Couple disappointed about ‘deluxe mystery break’ in New Zealand

 

 

A KIWI couple have been left bitterly disappointed after their accommodation for a “deluxe three-night mystery break” turned out to be a serviced apartment overlooking a carpark in the unremarkable New Zealand town of Invercargill.

Stu Koch of Hamilton booked an Air New Zealand mystery break in June, paying $1366 for the entire trip with his partner Bex Rowling.
Air New Zealand advertised the trip as a “great” three-night mystery break, and the couple were looking forward to staying in “deluxe” four-to-five star accommodation, the New Zealand Herald reported.
“We have a special-needs child and four other children, so we’re lucky if we get away for a few days each year,” Ms Rowling explained.

The couple were disappointed about their “deluxe mystery break” to Invercargill. Picture: FacebookSource:Facebook

The disappointment set in as soon as they arrived at Hamilton airport, where they learned they would be travelling to Invercargill, a small town on the southernmost tip of the South Island.
“Because it was a mystery weekend Air NZ just put the tags on our bags and I just stood there with my mouth open when I found out we would be going to Invercargill,” Ms Rowling said.
“The Air New Zealand lady said it would be lovely, so I just thought I would suck it up.”
But as soon as she arrived at the accommodation, Ms Rowling knew the trip had turned into a disaster.
“I said to Stu ‘What the F is this?’ I actually burst into tears because I’d been looking forward to it since June,” Ms Rowling told Fairfax.

“What the F is this?” Ms Rowling said to her partner when they arrived at their mystery destination.Source:Facebook

“Then we got to the accommodation and, looking it from the outside; I said ‘oh my God’.”
It turned out the central city accommodation was only three-to-four star.
“Because you’re buying a four-to-five-star package it’s not what you expect,” she said.
Ms Rowling told her partner that she would not be staying in the apartment.
“We walked in and I said, ‘Oh my dear god, you had better ring Air New Zealand because I’m not staying here’,” she explained to Fairfax.

A far cry from the amazing views they’d been hoping for.Source:Facebook

She contacted Air New Zealand, and claims the staff member who answered the phone was “severely unhelpful” and told them she couldn’t help, because she had to go to lunch and staff training.
The couple then decided to leave Invercargill for Queenstown, where they paid about $210 for a hotel room.
Now she has a message for others considering an Air New Zealand mystery break.
“Don’t do it — it’s not worth the risk. Spend your money and go to Bali or the Gold Coast.”
Ms Rowling says she has no intention to ever return to Invercargill ever again.

The central city accommodation was only three-to-four star.Source:Facebook

“We’re never going back there, especially with the amount of hate locals have been giving us online — apparently we’re just a pack of Jaffas.”
Air New Zealand have since offered a full refund for the trip.
Anna Cross, the external communications consultant for the airline, says: “We’re really sorry this Mystery Break didn’t meet the customer’s expectations and have offered a full refund as a gesture of goodwill.”
This article originally appeared on the New Zealand Herald and was reproduced with permission.