A group of British holidaymakers have been diagnosed with a stomach illness after attending a family wedding at a five-star hotel overseas.
Around two dozen people who stayed at the TUI Blu Sensatori Atlantica Aphrodite Hills hotel in Kouklia, Cyprus, said they experienced symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and fever.
This includes Charlotte Warner, 29, and her partner Paul Richard, 40, who flew to the hotel for the wedding on October 11 last year.
Charlotte had been doing well until the last day of her two-week hospital stay, when she suddenly suffered vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and headache.
She collapsed while passing through the airport and was diagnosed with gastroenteritis by her GP when she returned to the UK.
Charlotte said: “I had never felt that sick before but I knew I had to get to the airport somehow.
“I don’t know what I would have done otherwise, especially with my young son to look after.
“After a few days I was still feeling unwell and my GP said there wasn’t much they could do other than keep me hydrated.
“I literally couldn’t do anything for myself. I was in complete shock.”
Charlotte said she had seen food left uncovered at buffets and the same dishes being served multiple times.
She also claims that new dishes were added to old ones and that some items on the buffet were clearly undercooked or moldy.
Charlotte, from Brighton, East Sussex, added that the restaurant area is full of flies and birds and stray cats sometimes climb onto the table.
The mum-of-one said: “The whole family was looking forward to being out for the wedding and thankfully the day passed without any incident.
“We all had raised concerns about the food and hygiene standards, especially as a five-star hotel.
“We had heard that other people were getting sick, but we seemed fine until the day we were to come home.”
A 31-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, were also at the hotel for the same wedding.
However, the woman missed her flight as she felt unwell and was taken to hospital by ambulance, where she was diagnosed with bacterial gastroenteritis.
The marketing manager had to stay a further two nights in another hotel before being allowed to fly back to his home in Bournemouth, Dorset.
She said: “We had been really looking forward to this trip as a family wedding and an opportunity to enjoy a two-week holiday in the sun with family and friends in a five-star hotel.
“It seemed like the perfect combination, but the final few days mean it will be one of those holidays that will be memorable for all the wrong reasons.
“When I got to the airport I knew I couldn’t get on the plane, but at that point I was so sick it didn’t matter anymore.
“I was so scared, when the ambulance arrived I feared the worst.
“It took me a few weeks to get going again.
“The medical bills also cost me £1,800 (about US$1,966), but at least I can tell my story here.
“I shudder to think what it would be like if an older person or a child had to go through what I did.
“I can’t make up for what happened, but the least I deserve is answers.”
Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell LLP, is appealing for anyone who was staying at the hotel during that period to come forward.
He said: “All our clients were looking forward to having a family wedding in a luxury hotel, but it was ruined when several of them got sick with gastroenteritis at the end of their stay.”
“The impact of these diseases should never be underestimated, as they can have serious health consequences in the long term.”
“Obviously, our customers have a lot of questions about why they got so sick.
“We are currently investigating their case to get the answers they deserve.
“If issues are found during an investigation, it is important that lessons are learned from them to prevent other travellers from having a similar experience in the future.
“We’ve heard that several other people who were at the hotel also got sick at the same time.
“As part of our investigation we would like to hear from anyone else who was staying at the hotel around the same time.”
TUI has been contacted for comment.
