Aussie tourist arrives in Bali to find luxury resort DEMOLISHED
It was a case of expectation versus reality for one Australian tourist who booked a stay at a popular beach resort in Bali only to find that his dream getaway was actually a construction site.
Ric Attard, from the Gold Coast, had booked four-nights at the PNB Beach Resort in the village of Canggu but ended up having to look for alternative accommodation after he discovered his relaxing retreat was undergoing a major renovation.
His sister, who posted about the incident in a Facebook group, said her brother had booked a room with PNB Beach Resort but was only informed that they were conducting work as he was en-route to Bali.
“Caution. My bro was supposed to check into PNB Beach Resort last night. Could not stay due to renovations! The hotel advised they sent him an email the day before. He was mid-air on the plane!” the woman wrote on Thursday.
Accompanying the post were two contrasting photographs – one of what her brother expected the resort to look like when he booked it, and what his accommodation actually looked like when he arrived.
The first image shows a grand white building featuring a pool and bar and dining area on the roof. The second is of a construction worker standing in the middle of flattened dirt and debris, with the beach in the background.
'It was a nightmare'
Mr Attard told news.com.au he purchased a room at PNB Beach Resort for A$200 a night on Expedia, but when he arrived on December 28, he thought he was at the wrong place.
“The lady behind the counter informed me that there was construction going on and the pool was closed,” he said. “I was shocked and asked her to repeat. She did and added that I should have received an email informing me of the inconvenience.”
It was then he says he discovered they had sent him an email just 24 hours earlier when he was on the plane. “It was a nightmare,” he added.
However, Mr Attard told the publication the “real pain” occurred as he sat in the middle of the work zone frantically searching for another place to stay. After spending one night in what he claims was a filthy room at a nearby property, friends connected him with someone who offered the tourist a place at a resort on the island of Nusa Lembongan.
The Aussie said he had contacted Expedia about a refund for the dilemma, but was offered only A$50.
A spokesperson for Expedia told Yahoo News Australia they are “sorry that on this occasion Mr Attard had a bad experience”.
“He was not charged for the hotel reservation and we provided a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience. Please know we take these situations seriously and we are in communications with the property.”
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'Holiday ordered on Wish'
The Facebook post about Mr Attard's situation received a mixed bag of reactions from members of the group, some of which expressed shock while others either found the man’s experience infuriating or hilarious.
“Honestly?! Some people will complain about anything these days!” someone commented sarcastically, while they joked: “Looks like a holiday ordered on Wish. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Another member shared their similar experience at another accommodation, during which there were absolutely no notifications about renovation works, however they were jolted awake at 6am with construction noise.
“Had I been made aware of renovations prior to booking or even a few days beforehand, I would have cancelled and booked elsewhere,” they said.
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