Holiday Inn bosses apologise after 'disgusted' man finds 'soiled knickers' in hotel room

Bosses at a Scottish hotel have apologised to a man who discovered a pair of soiled pants lurking behind the bed in his room.

IHG, parent company of the Holiday Inn Express brand of budget hotels, has admitted that a "lapse in standards" led to a pair of underwear going undetected behind the bed of sickened guest David Craig.

The 52-year-old previously told the Record how he discovered the knickers after dropping his car keys behind the headboard in his room at the Holiday Inn Express Stoneyfield in Inverness.

He had booked the trip to visit old friends in the Highland capital, having previously lived and worked in the city as a mechanic.

David said it was evident parts of the room hadn't been cleaned for a while (David Craig)

After checking into the room, he dropped the keys behind the bed and shuffled the mattress aside to retrieve them.

As well as his keys, he found a "disgusting amount" of dust, old bits of food - and a pair of women's pants.

He said of the area behind the bed: "You could see it clearly hadn't been touched in a while.

"We certainly didn't expect a room like this, especially with the virus going round.

"They promised a refund but never came back with it.

"That doesn't bother us but people need to know what's going on in hotels.

David Craig stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Stoneyfield in Inverness (Google Street View)

"That area of the room has just totally been ignored.

"If it had been lovely and clean behind the bed and we found a pair of underwear you would think it might be a one-off.

"But it was clear the bed hadn't been moved for a while.

"It ruined the rest of our stay. You'd expect to find the room completely clean, especially now."

David says he is still awaiting the promised refund.

A spokeswoman for IHG said: "Overall, the Holiday Inn Express Inverness has an excellent record for cleanliness however on this occasion there was a clear lapse in standards.

"The hotel apologised to the guest regarding this matter, which was immediately rectified directly with the guest."

The company representative did not answer the Record's questions on whether David would be refunded for his stay.

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