Tourists at the Turkish hotel were forced to have IV drips – with one holidaymaker claiming he heard reports from hotel staff there was poo and vomit in the swimming pool
A group of Brits were struck down with sickness and diarrhoea after suffering from a severe gastric illness while staying at a four-star hotel in Turkey.
Tourists at the Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme were forced to have IV drips with one holidaymaker claiming he heard reports from hotel staff there was poo and vomit in the swimming pool. Families who forked out thousands for the trip say the hotel complex looked in a poor state of repair, including dirty upholstery and a general lack of cleanliness.
Canteen staff also reported pouring new food on top of existing ones in the buffet areas that had been left out for long periods of time. Ryan Charlesworth, 39, splashed £2,782 for his week-long stay at the hotel with his wife Toni, 36, but just days in, suffered from a high temperature, aches, pains and headaches.
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When he returned to the UK, he was hospitalised after developing severe diarrhoea, with blood in his poo and delirium. The self-employed carpenter was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and was found to have an inflamed liver and kidneys, which doctors believe was a result of salmonella.
Ryan claims he heard hotel staff mentioning poo and vomit in the swimming pool. He said: “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 the 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.”
Ryan, from Sidcup, Kent, says the hotel should’ve “warned in advance” that several others were sick after staying there earlier this year. He said: “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.”
Melissa Davidson and Paige Pottinger, both 32, met on holiday in 2022 and decided to take their families to the resort in May this year. But Paige’s son Oakley, seven, soon became ill with sickness and diarrhoea, followed by his dad Michael, 41, and brother Roman, three. Paige then fell ill alongside her son Noah, four, who was placed on an IV drip, and had to see her GP with severe stomach pain when she returned to the UK.
She said: “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 a 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 make up for what we all went through, but given the number of people who were ill, we deserve some answers and assurances.”
Paige was joined by NHS worker Melissa and her two children Logan, 13, and Bella, six. All of them fell ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea just three days in. They went to a local clinic for IV drips but Melissa says she has “never felt so ill.” Melissa, from Devon, said: “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.”
Melissa said: “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.”
Jatinder Paul, an expert international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell said: “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 appear 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 contacted for a comment.
