Haven Holidays review: Formal complaint & request for compensation – booking ref: 16465609

Dear Haven Customer Services Team,

I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding my recent stay at Hafan y Môr (Booking Ref: 16465609), where I stayed for three nights from Friday 3 July 2026.

I want to begin by acknowledging the many positives of the park. The grounds were clean and well maintained, the staff were consistently kind and helpful, and the range of activities available for families was excellent. My daughter and her family stayed in one of the luxury static homes, which was outstanding, and I spent most of my time there because of significant issues with my own accommodation.

I was allocated a two‑bedroom chalet which appeared to have been recently modernised. The kitchen and bathroom were basic but functional, the bedding was freshly laundered, and the curtains were new. I appreciate the effort Haven has made to update these older units.

However, the condition of the chalet block made my stay extremely distressing. Upon entering the shared second‑floor hallway, I was met with an overwhelming stench of rot and decay. This putrid odour permeated the entire chalet and all of its contents, including the bed. Although the linen was clean, the mattress and pillows had absorbed the foul smell. For my own wellbeing, I avoided inspecting them closely and instead covered them with towels so I did not have to place my head directly against the source of the odour.

The smell was so severe that it reminded me of some of the worst emergency accommodation I encountered during my years as a crisis‑care social worker. I felt uncomfortable, unsafe, and contaminated in the space, and I could not wait to leave the chalet each time I entered it. As a result, I was unable to use the accommodation I had paid for in any meaningful way and spent the majority of my stay elsewhere.

In addition to the odour issue, the shower in the chalet was unusable when I arrived. The shower head slipped off the adjustment rod as soon as I turned the water on, making it impossible to wash after a long journey from Scotland. I followed the instructions on the poster at South Reception and sent a text message to report the fault, and later visited the main reception at the site entrance to request an update. Although the issue was fixed later that day, I was still unable to use the shower that evening or the following morning due to the overwhelming smell in the chalet. I had to decamp to my daughter’s accommodation simply to wash.

I did not expect luxury, as I booked the smallest and cheapest chalet option, and the price was fair. However, the condition of the chalet block was unacceptable for any level of accommodation, and it was not fit for purpose during my stay.

Given that the chalet was not usable, the shower was initially non‑functional, and the severe odour caused significant distress and impacted my holiday, I am requesting a meaningful level of compensation that reflects both the loss of use of the accommodation and the impact on my wellbeing. I also ask that Haven investigate the cause of the odour and review the condition of the chalet block to ensure no other guests experience the same issue.