A family’s trip to Newcastle was marred by a distressing experience at a Premier Inn hotel, where the father claims he and his children were subjected to a flea infestation that “ruined” their stay.
James Alexander, a 43-year-old from York, had booked a one-night stay at the Premier Inn’s Newgate Street branch in Newcastle on December 29th, along with his two children, aged 9 and 12. The family had travelled to the North East for a post-Christmas outing at the Metrocentre.
However, in the early hours of the morning, Alexander woke up to find his body covered in what he believes were flea bites. Upon further inspection, he says he discovered insects, suspected to be fleas, in both his and his daughter’s beds. His son was also staying in the room.
Under Premier Inn’s “Good Night Guarantee,” guests whose sleep is disrupted are supposed to be able to report the issue to the 24-hour reception team, who can then attempt to rectify the problem. However, Alexander alleges that he was told to return later when a manager would be available.
On January 2nd, Alexander lodged an official complaint with the hotel, and on January 9th, he was initially offered a partial refund of £23 as a “gesture of goodwill.” He also expressed dissatisfaction with the overall cleanliness of the room, citing the discovery of used tissues and toenails behind the bed.
In response, Premier Inn stated that an independent supplier had conducted a thorough inspection and found no evidence of bed bugs in the room. Nevertheless, the hotel chain has issued an apology and confirmed that a full refund will be provided to Alexander.
A spokesperson for Premier Inn UK told local media: “At Premier Inn we pride ourselves on our excellent standards of cleanliness and we are sorry this experience didn’t meet the high standards our guests rightly expect. Despite a thorough inspection by our independent supplier who confirmed there were no bed bugs present in the bedroom, we appreciate the overall room cleanliness of the room was lacking and as such we will be providing a full refund for the cost of Mr Alexander’s room.”
The incident has left the family’s post-Christmas trip to Newcastle in ruins, with Alexander expressing his dissatisfaction with the “poor” service and “unacceptable” conditions at the Premier Inn hotel.