Family Says Luxury Villa They Booked Looked Like A 'Bomb Site'

A British family who spent a lot of money to book an opulent villa in Los Angeles in January claimed it looked like a "bomb site." They said the house was littered with rubble, exposed pipes, and broken glass.

The Russel-Illingworth family, from England, paid over $3,000 for a week’s stay there. The bookings were made through online property rental site Booking.com. However, when they arrived at the place, it was still undergoing construction work, Fox News reported.

“Staying in Los Angeles is something we have always dreamed of doing,” Becky Russell-Illingworth told South West News Service. She said her husband Mark first went inside to take a look and came back to the car unimpressed. “Love, we’re not staying here, it’s not suitable,” he told Becky.

“I walked out to the back and just thought, 'Oh my God.' I could not believe what I was seeing. It was a bomb site and I was just so shocked. I was angry and very upset,” Becky said.

Mark said there were metal pieces all over the stairways combined with bits of glass. The pool’s water had an intense green color and was covered with glass fragments.

The family arranged for another rental nearby. They said the company initially offered to pay 30% of the amount as refund, which they later increased to 40%.

However, they got a full refund after Booking.com contacted allegedly the property’s owner.

“Because our overarching aim is to facilitate smooth and enjoyable travel experiences, in the very rare instance that a customer might show up to a property and it does not meet their expectations, our customer service team is on hand 24/7 to investigate and advocate on their behalf, including relocating them to another property if needed. We have apologized for the customer's experience due to the renovations taking place by the property and have offered to cover the cost of their alternative accommodation, alongside additional compensation. Furthermore, we are working closely with the property to ensure that they set accurate expectations for our customers in the future with the information they list on Booking.com, particularly with regards to any renovations,” Booking.com said in a statement.