A travel enthusiast who snapped up a £99 mystery holiday bargain soon found the experience descending into what she describes as a 'nightmare', with the trip proving far from the exciting adventure promised.
The Costly Upgrade Path
Lauren Kirby, 22, from Maidstone in Kent, along with a friend, each paid £99 for the basic mystery holiday package. Initially assigned Venice, they opted to pay an additional £20 per person to switch their destination to Malta, a place neither had visited before. Further expenses quickly mounted: an extra £12 each was paid to secure a city centre hotel location, on top of a €3 tourist tax and approximately €100 for transfers and food.
Despite this significant additional outlay, which totalled well over the original bargain price, Lauren asserts the overall experience was 'not worth it' and has left her wary of similar offers in the future.
Booking Confusion and Eroding Trust
"We purchased our tickets in August 2025 for travel in January 2026," Lauren explained. "While we never expected five-star luxury for £99, we did anticipate a fundamental level of customer service, which we feel was completely lacking."
The problems began when the travel agency called to confirm the booking. "We were informed we couldn't go to Malta, even though we had specifically paid to upgrade to that destination," Lauren recounted. "They offered Prague or Venice instead but refused to refund the £20 we'd already paid not to go to Venice. After extensive back-and-forth communication and being passed between different agents, it was reluctantly agreed we could still proceed to Malta. From that moment, my trust in them vanished."
Location Letdown and Security Concerns
The hotel itself was acceptable, and the staff were pleasant, but the major disappointment came with the location. Despite paying an additional £12 each for a city centre hotel, the accommodation was situated a 30-minute drive from the centre, with the only nearby amenity being a corner convenience shop.
"It simply wasn't what we paid for," Lauren stated. "Booking independently would have been considerably cheaper. Furthermore, the travel agents requested our easyJet login details to complete the booking, suggesting we could change the password afterwards. A reputable service should be able to handle bookings without needing access to our personal accounts."
Lessons Learned and Future Alternatives
The overall experience proved highly disappointing for the travellers, who felt they received little value for their extra expenditure. Reflecting on the ordeal, Lauren concluded: "I don't think I would attempt this again. If I want a mystery holiday in future, I'd prefer creating my own list of destinations and selecting one at random—it would likely be more straightforward and certainly more transparent."
This case highlights the potential pitfalls of ultra-budget mystery travel deals, where hidden costs and logistical issues can transform an anticipated adventure into a frustrating and expensive lesson in travel planning.
