Lower Hyde Holiday Park honeymoon turns into 'the worst holiday'

"What a great start to married life" remarked Rachel Evans, 40, recalling her family's disastrous stay on the Isle of Wight.

She and husband, Garry, 37, got married in July and chose to spend their honeymoon weekend at Lower Hyde Holiday Park in Shanklin.

They were shocked to find dirty sofas and blood and bodily fluid marks on the bed sheets and mattress.

Mum-of-two Rachel said: “I won’t book a holiday there again if someone paid me. It was grotty.”

A spokesperson for Lower Hyde Holiday Park has apologised for the caravan which "fell short of our standards".

Blood stains on the bedsheets (Image: Supplied)

The couple, from Townhill Park, have been together for eight years and had booked the holiday through travel agency Hoseasons hoping for a nice time with their two children Alfie, six, and Finley, four.

Rachel said: “As a kid, everyone has gone on a caravan holiday, and I just thought it would be something we could all enjoy as a family.”

The family arrived at the Parkdean-owned park on the evening of Friday, August 18.

Garry said: “When I walked in the smell of it hit me in the face, it smelled of wet dog even though it was a pet-free one we had chosen.”

He added: “I would love to bottle the smell so someone could smell what we had to endure.”

Bodily fluid stains on the mattress (Image: Provided)

The couple put a beach towel over the bed as they didn’t want to sleep on blood-stained sheets and a mattress stained with bodily fluids.

Stains were also found on the caravan's sofas, he said.

The following morning the couple alerted reception and after a back and forth between Hoseaons and Parkdean they were moved to another caravan - the last one available.

Rachel said: “When we got to the other caravan, it didn’t smell as bad as the first one but the carpet was grubby and also had stains. It didn’t seem to have ever been cleaned.

“And the worst of it was how rude and apologetic the staff were, they just didn’t seem to care. All they said this was the only caravan that they had left.

“It was the worst holiday we could have had. What a great start to married life.”

The couple have now asked the booking company for a refund.

A spokesperson for Hoseasons said: “As a booking agent we don’t own or maintain any of the parks in our portfolio.

“That’s why, in the event of a complaint regarding standards of accommodation it is up to the park owner-operator to decide whether or not they reimburse their guest.

"On this occasion, Parkdean Resorts have decided not to reimburse the customer but we have agreed to offer our refund as a gesture of goodwill.”

A spokesperson for Lower Hyde Holiday Park said: ”We’re sorry that Rachel’s initial accommodation fell short of our standards. As soon as it was brought to our attention, we moved Rachel and her family to alternative accommodation.”