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Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Furious Brit complains holiday was ruined by 'rude' Spanish people at hotel
A British holidaymaker has posted a scathing review of their Benidorm hotel, slamming the amount of "loud and rude" Spanish guests who were also staying there, and complaining that the entertainment wasn't in English After staying in an otherwise "lovely" hotel in Benidorm, a furious British tourist has taken to TripAdvisor, leaving a totally scathing review of the establishment, and criticising the number of "loud and rude" Spanish guests. The former guest at Port Fiesta Park - located in the Costa Blanca region of Alicante - clearly was not particularly happy with the experience, leaving just one star in their review. "Lovely hotel but the food was poor plates always cold. Footballers arrived every weekend we were there noisy and given priority at meal times. Entertainment all Spanish. would not recommend. Spanish guests were loud and rude. restaurant and other staff excellent." Despite branding the hotel just one star overall, when it came to reviewing various subcategories - like cleanliness, quality of sleep, value for money, and service - the holidaymaker was much more positive, giving five stars across the board. The hotel posted a polite reply to the review, explaining: "Thank you for sharing your opinion with us. We apologize if your experience was not as you expected and we take note of everything described in order to improve our service day by day. We are saddened by your story about other guests. "Our hotel, like Benidorm, is an international destination that receives people of up to 10 different nationalities every day and all are welcome. Sincerely, the Port Fiesta Park team." This tourist isn't the first Brit to publicly complain about the amount of Spanish people they encountered whilst holidaying in Spain. When pensioner Freda Jackson visited Benidorm for a fortnight's holiday back in 2017 - staying at the Poseidon Playa - she ended up in tears after dealing with what she called "rude" Spanish guests at her hotel. "The hotel was full of Spanish holidaymakers and they really got on our nerves because they were just so rude," she has said. "One evening a Spanish guy nearly knocked me flying and he just walked off without even apologising." Much like the reviewer of the Port Fiesta Park, Freda was not impressed that the entertainment provided by the hotel for guests was in Spanish, not English. "The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?" Brits make up the second largest group to holiday in Benidorm - after Spaniards themselves - with 832,000 people from the UK heading to the hotspot in Costa Blanca in 2023. However, Spain has increasingly seen mass protests against the number of tourists visiting, despite the importance of holidaymakers to the economy. A man who lives in the area and works organising stag parties explained previously that most locals welcome tourists due to the fact that many of them work in the industry, and rely upon visitors for their income. "Are tourists welcome in Benidorm? The answer is yes, yes, yes. Has there been any signs of any types of protests in Benidorm against tourists? No, no, no. "One of the reasons I say that and I think that it's going to remain that way is because pretty much everyone that's working in Benidorm that lives in Benidorm has some connection with a tourism business or the sector of tourism. Whether that means they're working in a bar, restaurant, hotel, whether they're in some sort of services industry, no matter what type of business it is, it's going to feel some effect of tourism."
Irish Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
'I cried on my €1,300 Benidorm holiday after rude Spanish guests ruined my stay'
With summer holiday season just around the corner, many people across Ireland are eagerly planning their trips abroad, hoping for sunshine and well-deserved break - but not all getaways go according to plan. One tourist's holiday to Benidorm turned into an emotional ordeal, ending in tears and disappointment after what she describes as a "disaster from start to finish". Freda Jackson, a pensioner from Lancashire in North West England, had booked a two-week stay at the Poseidon Playa hotel on the outskirts of the popular Spanish resort in April 2017. However, what was meant to be a relaxing getaway with a friend quickly soured. The retired care assistant later revealed the root of her misery: "Why can't the Spaniards go somewhere else for their holidays?" Freda claimed the hotel was full of "rude" Spanish guest who made her stay unpleasant, including one who "nearly knocked me flying" and left without apologising. The grandmother, who lives with mobility issues, explained: "The hotel was full of Spanish holidaymakers and they really got on our nerves because they were just so rude. One evening a Spanish guy nearly knocked me flying and he just walked off without even apologising." Entertainment options at the hotel also left Freda unimpressed. She recalled: "The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?" Freda claimed the trip was recommended by travel operator Thomas Cook. She had requested flat ground access but was disappointed to find her room located on a slope. She and her friend, who paid a combined total of £1,133 (€1,344), demanded either a refund or a free trip as compensation. Freda continued: "I have never complained about a holiday before - but this one was a disaster from start to finish. My friend and I paid for it from our pensions and it was a struggle trying to fund it over 12 months and the holiday was totally ruined - I cried after. "We wanted to go somewhere on flat ground and not in the hills because we have mobility issues. To top it off, once we got to reception they told us we had been put on the 14th floor - thankfully we were moved to the second floor - and that it was 42 steps down to the hotel's swimming pool." Freda, who has enjoyed holidays in Greece, Turkey, Portugal and Tenerife in the past, alleged Thomas Cook "mis-sold" and "ruined" what should have been a dream trip. The pair flew from Manchester Airport to Alicante on May 10 that year, having allegedly not been notified that their flight dates had changed. She claimed that there were no holiday reps present so she had to send a formal complaint directly to Thomas Cook. Initially, the travel company offered a £75 (€89) voucher as compensation for the "disappointing" experience. A Thomas Cook spokesperson issued the following statement at the time: "Due to a system error Ms Jackson was not informed of a change to her flights until six days before departure. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this caused and are investigating to make sure it doesn't happen again. We have offered Ms Jackson and her travel companion a gesture of goodwill to try and put things right, which we hope she will accept." Freda later denied to the Mirror UK that she had made any derogatory comments about Spanish people.
Daily Record
08-06-2025
- Daily Record
Benidorm holiday 'ruined by too many Spanish people' as upset Brit woman cries
"The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?" A Brit tourist has said she ended up crying at the end of her two-week holiday as her Benidorm hotel had "too many Spaniards in it". Freda Jackson, from Blackburn in Lancashire, had booked with a pal back in April 2017 to stay at the Poseidon Playa, located on the outskirts of the popular tourist spot. The pensioner, who is in her eighties, opened up about the allegedly miserable time she had on her trip the following year raging, "why can't the Spaniards go somewhere else for their holidays?" Retired care assistant Freda said her hotel was full with what she described as "rude" Spanish people - and as reported by the Mirror, she says one almost knocked her "flying" without so much as an apology. The grandmother-of-six, who lives with mobility issues, said: " The hotel was full of Spanish holidaymakers and they really got on our nerves because they were just so rude. "One evening a Spanish guy nearly knocked me flying and he just walked off without even apologising." And when it came to the entertainment on offer, unimpressed Freda was left far from amused. She recalled: "The entertainment in the hotel was all focused and catered for the Spanish - why can't the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays?" As explained by Freda, she'd been recommended the Poseidon Playa by travel operator Thomas Cook, and was left dismayed on a number of counts. Although she'd request flat ground access, Freda says her accommodation was located on a slope. She and her friend, who had paid a total of £1,133 for the holiday, went on to demand either a full refund or a free trip as compensation. Freda continued: "I have never complained about a holiday before - but this one was a disaster from start to finish. My friend and I paid for it from our pensions and it was a struggle trying to fund it over 12 months and the holiday was totally ruined - I cried after. "We wanted to go somewhere on flat ground and not in the hills because we have mobility issues. To top it off, once we got to reception they told us we had been put on the 14th floor - thankfully we were moved to the second floor - and that it was 42 steps down to the hotel's swimming pool." Freda, who has previously enjoyed trips to Greece, Turkey, Portugal and Tenerife, alleged Thomas Cook "mis-sold" and "ruined" what should have been a dream holiday. She and her then 61-year-old friend journeyed 1,500 miles from Manchester Airport to Alicante on May 10 of that year, having allegedly not been notified their flight dates had changed. According to Freda, she had to submit a letter of complaint directly to Thomas Cook, as there were no reps on the holiday to whom she could air her various grievances. Thomas Cook bosses initially offered the duo a £75 holiday voucher as compensation for the "disappointing" experience. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! A Thomas Cook spokesperson issued the following statement at the time: "Due to a system error Ms Jackson was not informed of a change to her flights until six days before departure. "We are very sorry for the inconvenience this caused and are investigating to make sure it doesn't happen again. We have offered Ms Jackson and her travel companion a gesture of goodwill to try and put things right, which we hope she will accept." The grandmother later denied she had made any derogatory comments about Spanish people.
