Illness At Gran Bahia Principe Hotel

Tour operator TUI UK Ltd has admitted liability after a number of British holidaymakers fell ill while staying at the Gran Bahia Principe Hotel in Cayacoa, Samana, in the Dominican Republic in 2009.

The tourists, including a groom taken ill on his honeymoon, approached holiday illness experts at Irwin Mitchell Solicitors to make a compensation claim for their ruined holidays.

Keith Butcher from Benfleet in Essex is one of those seeking compensation. Less than a week into his two-week holiday he was struck down with diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps. His symptoms were so severe that he had to go to hospital and was ill for months after returning to the UK.

Mr Butcher said: “It is a huge relief to us that TUI UK Ltd has admitted liability. I hope that this case will ensure that improvements are made and that other travellers to the Dominican Republic won’t have the same nightmare experience on holiday that we did.

“When you book with one of the big tour operators you expect that standards of cleanliness at your hotel will be reasonable, but this was clearly not the case at Gran Bahia Principe. I saw staff clean the toilets and not bother washing their hands before touching the same surfaces as the chefs. We were forced to eat with filthy cutlery and the food at the buffet was left uncovered in the heat.”

Members of the group suffered various illnesses, including salmonella food poisoning and amoebic dysentery.

Travel law expert Rajbir Somel of Irwin Mitchell urged other holidaymakers not to accept tour operators putting their health at risk. Rajbir said: “We are very pleased that TUI UK Ltd has admitted liability for these unfortunate holidaymakers. We also represent nine others who stayed at the Gran Bahia Principe last summer and we hope that the tour operator will also accept liability for their claims.

“We hope that TUI UK Ltd will learn from these cases. Travellers expect that basic hygiene standards will be in place at hotels and it is a tour operator’s responsibility to ensure that this is the case.”