Damning comments on a social media site about a Perth hotel, where three people died, warned of a looming disaster.
Two sisters from Aberdeen and a “loving dad” from Edinburgh died in the Old County Hotel inferno in the early hours of Monday morning.
Described as “beautiful people” Donna Janse Van Rensburg, 44, and Sharon McLean, 47, both from Old Aberdeen, and Keith Russell, aged 38, originally from Edinburgh were found after the fire was extinguished.
Ms Janse Van Rensburg’s dog Joey – a three-year-old King Charles spaniel – also perished in the blaze.
In the months before the fire on January 2, guests at the hotel warned others not to stay at the County Place budget hotel.
Shaun Sievwright who spent New Year with the Aberdeen sisters described them as “full of life”.
He said: ” I didn’t know the ladies previously, just met them on New Years eve in Perth and spent into the early hours of the morning with them on Sunday at the club.
“They were so warm and friendly and a pleasure to have met and so full of life and happy.
“It is extremely sad and my thoughts are deeply with their family and friends and these were lives lost far too early.”
He was one of many to pay tribute to the women, while the family of Mr Russell said he would be sorely missed.
It is understood that the women were staying at the £25-per-night hotel over the New Year period.
An investigation by our sister newspaper The Courier has revealed that there were serious concerns raised about the hotel only three weeks before the deadly fire.
‘The best part of our stay was leaving’
Guests at the hotel spoke of exposed wires and threadbare carpets on Tripadvisor.
One customer Carly M, who stayed in December, graded the hotel as one star out of five – describing her experience as “terrible”.
She said: “Nope! Stay away ! Turn back and don’t even bother!
“The stair carpet is threadbare, not sure when that poor excuse of a carpet took it last breath, but I’m more than sure it was circa 1970s if not earlier.
“On the way to our room we passed some sort of office, cupboard which had an open bag of rubbish just sitting at the entrance. Continued to our room along the dark corridor, swear we were in some type of Hammer Horror film, we have made it to our bedroom, safely thankfully.
“On crossing the threshold of our room we both just stood there, taking in sight before us. I honestly have never walked into a room in such a dire state than this one, it was freezing cold, window left open, parts of the window had been stained yellow from years of smoking, the bed base wasn’t even together, the pillow still had the indent of the last poor guests head in it.”
Another, Pam M, who was staying with family described it as “igloo central”.
She said: “Stayed at this hotel with my 10 year old granddaughter on December 10. We had a horrendous stay the hotel was dark and dingy and unwelcoming.
“The staff were unconcerned. There was no heating in the hotel despite being advertised we had to sleep in our outdoor clothes the wee one was frozen and her teeth were chattering.
“The best part of our stay was leaving.”
Adim from London said: “Overall, this is a one out of 10 hotel to stay at, I will not stay there again, but the only thing I can’t complain about is that it’s £25 a night, but to be honest I would rather you stayed in a tent.”
Another woman, Nicole D, warned people to avoid the hotel, saying “needs shut down”.
After a stay in November, she wrote on Tripadvisor: “The hotel was what one could only describe as worn, tattered and in need of a thorough revamp.
“The staircase was narrow and steep (expected for an older hotel) but the carpets were lifting and handrails, doorways and walls are in desperate need of multiple coats of paint to hide the damp marks and dirt scuffed up them.
She added: “The plug socket seemed to hang from the wall, there was a terrible smell coming from the toilet and an array of stains on the roof of our room.”
Investigation is underway
At its height, more than 60 firefighters and nine fire appliances were mobilised to the scene after the alarm was raised at 5.02am.
Area commander Jason Sharp, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s local senior officer for Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross, said: “We extend our deepest sympathies to all of those affected by this tragic event and our thoughts are with the friends and families of those who sadly passed away.
“This was an extremely serious incident and a joint investigation alongside Police Scotland is ongoing.
“It is important to allow the joint investigation to continue to establish the full facts and circumstances.”
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