‘Dirtiest guests of all time’ label an embarrassing end to postponed honeymoon, Kiwi mum says

Kiwi mum Bridie Henderson says being called “the dirtiest guests of all time” by the owner of a Cook Island holiday villa is an “insulting, embarrassing” end to a much-anticipated family holiday. 

The Wellington lawyer and her husband paid $4000 to stay in Rarotonga’s Kaireva Beach House with their two sons as a postponed honeymoon.

“That holiday was a real treat for us,” Henderson told Stuff. “We were married there a year ago today so it was like our honeymoon – just with the children. We’d never normally stay somewhere so expensive.”

Henderson said it was “quite upsetting” to receive an email from the villa owners demanding $780 for “mess” left behind. Susanna Wigmore accused the family of leaving rubbish, a “pestilential kitchen sink”, dirty dishes and fridge, and a stained sofa and sheets, as well as new marks on the floor.

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The email, which began by saying the family had “won the Award for the Dirtiest Guests of All Times in Kaireva Beach House”, was “disproportionate”, Henderson said. 

“It certainly detracted from the feel-good holiday vibes. It was a bit insulting and embarrassing actually because we are not dirty people. We were respectful of the fact it was their home.” 

Henderson conceded they didn’t leave the villa “spotless” as they had an early flight.

She said they hadn’t been told they would have to clean, and as Wigmore was cleaning it when they arrived, they assumed cleaning was included in the price. 

The House Rules on the accommodation’s TripAdvisor says: “no walking on shoes inside the house. Scratches and hits damages on noble wooden floor and walls would be deduced from the Refundable Damage Deposit”.

Henderson, who booked the accommodation via its website and paid by international bank transfer, said the family put their rubbish into bags and food scraps into a container for the chickens as discussed with Wigmore’s husband Robert.

As Wigmore had complained about the previous guests’ children leaving fingerprints on the walls, Henderson was especially vigilant about ensuring her children did not do the same. 

She said the floors were already scratched and marked, and no photos of the claimed damage have been provided.

Henderson said she “probably would have considered” paying the $780 requested if Wigmore had “politely” explained about cleaning.

However, the forthright email, which also lambasted the family for their “neglect for the general use of the house and the lack of respect for your hosts”, unnerved her so much she decided to contact Cook Islands Tourism. 

“[The tourism body] asked her to write to us and apologise but she refused. So it was at that pointed that I decided I would write a review on TripAdvisor,” Henderson said. 

The Wigmores have withdrawn their claim for the $780, she said.

The owners said the email was taken out of context.

Wigmore said she was “being ironic” with the “dirtiest guests” claim, adding: “It was a way for me to communicate my disappointment.”

She has called the response from the tourism body disappointing, “I’m not going to apologise, he should apologise to us.” A scheduled meeting was postponed by the office.

“The tourism industry is about all of us, the big debate is what do we do about visitors like these? There’s nothing we can do.”

Henderson said the family had a good experience at the villa overall, and considered the Wigmores’ complaints were due to a “communication breakdown or misunderstanding”.

“If she had gone about it in a different way, I wouldn’t have posted what I posted.”  

She would return to the Cook Islands – “but I probably won’t be rushing to stay in private accommodation again”.

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