Fancy a night in a wombat’s burrow? A quirky B&B is opening for Brits who have accidentally dug themselves into a travel hole over the summer.
People who confess to their best silly holiday blunders could be in with a chance of getting to stay at this cosy crib.
The ‘B&Burrow’, designed to resemble a wombat’s warren, is nestled among the dramatic landscape and ancient woodlands of the Mendip Hills, one of the UK’s areas of outstanding natural beauty.
The unique subterranean hideaway created by Compare the Market is characterised by snug tunnel-style living chambers, with design imagery showing a crawl-through kid’s entrance and bathroom with plush fluffy dressing gowns.
It comes after new research found nearly half of Brits (46 per cent) have admitted to making an accidental travel mistake – from booking tickets on the wrong date, to missing flights entirely.
The poll of 2,000 adults, who have been on holiday at least once, found one in three (33 per cent) have got on public transport going in the wrong direction. And six per cent have even turned up at the airport on the wrong date. A quarter (26 per cent) also made the mistake of missing a turning while driving, meaning they were late.
The marsupial-inspired warren has been created by Compare the Market to celebrate their characters, including mishap-prone Carl the Wombat.
Ursula Gibbs, director at Compare the Market, said: “If you’ve had what we’ve affectionately coined a ‘wombat moment’ – our B&Burrow is a unique retreat to soothe hapless holidaymakers, who’ve accidentally made a mishap while travelling.
“Despite his best intentions, our character Carl the Wombat sometimes doesn’t get it quite right.
“Our research shows a lot of us can relate to Carl on some level, from accidentally getting on the wrong bus to forgetting our passports for an international flight. At the end of the day, life is about learning from our mishaps and making great decisions for ourselves – what we like to call being more meerkat!”
When it comes to travel blunders, the research found 47 per cent of those who have made a mishap found themselves out of pocket as a result.
On average, this costs holidaymakers £143 each time – although some unlucky travellers had to stump up £1,000 or more.
Holidaymakers will get a chance to discover rooms packed with unforgettable features including a distinctive cube-shaped loo, as a playful nod to wombats being the only species in the world which produce square-shaped poo.
Near to the burrow’s entrance, visitors will find a luxury hot tub and plenty of places to bask in the sun.
Illustrations also show a characterful home with a unique decorating mishap in the adorable warren – a clock that’s been restored by drawing the missing numbers on paper and sticking it to the wall. Carl the Wombat’s signature yellow T-shirt can also be found hanging on the bedroom door for guests to wear.
Inside the burrow, visitors will be greeted with a welcome drink upon arrival and a grazing board with treats.
According to the findings, three in ten holiday makers say they make a travel mishap twice a year or more. But 59 per cent feel travel troubles are an unavoidable part of life, no matter how much planning goes into a journey.
The B&Burrow is ideal for holidaymakers who have made a travel mishap and need a special pick-me-up.
Participants have until midnight on August 27th to be in with a chance of securing a three-night stay for up to six in the signature ‘B&Burrow’ between Friday 15th to Monday 18th September – complete with tunnel entrance. To submit details of an ‘innocent travel mishap’, and for full competition T&Cs and design details of each burrow, click here.
Two luxurious tunnel-less retreats, accommodating two and four people respectively, will also be available to a couple of runners up.
Compare the Market TOP 10 TRAVEL ‘WOMBAT’ MISHAPS
- Got on the wrong public transport going in the wrong direction (33%)
- Missed the turning and had to drive for longer which meant I was late (26%)
- I wasn’t paying attention to the directions and went completely the wrong way (23%)
- Went to the wrong train platform at the train station and missed my train (20%)
- Didn’t check the weather forecast and packed the wrong items e.g. summery items for a cold trip (17%)
- Didn’t leave enough time and missed my connecting journey (16%)
- Boarded a train/bus and realised it was going to a destination with a similar name – e.g. Burley in Wharfedale, not Burley Park (15%)
- Drove to the wrong location after entering wrong address into the satnav (12%)
- I thought I knew better than using my phone’s directions and went completely the wrong way (12%)
- Didn’t check the traffic alerts before I left and I missed my connection as a result of traffic jams (10%)
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