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Holidaymakers Complain Of Illness At Barcelo Santiago Hotel
Published date:
23 Mar 2010
A number of British tourists have complained that their winter holidays at the Barcelo Santiago Hotel in Tenerife were ruined by an illness outbreak.
Guests at the hotel reported ambulances taking victims of the illness outbreak to hospital.
Internet holiday review sites have been flooded with negative reviews, prompting specialist travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to urge bosses and tour operators to resolve the situation as soon as possible. Reports suggest as many as 300 people may have been taken ill.
Tony Gensler from Cheltenham is among the guests affected. He travelled to the Barcelo Santiago Hotel with his wife Annette on a Thomson holiday. Both were taken ill and had to fly home from their holiday a week early.
The couple flew home on the 9th March and are still suffering the symptoms of their illness, including diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss. They said they had heard of a number of other guests with similar problems.
“We’ve been to this hotel before but we noticed this time that the standards had really deteriorated. The food at the hotel restaurant was like school dinners and we could smell sewage in our room, which the hotel staff came to investigate but the problem persisted,” said Mr Gensler.
“You don’t expect to go on holiday for two weeks and come back after just seven days but it was unbelievable. We’re still suffering from ongoing symptoms now and the whole holiday was ruined. If you want to clear your stomach and lose weight through illness, I would highly recommend this hotel.”
Other guests have contacted Irwin Mitchell after their holidays were also ruined.
Clive Garner, an expert in holiday illness claims and head of Irwin Mitchell’s travel law team, said: ““You only have to listen to the people who have been calling us and read the review websites to know that something has gone badly wrong here.
“This hotel’s managers and the tour operators with customers staying there now and more due to travel there in the coming weeks have a duty to find out what exactly is going on and get it sorted out. They must know that there’s a problem. Why haven’t they got to grips with it before now?”
Garner added: “We’re not talking about one or two people or a minor problem here. Clearly, a very large number of people have fallen very ill in a very short space of time, with some requiring treatment in hospital. That’s appalling and action is needed immediately. We call on the hotel's management and those tour operators who have sent guests there to carry out urgent investigations and ensure this hotel is safe for people to travel to. If there is any risk that it is unsafe, future guests should be fully warned of the risks and given the opportunity to travel to another hotel.
“But for those people whose holidays have already ended in tears and frustration, they have a right to fair compensation. Sadly, in outbreaks of illness like this, many of those affected go on to develop long-term illness, sometimes resulting in significant financial losses and expenses. Even those guests who suffer only short term illness may still be eligible to recover substantial compensation.
“In line with many similar past cases that we have dealt with, we expect the number of guests who instruct us to pursue claims will continue to rise steeply during the next few days."
Have you been affected by illness at the Barcelo Santiago Hotel? If so, you may be able to claim compensation. Contact us for free advice about a possible claim on 0800 056 0066 or complete our enquiry form and we will call you back.
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