British holidaymakers were left needing IV drips after falling ill with a severe gastric bug at a four-star hotel in Turkey. Guests staying at the Holiday Village Hotel, Sarigerme, reported suffering from sickness and diarrhoea during their stay.
One tourist even claimed to have heard from hotel staff about faecal matter and vomit in the swimming pool. Melissa Davidson and Paige Pottinger, both 32, decided to take their families to the resort in May this year, having met on holiday in 2022.
However, Paige’s son Oakley, seven, quickly fell ill with sickness and diarrhoea, followed by his dad Michael, 41, and brother Roman, three. Paige and her son Noah, four, also fell ill, with Noah requiring an IV drip.
The rest of the family began to recover after several days, but Paige continued to feel unwell and sought medical advice for severe stomach pain upon returning to the UK. Although tests came back clear, Paige had to take time off work until her symptoms improved.
She expressed: “We’d been planning this trip for some time and to bring our families together for one big joint holiday. It was supposed to be a great time for us all to catch up and for the kids to have a fun time together. This trip cost us a lot of time to organise, not to mention the cost and none of us expected to have the holiday from hell in return.
“All of us were so ill, but myself and Noah seemed to get the worst of it. It’s awful to see your children so ill, and to try and comfort them when they’re being placed on drips is heartbreaking. Not least when you’re so ill yourself. Nothing can makeup for what we all went through, but given the numbers of people who were ill, we deserve some answers and assurances,” reports Stoke on Trent Live.
NHS worker Melissa and her two children Logan, 13, and Bella, six, began to fall ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea just three days into the holiday. They all had to visit a local clinic and pay for IV drips but Melissa says she has “never felt so ill.”
Melissa stated: “This trip was one Paige and I had been planning for a while. We were really looking forward to getting our families together for a fun time abroad and I still can’t believe the way things turned out. I’ve never felt so ill and it was shocking to see all the children become so sick as well. You feel so helpless in that situation and you just naturally begin to think terrible thoughts.”
Families who paid a total of £6,000 for their holiday have complained about the poor condition of the hotel complex, citing dirty upholstery and a lack of cleanliness. They claim that new food was simply added to existing dishes in the buffet areas without any rotation, and that it was often left out for extended periods.
Melissa stated: “I was just glad for all of us to get home. It all could have been much, worse. Now safely home, Paige and I want answers about what happened to us and our families. I’m sure other people were sick too and I think we need to hear what is being done to prevent this happening to other families in the future.”
Ryan Charlesworth, 39, who paid £2,782 for a week-long stay at the hotel with his wife Toni, 36, fell ill just a few days into his holiday. He experienced high temperatures, body aches, headaches, severe diarrhoea with blood, and delirium.
Upon returning to the UK last month, he was hospitalised. The self-employed carpenter was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, which doctors believe was caused by salmonella, and his liver and kidneys were also inflamed.
He alleges that he heard from hotel staff about faeces and vomit in the swimming pool.
Ryan shared his harrowing experience: “This was meant to be our annual relaxing break in the sun. By the end of it, I started to wonder if I’d make it through. This is the worst illness I’ve experienced and when Toni saw how ill I was in resort, the doctor was called in twice. I’m told I was delirious at that point and all I remember was the sickness and the pain. I was determined to make it home and somehow survived the flight but I knew I was far from right.”
He expressed frustration over not being informed about previous guests falling ill, saying, “I know I’m not the only person to have fallen ill at this hotel and we understand several others were sick earlier in the year. If there were issues that were known about I feel we had a right to be warned in advance.”
Jatinder Paul, an expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, commented on the situation with concern: “The first-hand accounts we’ve heard from the families regarding their holidays at this hotel in Turkey are deeply disturbing. Particularly given the significant history of claims over the last 15 or so years. Worryingly, the latest reports of illness and substandard hygiene at the hotel appears to show history repeating itself once again.
“Gastric illnesses, particularly bacterial infections such as Salmonella, can lead to very serious long-term health complications and their impact should never be downplayed. While it’s too late for these families, understandably they still want answers on how they all came to fall so ill. We’re committed to providing them with the answers they deserve.
“If during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, action must be taken to ensure other holidaymakers don’t continue to have the same experiences in future. As part of our investigations, we’d be interested in hearing from other guests who fell ill while staying at the same hotel as this group.”
TUI has been approached for comment.