Luperon Beach Resort

Two women who fell ill while on holiday at the Luperon Beach Resort in Dominican Republic are demanding answers from their tour operator.

The pair have spoken of the poor hygiene standards at the hotel and say that other guests were also affected, with some boycotting food and trying to get early flights home.

Gillian Susan Harding travelled to the Luperon Beach Resort with her daughter Louise Kimber. They have now instructed travel law specialists at Irwin Mitchell to help them get answers from tour operator Thomas Cook.

Miss Kimber, who suffered gastric illness while on holiday and on her return to the UK, said: “Me and mum were both really excited about the trip but as soon as we arrived at the hotel we noticed that things were not right.

“The pool and the communal toilets were absolutely filthy and the restaurant was a disgrace and often served undercooked food. The hotel is a health and safety nightmare and Thomas Cook should not be recommending it.”

Ms Harding added: “The holiday representatives didn’t seem to care at all that so many of the guests staying there were sick. The holiday was supposed to be a treat for me after a bad year, and my daughter paid for it all. It was so upsetting for us both that her hard earned money was wasted on the holiday from hell.”

Amandeep Dhillon of Irwin Mitchell’s travel law team is representing the women and says that the issues at the hotel need to be dealt with as soon as possible.

He said: “It is clear that there is a serious issue at this hotel which staff and Thomas Cook have failed to adequately deal with. Our clients’ holidays were completely ruined and it appears that they weren’t the only ones to suffer. We have seen reports of illness on holiday review websites with some holidaymakers saying pork kebabs were served that were raw in the middle.

“The minimum that guests deserve on holiday is to return home fit and healthy. Tour operators should ensure that health and safety standards are maintained.

“We feel that action must be taken at this hotel to safeguard the health of future guests. Gillian and Louise also need assurances that lessons have been learned and that nobody else will suffer in the way that they did.”