What was supposed to be a relaxing luxury vacation turned into a nightmare for one British tourist after he fell ill from eating some hotel food.
Just three days into a ‘luxury’ getaway at the Hotel Riu Touareg, in Cape Verde, on September 25, Niall Quinn, 45, suddenly fell ill. He went straight to the hospital upon returning to the UK to get an IV drip and some painkillers and where doctors officially diagnosed him.
Watch to check out the hotel he stayed in.
[rumble video_id=v5sn2d domain_id=u7nb2]
Video credit: Rumble
The illness ruined Niall’s all-inclusive holiday that was supposed to be his special time together with his partner, who wishes to remain anonymous.
He has now contacted travel litigation specialists Hudgell Solicitors for legal advice.
As it turns out, the law firm is also handling the cases of more than a dozen tourists who also fell ill at the same five-star hotel and with outbreaks occurring for the last three years, they have ‘serious concerns’ about the way the hotel operates. Niall is only the latest in the list of tourists who took ill at the hotel.
Niall, an operations manager, said: “We were really excited about this holiday and had booked into the adult-only area of the hotel to ensure we had a relaxing time, as it was our only break of the year.
“When we arrived it looked amazing from the outside, just like it does on the brochures and websites, but once we were inside it was very different and soon turned into a nightmare.
“We never left the hotel as it is really in the middle of nowhere and we ate in the restaurant on site.
“On the second night, I had a mixed kebab which just didn’t seem right. I wasn’t sure whether it was just because things are cooked differently abroad, but I had my concerns.
“The next day I was in agony with stomach cramps and really suffering with constant diarrhea which lasted for the remainder of the holiday. It completely ruined our break as I was unable to leave the room.
“A couple of days later my partner started suffering from the same illness, and it was clear other people were suffering too, as many people were not eating at all towards the end of the week and were just having water.
“The whole place just didn’t feel hygienic. There were cats roaming around the swimming pool area and they were drinking out of peoples’ glasses that had been left on the floor by their sun loungers when they were swimming.
“On one occasion my partner saw dead flies in the banana yogurt. By this stage, we were both poorly and desperately seeking natural yogurt, as we had been told it would help, but there was none and we would not have touched any further food after seeing that.”
Niall was supposed to start at his new job when he returned from his vacation but was forced to delay his start by a week because he was so ill. His partner also had to take four days off from work upon their return home.
Reviews and comments at TripAdvisor also contain stories about poor hygiene and widespread sickness that guests contracted at the hotel.
Michelle Nurse, of Hudgell Solicitors, says the fact that several guests become ill while staying at the hotel is a clear concern.
Michelle added: “Sadly we are being contacted regularly regarding illnesses suffered whilst families are staying at this hotel complex and as a result, we have been instructed to represent people in seeking damages in each of the past three years.
“We are talking about serious illnesses in some cases which have had a long-standing impact on the people we represent. We have one client whose illness remains serious two years after they became ill whilst at the hotel, the causes of which are still being investigated.
“Others have been diagnosed with food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia.
“Our advice to tourists would certainly be to take extra precautions regarding hygiene if traveling to this island. We would advise taking over the counter medication such as Dioralyte and Immodium with them on their travels.”
Hotel Riu Touareg’s Online Reputation Manager was forced to acknowledge a recent ‘increase in reports of cases of gastric discomfort’ in response to numerous complaints on TripAdvisor.
The hotel states: “During the first days of October we perceived an increase in reports of cases of gastric discomfort by some guests, which has now ended. Our specific hygiene protocols were immediately activated.
“To put your mind at rest, we would like to inform you that we are experiencing a favorable evolution of the reported cases of gastric illnesses and that our guests are enjoying their stay as usual.”
A TUI spokesperson added: “We are sorry to hear of Mr. Quinn’s experience. As this is now a legal matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
“We’d like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety, including hygiene.”
Replaced!