Beach Club Hotel Holiday Illness
A major outbreak of illness has been reported by guests at a Spanish hotel, weeks after hundreds of former guests won their own £2.5m battle for compensation, a record legal action involving a Spanish hotel.
The latest outbreak at the Beach Club Hotel, Torremolinos involves illness among guests staying at the hotel in January and February 2008 although reports have been made of illness among guests for several months before then.
The latest problems have further confounded travel law experts Irwin Mitchell, who have successfully represented over 1000 holidaymakers who suffered illness after staying at the hotel.
Zena Hill (40) and her 3 children, Megan (13), Zoe (12) and Harrison (10) from Dartford in Kent travelled to the Beach Club hotel in late November 2007 with Thomson Holidays (TUI UK Limited).
The family reported poor hygiene conditions at the hotel, including undercooked food often left out for long periods of time. The family also reported that the restaurant floor was dirty and were aware of many complaints of gastric illness amongst guests including severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
Mrs Hill said "This was my first family holiday aboard with the children on my own and was intended to celebrate my 40th Birthday. We were so upset that it was ruined through illness and what has made it worse is to learn that similar outbreaks had occurred at this hotel."
Law firm Irwin Mitchell is investigating the latest outbreak and have already won damages totalling more than £3 Million from 7 English tour operators who had previously sent British Guests to the Hotel.
Clive Garner Head of the Travel Law team at Irwin Mitchell said:
"This hotel has an alarming history with more than 1000 guests contracting illness after staying there between 2000 and 2002, some of whom still continue to suffer illness today."
"Since 2002, there have been further sporadic reports of illness and poor hygiene conditions at this hotel but the reports of problems over recent months are causing a lot of concern. All reasonable steps should be taken by the management of hotels and tour operators to ensure people can stay at any hotel safely. If this cannot be done, then guests should not be sent there."
Mr Garner concluded: "We urge any tour operators who still use the Beach Club to give prospective guests full information about the incidence of illness at this hotel so that they can make an informed choice about whether they wish to stay there. Meanwhile if the hotel poses a real risk to the health of potential guests they simply should not be sent there."