British tourists told of their holiday from hell after an estimated 300 guests were struck down by a vomiting bug at a four-star hotel in Tenerife.
Furious Tony Gensler, 62, cut short his two-week break with wife Annette at the Barceló Santiago in Tenerife after the pair were left needing medical treatment.
The couple, from Cheltenham, Glos., jetted out to the Spanish Island for a fortnight’s break on March 2 – but flew home a week early on March 9 after suffering sickness.
Tony, who booked the 400 room four star hotel with Thomsons, said the couple were struck down with diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss.
He said that wife Annette, 62, was so ill she required immediate medical treatment and had since seen scores of tourists with similar complaints flood internet message boards.
”We’ve been to this hotel before but we noticed this time that the standards had really deteriorated,” said Tony.
”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.
”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.”
Richard Smart and Tracy Bennett, from Worcester, were also struck down with stomach cramps during their week-long holiday.
Richard said: ”It’s shocking that our holiday was ruined like this.
”We were supposed to be having a week’s break to recharge our batteries and we’ve come home feeling poorly and wishing we hadn’t gone.
”You don’t expect to turn up at your hotel and see ambulances parked outside and it just went from bad to worse after that.
”We were told that lots of other guests had also been affected and none of those people will be able to have their holiday again.
”Everyone’s holiday has been ruined and we’re really angry about that.”
The couples have sought legal advice from Birmingham-based travel law experts Irwin Mitchell Solicitors.
Clive Garner, head of the firm, said: ”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.”
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