Irwin Mitchell Instructed To Investigate After Illness Problems following stay At Tia Heights Hotel, Egypt
A couple struck down with suspected E.coli illness while on holiday at a five-star luxury resort in Egypt have instructed Irwin Mitchell to investigate the illness suffered as the problems continue to affect them nine months on.
William and Gabrielle Dixon, from Barwell, Leicester, had travelled to the Tia Heights hotel in Makadi Bay, Egypt, in June last year as a break to help them overcome three significant bereavements of parents which had hit them hard.
However, just a few days into the holiday they were both suffering from severe gastric symptoms including stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. Gabrielle was diagnosed with suspected E.coli and unfortunately also went on to develop pneumonia.
Gabrielle had to go to hospital on her return home because she was so unwell and she continues to receive treatment now, nine months after their nightmare trip. The couple have instructed specialist travel illness lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the exact cause of their illness.
Clare Pearson, a specialist travel lawyer within Irwin Mitchell’s International Personal Injury Team, representing the couple, said:
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“The hotel is advertised as a luxury five-star hotel but it fell short of William and Gabrielle expectations and they have suffered from very serious gastric illness following their stay at the hotel. We are now investigating the cause of their illness.
“While they were on holiday the couple spoke to several other holidaymakers who had also suffered from illness and we would like to speak to anyone who may have information about the conditions at the Tia Heights hotel as it may help us with William and Gabrielle’s legal case.” Clare Pearson - Legal Executive & Associate
Gabrielle, 46, said: “One lunchtime I had a mouthful of rice which was almost cold and had to check from then on whether the food was hot or not before eating anything. We complained to a Tour representative present at the hotel and they just told us that we had made a mistake staying in this hotel and that we should have stayed at the one next door.
The couple also told lawyers that they had booked the hotel because it advertised several restaurants and bars serving worldwide cuisine including Italian, Egyptian and fresh seafood but only one Italian restaurant was open in addition to the buffet restaurant. Other complaints include:
- A lack of utensils for the food in the buffet meaning some people were picking up food with their fingers
- Mould in the hotel room bathroom and on the wall outside the bathroom
- The air conditioning unit in the hotel room was loose from the wall and hanging down while water was leaking from it.
- The couple had to go to the shop for extra toilet rolls and drinking water as it wasn’t provided when they asked the hotel for additional supplies.
- The couple had to pay for a late check-out to avoid sitting in reception whilst they were feeling ill.
William, 44, fell ill on the third day of the holiday with similar gastric symptoms. After returning home to the UK, Gabrielle visited an out-of-hours GP and was given a course of antibiotics for her lungs, the suspected E-Coli as well as steroids as part of her initial treatment. Her own GP also referred her to hospital for tests where X-rays confirmed pneumonia in her left lung.