World Cup officials offer full refunds and free accommodation to disgruntled fans

Watch: Mixed reaction to Qatar 2022 accommodation

World Cup organisers have offered full refunds and free accommodation to disgruntled fans "severely impacted" by issues reported at the temporary villages erected in Doha.

Qatar officials have blamed "owner and operator negligence" after fans faced hours-long queues at check-in before turning up to unfinished or unsatisfactory accommodation.

A Qatari Supreme Committee spokesperson told Yahoo News: "We are aware that a number of fans have faced delays checking into select Fan Village accommodation due to owner and operator negligence.

"A section of units in these facilities, which are delivered and managed by different private entities, have not met the required standards that were advertised to fans."

Before the tournament, Qatar unveiled a 6,000-cabin village built on a car park near its airports for fans attending the World Cup. Guests have paid from £165 a night to £222 with board.

The spokesperson added: "While these sites are managed by independent commercial entities, rectifying these issues remains the utmost priority for the Supreme Committee.

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"Full refunds are being offered to fans severely impacted by this issue as well as alternative accommodation which will be free of charge for the duration of their stay."

Concerns about hotel room space and high prices for the rooms available have affected the Qatar World Cup, which lacks hotel capacity for all teams, workers, volunteers and fans.

This forced the organising committee to create camping and cabin sites, as well as hiring cruise ships, and encouraging fans to stay in neighbouring countries and fly in for games.

The World Cup Fan Village could hold as many as 12,000 people if booked at capacity, officials said.

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The brightly-coloured cabins have been designed to accommodate one or two people with twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet and a shower inside.

The Rawdat Al Jahhaniya Fan Village was still under construction last week as the World Cup kicked into gear.

Qatar is expecting 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup, with the peak number expected from this Thursday to Sunday, during the busy group stage.

In case bad weather like sandstorms or rain makes tents or fan villages uninhabitable during the tournaments, organisers revealed that "backup rooms in a different area" had been arranged, especially for those fans who had opted to stay in an open areas such as fan villages.

At the Free Zone Fan Village, the Associated Press reported that fans couldn't get to their rooms because the reception desk wasn’t sure who had already checked out.

"When we went to our room, it was all messed up," said Aman Mohammed, a 23-year-old from Kolkata, India. "It was stinking so bad, like a bad bathroom. It was pathetic."

Some fans are paying around £370 at the tented village at Al Khor, where there are reportedly no locks on tents, or beer on sale.

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