Fifth Summer Of Problems At Sarigerme Hotel

Clive Garner, a leading holiday illness lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, has demanded that First Choice sorts out hygiene problems at the Holiday Village Turkey or stop sending holidaymakers to the hotel.

Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell have received enquiries from more than 500 holidaymakers whose holidays at the hotel were ruined by illness. This is the fifth summer in a row that British tourists staying at Holiday Village Turkey have fallen ill.

Irwin Mitchell now manages claims for more than 1000 Brits who have stayed at the hotel in Sarigerme, which used to be known as the Pegasus Palace but became the Holiday Village Turkey in 2007 after repeated illness outbreaks.

More than 35 of those taken ill this year have reported suffering from salmonella, with 3 others reporting suffering from campylobacter. Many other holidaymakers are waiting for lab results after seeking medical treatment when they returned to the UK.

Guests have made a number of complaints about the hotel, including faeces in the swimming pools.

A number of those who suffered illness needed hospital treatment in the resort. In other cases entire families fell ill and one baby needed to be put on a drip.

Clive Garner, Head of Travel Litigation at Irwin Mitchell said: “The history of illness at this hotel is simply indefensible. Despite something as serious as Salmonella being confirmed at this hotel for the last four years, First Choice has continued to allow people to travel there this summer and now once again we are seeing large numbers of guests struck down with Salmonella food poisoning.

“We have made it clear time and time again that something had to be done at this hotel. Last year, after almost 500 people instructed us to pursue claims for them, we urged First Choice to take action. We said a year ago that fundamental changes in the hotel’s food hygiene standards and procedures needed to be put in place, maintained and carefully monitored. Clearly, not enough has been done.”

Garner added: “So far this summer, we have been contacted by 500 guests of the Holiday Village Turkey, but from previous experience of claims arising at this hotel and many others we fear that this is just the tip of the iceberg. With reports of undercooked food and unhygienic practices across a period of four months, many other peoples’ health could have been put at risk by sheer negligence on the part of the hotel operators.

“What’s more, First Choice will send hundreds and possibly thousands more customers to this hotel in the coming weeks. The very least these customers deserve is to be told about the problems and the risks of going so they can make an informed choice to continue with their holiday there or choose another hotel.

“Tour operators have a duty of care to ensure that the hotels where they send their customers meet health and safety standards that are in place for a very good reason. If they cannot ensure holidaymakers’ safety, the answer is simple – stop sending them there.”