A travel enthusiast who took advantage of a £99 mystery holiday deal soon found themselves in a troublesome situation. Lauren Kirby and her companion each invested £99 for the trip, with an additional £20 to switch destinations from Venice to Malta, along with an extra £12 for accommodations in the city center.

In addition to these costs, they encountered a €3 tourist tax and had to pay €100 for transfers and meals. Despite the added expenses, they expressed dissatisfaction with the chosen location. Lauren, a 22-year-old from Maidstone, Kent, mentioned that she would be more cautious about similar deals in the future.

“We purchased our tickets in August 2025 and embarked on the journey in January 2026,” she stated. “While we didn’t anticipate a luxury experience for £99, we did expect a basic level of service, which we felt was lacking.”

“Initially, we opted for Malta over Venice by paying an extra £20 each, as we had already visited Venice but not Malta. We were thrilled about this change of plans when we discovered the option.”

“However, complications arose when they contacted us to confirm the booking. Despite our payment for Malta, we were informed that we could not travel there. Instead, we were given the choice of Prague or Venice without the option of a refund on the £20.”

“This was perplexing as we had already paid to avoid Venice. After multiple discussions and agent changes, we reluctantly secured our trip to Malta. Yet, my trust in the agency had already diminished by that point.”

“While the hotel itself was satisfactory, and the staff were friendly, we were disappointed to find out that the city center hotel we paid an extra £12 each for was actually a 30-minute drive away.”

“This was not what we had anticipated. Booking independently would have been far more economical. Additionally, the agency requested our easyJet login details to finalize the booking, assuring us that we could change the password later.”

“I believe a reputable travel service should manage such tasks without requiring access to our accounts. Overall, the experience was disheartening as it did not meet our expectations. There were limited amenities within walking distance, aside from a nearby convenience store, leaving us feeling shortchanged.”

“I am unlikely to repeat this experience. In the future, if I desire a mystery holiday, I would rather select destinations myself by drawing from a hat.”