Illness at Kadikale Resort and Spa, Bodrum

06/07/10

Leading travel law experts Irwin Mitchell have repeated demands for tour operators to take immediate action after being contacted by a furious holidaymaker who suffered illness so severe she was rushed to hospital and put on a drip whilst staying at a popular Turkish hotel with a history of outbreaks.

Colin Pearson, 52, and Karen Pearson, 48, stayed at the Kadikale Resort and Spa at Bodrum in May but sought advice from the law firm after Karen suffered severe gastric illness.  Irwin Mitchell is already handling 19 complaints against the hotel dating back to 2008.

The couple from Salford stayed at the resort for one week.  Halfway through the holiday, Mrs Pearson was taken ill with acute gastroenteritis, suffering diarrhoea, abdominal pain and sickness and, after consulting the resort doctor, was taken to hospital where she was put on a drip for four hours.

She said: “I noticed that uncooked chicken waiting to be barbecued was just stored in plastic bags and not refrigerated, while the potato salad tasted really strange and nasty.  I also thought that sometimes food that hadn’t been eaten at one sitting was rehashed and served up again at the next one.  I also noticed that the toilets by the pool were dirty and really needed cleaning.

“When I was taken to the clinic I was told that I was badly dehydrated.  I’m normally a very healthy person and you just don’t expect to get that ill on holiday,” she added.

Rajbir Somel, a travel expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: “We are currently investigating Mr and Mrs Pearson’s claims.  We already act for 19 people who stayed at this hotel in 2008.  They too complained about the food, saying that it was often undercooked and served only lukewarm, and that food not eaten at one meal appeared to be served up again at the next.

“It is extremely worrying that we are again receiving reports of illness at this hotel and similar complaints about the food hygiene standards. It would appear that conditions have simply not improved.

“This latest complaint appears to have been caused by basic failures in hygiene and food safety.  We again demand immediate action to ensure that a review of procedures is undertaken so that other people are not sent to a hotel where they risk contracting serious illness.”