A MOTHER has spoken of her horror after the ceiling of the Peartree Travelodge collapsed just outside the room she and her family were sleeping in.

Jennifer Weatherstone and her husband, Thomas, and their three children – Isla, five, Harry, four, and Felix, two – spent the night at the hotel on Friday, August 15, after visiting family in Faringdon.

But during the night one of the water tankers on the hotel’s roof leaked.

Mrs Weatherstone, 30, said: “We were woken by the fire alarm at about 11pm.

“My husband went to the front desk and they said they were waiting for more information.

“I woke up again at midnight and when I opened the door to look into the corridor, part of the ceiling collapsed. It was in the corridor about two rooms down from us, and water was coming through the hole in the ceiling.”

Fire crews were called to the Cutteslowe hotel to find water had already come into the building.

Oxford Mail:

  • Jennifer and Thomas Weatherstone

Mrs Weatherstone, from Carlisle, said: “We woke the kids up and put them in the car and went back to the front of the hotel.

“They asked what room we were in and when we told them they said that whole side of the building had been deemed dangerous. At no point through the whole thing did anyone tell us to evacuate.”

Oxford Mail:

  • The couple's children, Felix, two, Harry, four, and Isla, five

Mrs Weatherstone then waited for three hours before the family were allocated another room.

She said: “The staff were allocating rooms in Bicester and High Wycombe. There was no seating, no refreshments, no information, no apology, nothing. It was very unprofessional.

“We had been told at about 1.30am we could go to Bicester, but when I asked about it 20 minutes later we were told it was only for parties of two. At 3.30am I was told we could have a single room in the safe section of the hotel, but there was only one bed. We were planning on staying for another night but we just got in the car in the morning and drove home with hardly any sleep. I feel so angry.”

Travelodge has since apologised and given the family a refund of £39, £100 in vouchers and £175 in compensation.

Spokeswoman Sophia Mead said: “A water tank burst, affecting 47 rooms. As a result, the fire alarm did go off on three occasions which resulted in the hotel having to be evacuated. All customers were informed at the time of evacuation why the fire alarm had gone off.

“The water tank was fixed the following day and all customers staying at the hotel that night have been refunded in full and compensated.

“We would like to assure Mrs Weatherstone that the safety of our customers and staff is paramount to us.”

 

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