A family who was visiting Egypt to enjoy a holiday was shocked to find that the 5-star hotel they had booked had not been built. | Representative image | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Key Highlights The family was shell-shocked to find out that the all-inclusive luxury hotel they had been promised had not been built yet The hotel was later taken down from the travel company's website

A family who was visiting Egypt to enjoy a holiday was shocked to find that the 5-star hotel they had booked had not been built. Mark Mould (33), from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire in the UK, had booked £3,465 (Rs 3.2 lakh) trip through travel company LoveHolidays for a two-week vacation to 'Crystal Beach Aqua Park and Hotel' with family and friends.

The group had chosen the supposed hotel due to its access to the beach and water parks that was advertised. However, when they landed in Egypt in August, they were shell-shocked to find out that the all-inclusive luxury hotel they had been promised had not been built yet. When the group of five was shifted to alternative accommodation, they found the rooms had broken furniture and dirty floors. On exploring more, they discovered that it was in the process of getting demolished.

The distraught tourists decided to complain again. When they were shifted to a third hotel after two days, they were asked for a 'holding deposit' of £8,000 (Rs 7.4 lakh). Even though the travel company had assured them that the funds had been transferred, they had to pay the money or they would have been left stranded on the streets.

"It was a rollercoaster of disaster, tears and sickness! I think we all felt wholeheartedly that we had been sold an expensive dream and been served a crumbling nightmare. It was a fraud on a grand scale from a large company, who clearly has no morals," Mould, who is an industrial electrician, said.

"As you can appreciate, it was a frustrating time and potentially they could have left us stranded on three occasions due to the lack of care and diligence shown to their customers," he added.

However, the nightmarish trip hadn't come to an end. The bus that was supposed to take them to the airport had gone to the wrong hotel. They had to pay for a taxi to catch their flight.

Fortunately, the third hotel released their holding deposit and weeks of complaints forced the travel company to give them a refund of £4,942.84 (Rs 4.57 lakh).

Mould said, "The entire holiday had us experiencing a mixture of emotions ranging from disbelief and disappointment to anger and panic."

The travel company apologised to the group and added that the hotel had been taken down from their website.