Mechanic David Craig booked a hotel in Inverness for a catch-up with old friends - and wound up making a filthy discovery behind the bed in his room.
David, 52, uncovered a pair of soiled women's underwear when he moved the bed in his room to retrieve his car keys.
The floor beneath the bed in the Holiday Inn Express Inverness was also littered with decomposing bits of food and a solid layer of dust indicating it hadn't been cleaned for some time.
Worried that the rooms weren't being deep cleaned during the coronavirus pandemic, he flagged the grotty find to apologetic hotel staff. A promised refund is yet to arrive.
Recounting the grim discovery, David said: "We booked a few nights away in Inverness to see some old friends and on the morning of January 6 I dropped my keys down the back of the bed, where the headboard is.
"I pulled the bed out and there was a dirty pair of ladies' underwear and there was also bits of food and a disgusting amount of dust.
"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."
The website of the hotel, in the Stoneyfield area of the city, promises "daily housekeeping" as part of its services.
A statement from parent company IHG on the webpage promises: "IHG has a long-standing commitment to rigorous cleaning procedures."
However, David remains concerned that hotels aren't giving rooms a proper clean in between guests.
He added: "The hotel staff were apologetic and switched our room and let us stay for nothing.
"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.
"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."
A spokeswoman for Holiday Inn Express parent company 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."
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