'We turned up a year early for our holiday and were stuck in a hotel lobby'

Four sisters were dealt an embarrassing blow after a holidaybooking blunder caused them to turn up to their hotel an entire year early.

Nicole Collings and her three siblings were left in stitches in the lobby of the Hotel Royal in Florence, Italy, when they realised their mistake. The group had flown over to celebrate Nicole's 40th birthday, but after they arrived at the hotel reception, they were dealt with quite a shock. Mum-of-three Nicole was told the booking was actually made for 2026.

One of the sisters, Rachel, nicknamed "CEO" by the others for being the most organised, was in charge of the flights and accommodation at the time of the clumsy booking. It comes after awarning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain.

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The group were forced to stay in a two-bedroom basement room with no air conditioning because their original four-person suite was not available.

The four flew over to Florence from Southend, Essex, and were hoping for the larger suite at the Hotel Royal, which costs around £77 a night. Wanting to make the most of the birthday bash, the girls dropped their bags in the cramped room and left to explore the city.

The stay, from Friday, July 25 to Monday, July 28, was still “wonderful,” despite the blunder, the sisters said. “We all looked at each other in panic but then burst out laughing,” Nicole from Essex told Luxury Travel Daily.

“We were informed that there wasn’t a reservation for us. Rachel, who we call the CEO, showed the confirmation email to the receptionist, who then pointed out that the booking was actually for 2026.

It was a real mix of panic and humour, we decided to just go with it and make the best of the bad situation.

“The substitute room was really small, with a double bed and a single bed brought in. It had no hot water and no air con despite the boiling weather. We even had to manage getting ready with four girls using one tiny mirror,” Nicole added.

“The hotel staff were really amused by it, but they were also quite supportive, understanding the humorous side of the situation.

“We didn’t spend much time in the room due to its size and conditions. Despite the initial hiccup, we had a wonderful time together, and it was hilarious.

"We bring the vibes, we are extremely close and always have fun, our energy is electric. We haven't made any decisions about returning in 2026 yet.”