Couple who complained after being served 'stale' croissants at 'mouldy' French hotel win £4k payout
Chris Philp calls on France to intercept boats on the French coast
GB News
A couple has won nearly £4,000 in damages after complaining about stale croissants and mouldy rooms during their stay at a four-star French hotel.
Damen Bennion, a blue-chip lawyer, and his accountant wife Jane were awarded the payout following their disappointing £6,670 holiday at Club Med Opio in Provence.
The pair told Central London County Court they found themselves in a "smelly" room before being served "awful" dinner and stale breakfast pastries.
"It's not hard to get pastries right in France, but they got them wrong," Bennion, 49, told the court.
The hotel is in the Provence region of southern France
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When they requested a room change, they were moved to a suite where mould dotted the walls.
The couple had expected a luxurious getaway at the resort, which promises that "fragrant lavender, the song of cicadas, and the taste of tapenade take you to the heart of Provence".
Bennion, 52, who runs his own law firm specialising in collectable cars, had planned the trip for his family of four in July 2023.
Their two young sons were excited about the activities on offer, while the parents looked forward to relaxing by the pool.
But problems began immediately upon arrival when they were unexpectedly charged a parking fee at what was advertised as an 'all-inclusive' resort.
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The couple said they were served stale breakfast pastries
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When they requested a room change, they were moved to a suite where mould dotted the walls (stock picture)
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The four-star hotel, which charges up to £2,600 per night for rooms, failed to meet their expectations from the start.
After their disappointing first dinner, the couple decided to take their children away from the resort during daytime hours.
"The reality was that the resort was so poor in terms of cleanliness that we took the decision that they would be happier with us each day away from the resort," Bennion told the court.
The family only returned to sleep in their mouldy room at night.
"We told our children on the first night that daddy would get things sorted, but it wasn't sorted," Bennion said.
Bennion, who was handling the purchase of what would become "the most expensive car ever sold" during his stay, complained he couldn't even find a desk to work on in his 'luxury' room.
"At the end of the week, we as a family went home miserable," he added.
Judge Justin Althaus awarded the couple £3,945 in damages
Wikimedia CommonsJudge Justin Althaus awarded the couple £3,945 in damages after viewing their photos showing the rooms were "dirty and showed signs of considerable wear."
"One can see the state of the premises, the rooms have mould in them," the judge noted.
However, he rejected their claims about poor food quality, stating they couldn't make a fair assessment based on just two meals.
"I accept that the breakfast pastries were unimpressive for the south of France," he said. "But that doesn't establish that the food overall was unacceptable."
The judge also ruled the parking charge was "inconsistent with the representation that they would enjoy an all-inclusive experience".
A claim for inadequate work facilities was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
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