Rocky start for trio as campsite fails to deliver

It was definitely a rocky start on the rocky road to Poland for 100 Irish fans who were evicted from a campsite they had paid €150 per head to stay in.

The homeless fans had booked with Hotelioni, which promised a campsite to rival anything in Poland for the Euros. However, the reality was turned out to be somewhat different.

Apparently unlicensed, the camp was closed and fans were given an hour to pack their bags and leave. Although Hotelioni said they would find alternative accommodation for those evicted, that did not pan out.

Cork trio Colin, Alan and Will Foley were among those left without a roof over their heads and said they would try to recoup the money they lost from Bookings.com.

“We booked it on a reputable site so we thought everything would be all right,” said Colin. “Then we turned up and it was a disaster. There was nothing there. There was no hotel in Hotelioni for a start. We did one night in it, well more like a few hours, and we were evicted that morning.”

According to Will, what was promised on the advertisements selling the campsite was nothing like the reality. “It wasn’t really what it said on the tin. We had seen graphics and it all looked great. It had a 24-hour help desk, bars and a nightclub. Sure we thought it would be like the Gleneagles in Killarney. There was nothing there. There were bulldozers in spreading sand when we arrived,” said Will.

After shelling out €150 a head on a campsite that didn’t exist, the owner of the mythical campsite offered the lads a room in his own apartment for two nights for 1,200 zloty.

“We went in and sure it was his own place. There were clothes piled up and his bloody shaving equipment. The bath was about two foot long. Jesus, you’d get foot and mouth or bloody bird flu if you got in it. Then he was cagey about giving us a key so we just decided against it.”

After making it into the city centre in Poznan, the lads managed to book a room for two in a hostel. That there were three of them didn’t seem to be a concern.

“Sure look, we got a hostel for two of us and I’ll sneak in and sleep under the bed. We’re here now, the weather is great, the beer is great. There is nowhere else to be. Hopefully, the Irish Examiner might sponsor us when we get to Gdansk,” joked Will.