Yorkshire interior designers horrified after booking Californian holiday villa that turned out to be a building site

A Yorkshire family were shocked to discover their luxury penthouse in Los Angeles looked like a 'bomb site' afte they arrived for a dream holiday.
The Russell-Illingworth family had to pay for a second villa in Los Angeles after their disappointmentThe Russell-Illingworth family had to pay for a second villa in Los Angeles after their disappointment
The Russell-Illingworth family had to pay for a second villa in Los Angeles after their disappointment

Interior designers Mark and Rebecca Russell-Illingworth, from Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales, booked the six-bedroom villa overlooking the Hollywood Hills for a break with their three children.

The couple, who own furniture shop Ragdoll Interiors in Grassington, arrived to find the penthouse appeared to be unfinished and resembled a building site, with exposed pipes, trenches, sandbags and glass on the floor.

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These photos show how deep the snow in the Yorkshire Dales is todayThey spent over £2,000 on their accommodation and paid to stay for seven nights via Booking.com.

The 'entertainment area' resembled a building siteThe 'entertainment area' resembled a building site
The 'entertainment area' resembled a building site

The adverts for the property included photos of a barbecue and entertainment area with a large swimming pool.

But the outdoor space turned out to covered in rubble and builders' tools. Tarpaulin sheets covered some of the furniture.

The family had to move out and pay for an alternative villa at an additional cost of £3,500 when they saw the state the penthouse was in.

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“Staying in Los Angeles is something we have always dreamed of doing," said Rebecca.

The villa was in the middle of a refurbishmentThe villa was in the middle of a refurbishment
The villa was in the middle of a refurbishment

“Mark went in the villa first to check it out. But when he came back to the car he said ‘love we’re not staying here, it’s not suitable’.

“So I went in afterwards. 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.”

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Mark added: “The stairways were covered in metal and there were bits of glass everywhere.

“The pool was full but it was a horrible green colour and had glass in it.

“It was like I was standing in a building yard.”

The property had been described on Booking.com as a 'gem' just 15 miles from Universal Studios - prompting Mark and Rebecca to book it for themselves, daughters Lois, 20, Mica, 18, and son Jenson, five. Lois's boyfriend also joined them for the trip.

Lois is studying at university in Canada and they had enjoyed a week's skiing in Montreal while visiting her before flying to Los Angeles.

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They arrived in a rental car on January 9 and desperately contacted the owners of the villa, who initially offered only a 40 per cent discount.

They have since secured a full refund and Booking.com will not accept further reservations for the property until building work is complete.

A Booking.com spokesperson said: "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 are on hand 24/7 to investigate and advocate on their behalf, including relocating them to another property if needed.

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"We have apologised 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 future with the information they list on Booking.com, particularly with regards to any renovations."