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'I spent 245 on weekend break at UK holiday park but when I saw room I cut trip short'

YouTuber Steven from BeachlifeAndBeyond visited Haven Cala Gran near Blackpool and found dirty caravans with bogies in the bed and a landfill stench - forcing him to cut his 245 stay short after just 24 hours

[Haven Cala Gran]

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The park is unfortunately sited downwind of a rubbish dump(Image: YouTube/Beachlife&Beyond)

A holiday park fan who has explored resorts the length and breadth of Britain reckons he's discovered what could be the nation's worst. Haven is one of the UK's best-known and most popular chains, providing family-friendly breaks at affordable prices.

But Steven, who documents his stays on his YouTube channel BeachlifeAndBeyond, alleged his caravan at Haven Cala Gran was filthy upon arrival, claiming he encountered "bogies in the bed and dirt and grime all over the floors".

He said: "I've stayed in some pretty rough places across the UK, but nothing prepared me for when I checked into a holiday park right next to a literal dump."

Steven maintains that Cala Gran, in Fleetwood near Blackpool, sits "right next to a literal dump" with a "stench so bad it actually made national news".

Upon visiting the park's reception to voice his concerns about the smell, Steven encountered numerous other guests experiencing precisely the same issue.

[Haven Cala Gran]

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The caravan had supposedly been cleaned before Steven's arrival(Image: YouTube/BeachlifeAndBeyond)

Steven forked out 245 for his weekend getaway. He notes that whilst he's enjoyed some brilliant experiences with budget breaks previously, Cala Gran proved so dismal that he couldn't bear to remain for the entire booking.

"This is why a bargain break can sometimes be a massive mistake," he remarked. Steven's a devoted fan of holiday parks, and he'd arrived at Cala Gran straight after an "incredible" experience experience at Butlin's, which only amplified his dismay upon reaching the Haven site.

"This is the first holiday park I've been to that doesn't have a beach," Steven remarked. "It may not have its own beach, but you'll be glad to know it does have a landfill site right behind it. So, the very first thing you'll notice when you arrive is a god-awful smell. I mean, it's something I had no idea about before booking."

[Haven Cala Gran]

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Managers offered to clean the stained upholstery but that would have left it wet and unusable(Image: YouTube/BeachlifeAndBeyond)

Whilst the site's management cannot be held responsible for the pungent landfill neighbouring the property, Steven alleged they're also lacking when it comes to maintaining cleanliness standards within the camp itself. He continued: "We're talking dirt-riddled caravans with filth on the floors, sweet wrappers all over the floor and I kid you not bogies in the beds.

"Cala Gran is what Haven considers one of their mid-sized sites. It's not too big, but it's not small either. It has roughly 20 different areas. You can pay in advance to choose where you want to stay on the park, or if you don't want to pay the extortionate fees they charge for you to choose your caravan, then Haven will just plunk you wherever they want."

Speaking about his own caravan, Steven continued: "The carpet is absolutely black. It's disgusting. And there's bits all over it... there's stains all over these cushions I wouldn't even let a dog sit on these."

[Haven Cala Gran]

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Steven was most horrified by a bogie on his pillow(Image: YouTube/BeachlifeAndBeyond)

He says he'd previously stayed in Bronze-grade caravans, but had never encountered one in such appalling condition. Steven remarked: "This one takes the biscuit with how bad it is.

"I've just lifted the cushions off to check the sofa bed, and we've got spoons, some bracelets, some baby socks, sweet wrappers.."

Stunned by the shoddy cleaning standards, Steven questioned: "I'm sorry, but what excuse is there for leaving someone's lasagna in the freezer?"

Some effort had been made to clean the caravan, he acknowledged, as certain areas had evidently been hoovered, though the work had plainly been rushed. He continued: "Clearly they have tried to clean it, but they've just done a terrible job."

[Haven Cala Gran]

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A lasagne in the freezer had been overlooked(Image: YouTube/BeachlifeAndBeyond)

By contrast, the park's amusement arcade was immaculately clean, he noted, and the presence of a Wetherspoons offered some cause for optimism, yet Steven felt Cala Gran disappointed on multiple fronts. He went on: "All the other Havens I've been to are really nicely themed and landscaped, and this one's just a bit basic."

Despite the catalogue of letdowns, Cala Gran was completely booked, meaning staff couldn't relocate Steven to alternative accommodation. "It was so bad we had to cut our weekend short and checked out just 24 hours after arriving," he said.

Steven continued: "After we complained, they did send the cleaners back out pretty quickly, to be fair. They removed and replaced all the bedding, gave the caravan a once over, so it was moderately clean afterwards.

"They have offered to have the upholstery cleaned, but then we'd have nowhere to sit because everything would be wet. So what would be the point?"

[Haven horror]

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The presence of a random sweet wrapper points to some rather rushed cleaning(Image: YouTube/Beachlife&Beyond)

Addressing the concerns raised in the Beachlife and Beyond video, a Haven spokesperson responded: "We're sorry that this guest arrived to find this caravan did not meet the high standards we aim for across all our parks and was disappointed with his stay.

"As the video shows, this was rectified as soon as the guest notified us, but we know this is not good enough.

"Many tens of thousands of guests stay at Cala Gran each year and tell us they've had a great time using the park's facilities and enjoying its location close to Blackpool and visitors will have even more to enjoy soon, as we invest millions of pounds to upgrade the on-site pub, which is set to reopen as a JD Wetherspoons this summer."

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