A young couple claim they were forced to cut their holiday short after a mysterious stench in their room left them “physically gagging and feeling sick”.
Emily Clark and Adam Vickerman travelled to Tenerife to enjoy a week away in the sun, but decided to fly home after just two nights.
Emily, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, noticed the alleged smell as soon as she entered their bathroom – but it disappeared when Adam, 23, flushed the loo.
The next day, the smell returned with a vengeance.
In a TikTok, that has over 8m views, Emily and Adam detail why they cut their holiday short.
“We could not go into the bathroom without physically gagging and feeling sick,” 22-year-old Emily told Luxury Travel Daily.
“I had to brush my teeth in the kitchen sink.
“When arriving at our room, there was a slight smell of drains outside.
“Upon opening our bathroom door, the smell of sewage was very apparent.
“When waking up the next morning, my partner turned on the tap in the bathroom and the awful smell came back up into the bathroom.”
The couple were staying at Checkin Bungalows in Los Cristianos, with their holiday booked through On The Beach.
After complaining to reception, the couple say they waited two hours for a cleaner, who allegedly “gagged” at the stench.
He poured what appeared to be bleach down the toilet which initially helped, however, the smell returned within two hours.
By this point, the duo were unhappy with the overall quality of the accommodation, also describing the hotel as “rundown” and dirty.
They called their booking provider, who they advised them to raise the issue directly with the hotel.
The couple attempted to get a room change but claimed the request was not granted by the hotel.
Determined to leave, they looked into alternatives – but with local hotels set to cost them £800 for their final five nights, the couple found that flights back to the UK would be the cheapest option.
Emily said: “We knew it wouldn’t be a five-star hotel, but the pictures advertised made it look nice.
“No matter what star hotel you may stay at, I feel basic sanitation is always necessary. I felt we were not even met with this basic need.
“I have visited many countries on holiday, even visiting third-world countries like India.
“Even there, at a place you would expect a little bit less, I was met with even better conditions than here.
“My boyfriend, having worked extremely hard to have paid to take us away, was disappointed.
“He felt like his whole trip had been tainted by the experience, as did I.
“I felt uncomfortable and unsafe in a foreign country and at that moment all I wanted to do was be at home.
“With us requesting a room change and being denied one, we felt if we complained again regarding the smell that the staff may become rude or treat us differently while staying there.”
After just two nights at the hotel, they booked the next flight home on 15 June.
Once home, the couple complained to their booking provider about the hotel and the concerns they had on their holiday and were given a full refund.
Sadly, the experience has left them unwilling to go back to Tenerife in the future.
Emily said: “Neither of us wants to return.
“I have been a few times previously and absolutely loved it but this had dampened our view on the island.
“Upon leaving the hotel we actually felt very happy.
“Honestly, we felt relieved.
“The hotel is extremely rundown and no longer looks like the lovely clean hotel in the pictures.
“I didn’t even want to go in the swimming pool with it looking extremely dirty and unkept, it was even green around the edges of the water.”
Tiktokers have taken to the comment section to share their thoughts.
One user wrote: “There is nothing on this Earth that would make me come home early.”
Another said: “I had the same experience, I just moved hotels tho.”
“I was in Tenerife last year. Never again,” wrote a third user.
“Never go below 4* on holiday and always 4.5+ trip advisor,” said someone else.
Jam Press has contacted Checkin Bungalow and On The Beach for comment, but none had been received at the time of writing.
This story will be updated if comments are supplied.
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