Bride Hospitalised On Honeymoon

A honeymooning bride who ended up hospitalised as a result of ‘appalling conditions’ at a resort in Mexico says it was the worst trip she’d ever been on and one she’d rather forget.

Rajbir Somel, from international travel law specialists Irwin Mitchell, has called for urgent action to avoid others being affected by ‘substandard’ conditions at the Grand Riviera Princess hotel, at the Riviera Miya resort in Mexico, offered by First Choice Holidays and Flights Limited.

Patrick and Christina McGovern, both 31, from Glasgow, had set off on their honeymoon after their wedding in June and were immediately appalled by the conditions that greeted them at the *five* star hotel – the room smelt damp, the bath was filthy and covered in grime and limescale, and the Jacuzzi ran orange water. The couple also claim the dining room was ‘a disgrace’ with food being left exposed in red-hot conditions and tableware was ‘covered in grease and old food’.

Just four days into the honeymoon, Christina, a specialist heart nurse, started to suffer with diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting and saw the resort doctor who immediately referred her to hospital where she was diagnosed with carrying the Rotavirus, which is usually transmitted by the oral faecal route. She was hospitalised for two days and put on a drip.

The couple have now turned to travel law experts at Irwin Mitchell for help to pursue a claim against the tour operator after their £2624.00 holiday from hell.

Representing the couple, Rajbir Somel, travel law specialist at Irwin Mitchell, has urged other holidaymakers who may have been made ill at the resort to come forward. She said: “Our clients are rightly outraged at the standards at this hotel, which totally destroyed what was meant to be one of the most special and cherished experiences of their lives.

“Instead it was a devastating experience and one they’d rather forget.

“We are currently carrying out investigations amidst reports that our clients’ were not the only people who were affected this summer and are calling for immediate action to ensure no one else suffers as this couple did.

“If standards really have reached such poor levels that people are becoming ill as a result it is extremely worrying, and we strongly urge anybody else who has been made ill by conditions at the Grand Riviera Princess this summer to come forward to help our investigations.”

Commenting on her ordeal, Christina said: “We were devastated that our so called ‘luxury’ holiday was completely ruined. Words can’t describe how horrific it was to spend part of my honeymoon in hospital. I couldn’t believe that my dreams of a perfect start to my married life had been shattered by substandard conditions at the hotel.

“To add insult to injury, to have our complaints generally ignored and to receive minimal help and support from hotel reps was disgraceful. To us it was obvious that basic standards of cleanliness were not being adhered to, and when I got ill it wasn’t a surprise to us.

“To continue to suffer when I got home and need five weeks off work was the final devastating blow. This entire experience has been utterly horrendous for me and Patrick, the worst holiday either of us have ever been on.

“It’s so unfair not only for us, but everyone who worked so hard to make our wedding special, that our honeymoon is something we’d rather forget. Although nothing can make up for what we suffered, we deserve to be fairly recompensed for having the start to our married life tainted by such appalling standards at this resort.”