Illness On Holiday In Turkey

Expert travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have urged tour operators to improve hygiene standards at the Didim Beach Resort and Spa after a couple’s honeymoon was ruined by illness.

Melissa Swinhoe and her husband were on honeymoon at the five-star rated Turkish hotel when Melissa was infected with Giardia, a parasitic infection.

Melissa’s parents were also staying at the resort to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary and they too suffered with gastric illness.

Since returning to the UK, all three family members have continued to suffer health problems as a result of their illnesses.

The family have now asked travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help them make a compensation claim.

Lawyers at the firm were also contacted by a number of guests who fell ill at the same hotel in 2009.

Melissa Swinhoe said: "We were extremely disappointed with the conditions at the Didim resort. It was supposed to be a five-star resort but ended up being a total nightmare.

"Our holiday was meant to be a celebration of two marriages, but in the end there was little time to celebrate and we were just delighted to return home.

"The hotel served food which had already been leftover from earlier meals and there was both vomit and faeces in the swimming pool. It was disgusting."

The family were treated with medication while at the hotel. When they returned home their GP diagnosed them as suffering with Giardia

Travel lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are now urging First Choice, the tour operator, to stop sending holidaymakers to the resort unless standards are improved.

A number of other holidaymakers have made complaints on travel websites, with reports of cold or undercooked food being served and people suffering E. coli and salmonella.

David Sumner, an expert in holiday illness claims at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Tour operators are responsible for ensuring the safety of their customers and must take reasonable steps to do so.

"Time and again we are asked to help holidaymakers who have suffered serious illnesses because tour operators have sent them to hotels which have substandard hygiene levels.

"We are very concerned that our clients suffered severe food poisoning at the Didim Resort and Spa. We will now look to work with tour operator First Choice and hope that they will work with us to resolve the matter on behalf of our clients promptly and amicably. If not, then regrettably legal proceedings will follow.

"In the meantime, unless hygiene standards at the hotel dramatically improve, we urge First Choice and all tour operators to stop sending guests to the resort."