A guest staying at a Dunedin hostel was outraged after being given a room with wet sheets, broken beds, and what they claim was excrement in the corner of the room.
Abbie Low checked into a room at the Stafford Gables Hostel in Dunedin with her father and three sisters so they could see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers play Forsyth Barr Stadium last night. She and her family had driven up from Invercargill and booked a stay to save a three-hour car trip home.
Upon arrival, they discovered the hostel was far from welcoming - Low said she was "appalled" by the state of the accommodation.
"I'm not sure what was worse, the wet sheets, broken beds, rubbish everywhere, or maybe the poo in the corner!" she said.
Photos she sent 1News show an old sign under a bed, a shoddy-looking air conditioner, and unknown brown stains smeared on the walls and floor.
Low went to voice her concerns to a receptionist, who allegedly lacked any interest in helping the out-of-towners.
"I waited knocking on the door for more than 10 minutes and called 4 times until he finally came out to listen to my concerns," Low said.
Low told 1News her dad paid $600 for the accommodation and, due to its unfit state, had to drive for three hours to get home after the concert had finished.
She was offered another room but felt traumatised after seeing the state of the one they were initially put in.
"About 10 minutes after we walked out, they called, offering me a new room, but we were just done.
"Even the hallways were bad. The drive home was long."
Low said her family was on the drive up to Dunedin when they started reading reviews for the place they were staying at.
"We started reading reviews and realised that it was not a good place."
She told 1News that the hostel was booked by her dad and was the only place available during concert night; they pressed on despite the bad reviews.
"Everywhere was booked out, so we didn't have much of a choice."
Despite all the drama, Low said her family had a great time at the concert.
The Stafford Gables Hostel has a three-and-a-half-star rating on the booking site Agoda with most reviews saying it was mediocre.
One reviewer described it as a "last-minute place to go."
"If u can't find any accommodation to stay, u can stay here.... Not expensive, not good ... up to u with your budget," it read.
Others were more in line with Low's experience; one read: "Do not stay here, the cheap price not worth it. Worst hostel I've ever stayed in."
1News reached out to the hostel, who said they did all they could to accommodate Low and her family.
"They were very rude," a spokesperson said.
"We offered them another room, but they didn't want to take it."
They said the rooms are usually cleaned and the state of Low's room was unusual for the hostel.
When it came to the poo in the corner, the spokesperson did not comment but told other media that it wasn't excrement.
They said the hostel is under contract with Agoda which is why the price was so high for the room in question.
"We are under contract with the booking site, and prices fluctuate."
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