A woman who booked a £35-a-night "beachfront" holiday let says she was shocked when she arrived at a "shabby" flat facing an Aldi.
"The Old Farm House" in Wavertree, Liverpool, advertised a location on a beach, "city views" and a hot tub on its Booking.com page.
But Catherine Marray, 26, said the front door was propped open with a weight off a dumbbell when she arrived, there was a "lumpy old mattress" in her room and the communal toilets didn't have door locks.
She told the Liverpool Echo the owner asked her to make her own bed because "he was busy", a bag of bread was hanging from the ceiling, and the room was described as "the best in the house".
A chopping board and a piece of wood hammered to the front of the property indicated the house number.
Admin worker Catherine paid £70 for two nights for a girls' weekend with her friend, Deborah, from Oxford.
She claims she didn't notice the "beachfront" description until the day she checked in on July 12, and she just assumed it was a mistake.
The property's Booking.com page lists the property's address A Google Maps search brings up the true location across from the back wall of an Aldi and next to a small deli and market.
It had a score of 5.0 with scathing reviews slamming it as "disgusting" and "a joke", and positive ones describing it as "exceptional" and "good value for money".
Catherine lives in a different part of Liverpool, and booked the room because the location was convenient for the girls' weekend.
She said: "I got there for about 4.30pm and the door was propped open with a weight off a dumbbell.
"I gave it the benefit of the doubt. There was someone in there who said 'I will go and get the guy for you' so this guy comes down covered in paint and said he was doing some plastering.
"He said it would be about half an hour. He seemed alright, he was chatty. My and my friend went to the pub and went back at 7.30pm."
She knew it wouldn't be fancy, but she expected something basic.
She added: "I don't mind somewhere that's divey as long as it's clean because we were going to be out all day.
"We were shown into our room and found ripped curtains, a lumpy old mattress, a lamp that flickered on and off.
"The owner then passed me a single quilt cover and asked me to strip it for him as he was busy. He left another single quilt and bedding outside our room so we had to make our own bed."
Catherine and her friend decided to "grin and bare it".
She said: "We were like 'let's just power through and we can go out'."
The room had "ripped black pieces of material" for curtains and lamp shades that were upside down, she said.
The two bathrooms didn't have door locks, and in one the sink was covered in bleach with a toilet seat snapped in half.
Catherine said the property was like a "shabby student house".
She and her friend went back to her home to have a shower.
She claims the property reeked of cannabis on the second night, and added: "In our room I gather where the smoke detector was, there was a bag of bread tied to the ceiling. I wish I could say I was making it up.
"We were in stitches because if I didn't laugh I would have cried."
Catherine claims other guests complained to the owner, with one asking him: "Is this a joke?"
A Booking.com spokesperson said Catherine was given a full refund and the travel firm has been in touch with the owner to correct the listing.
It no longer refers to it as a "beachfront" property.
The spokesperson added: "If a customer ever shows up to a property and it does not meet their expectations, our customer service team are on hand 24/7 to investigate and advocate on their behalf.
"In this case, we are securing a full refund for this customer and are also in communication with the property regarding making some adjustments to the information they choose to list on our platform to ensure they are setting accurate expectations for customers.
"Our top priority is to facilitate smooth and enjoyable travel experiences for our customers and we are committed to that mission."
In the reviews section, a man, identifying himself as "Dave" in one post, responded to two negative reviews, claiming the guests owed him money.
The owner had not responded to an attempt to contact him.
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