Horrendous: How a £2,500 dream holiday to Crete went wrong
A holidaymaker has spoken of his disappointment after he shelled out £2,500 for a dream break in Crete only to find the hotel next to a main road instead of a sandy beach.
Bus driver Wayne Lockley claims he booked the two-week break with Thomson requesting to stay in Rethymon a bustling tourist town with places to visit and plenty of entertainment.
But when he and girlfriend Sarah Bate arrived they were stunned to find that the hotel Creta Marine was located an hour's bus ride away and in a barely-developed part of the island near Panormo.
The couple, seasoned travellers, booked the package trip at the travel chain's branch, in Queen Street, Wolverhampton, after being shown online film footage and reviews of the premises.
The 46-year-old, of Oak Street, Merridale, said: "I really feel hard done to. It was horrendous. I booked the holiday last December and was really looking forward to it. When they showed us the YouTube video in the shop it was of the inside of the hotel and the grounds which was nice to be fair, but we didn't enjoy the holiday at all."
Thomson spokeswoman Amy McEvoy said: "We are sorry to hear that Mr Lockley was disappointed with his holiday to Rethymon, in Greece. Our Wolverhampton store presented various options that matched Mr Lockley's criteria. Mr Lockley was happy with his final decision after looking on our website, where the location and description of the resort are clearly displayed, Tripadvisor and YouTube.
"Customer satisfaction is a priority for us, and our store and resort teams do everything possible to ensure our customers chose the right holiday.
"Rethymon in Greece continues to be a popular choice."
