car.

We complained but got no where with Hoseasons so we cancelled the winter holiday we had booked with them as well.

Oh what I forgot to tell you all about was at the back of the chalets was the sister parks shooting range which is where the handyman was always hanging around and he was always hanging around
the park, but not doing anything.

There was supposed to be a lot of activities at the sister park which had not been opened so this holiday was a total waste of money. We would have been better going tot he camp site on the banks of Loch Ness where it was run by a friendly family.

So we
arrived home and thought thank god for that. Then a couple of days later we got a phone call from Fort Augustus Police Station wanting to ask us some questions. Apparently the cookers and some things had disappeared out of the carvans on the chalet park and did I ever go in the caravans. I told them yes to get more duvets and told them all about the flys and maggots and we felt as though they were accusing us. We told them even when the DIY bloke came on the site he went in there. Apparently he had denied ever been down there but we were lucky as we had complained and they told him to go and fix it and he was always hanging around.

A few days later, I was absolutely fuming and rang the sister park and apparently the DIY had been found out. No call to us to say sorry, i mean how the hell could you fit a cooker and fridge in a little citreon car, we just about got us all in and the luggage.

I know that funnily enough Hoseasons have now dropped this holiday park but its sister park is still there.

It was the worse place I have ever stayed in and yet Hoseasons did not give a damn, after all us mugs had paid over £300 for 5 days!

I will not touch Hoseasons any more as they did not help us one bit. There was no back up for us and it was dirty. It is a shame as the park could have been really nice. But this is one place that I will not go back to.

Karen :O)

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