Julie Page launches legal action against TUI after 'holiday horror' in Ibiza
06:00, 06 September 2019
A tourist whose family fell ill while on holiday in Ibiza is suing travel agents amid claims reps knew about a sickness bug but failed to tell them.
Julie Page, of Chatham, booked the trip to the Spanish island with travel giants TUI and has described it as a "horror holiday" vowing never to use the firm again.
A bug swept through the 386-room Fiesta Tanit Hotel with dozens of guests getting ill, which, she claims, reps told her they knew about before the family arrived for their 10-night holiday.
Ms Page says she was told the first incident was reported to the hotel on May 26 - more than a week before her family arrived on the Balearic isle - and the company should have told her about the problems before setting off on June 5.
The hairdresser, who travelled to the Spanish island with her partner, sister, brother-in-law and their children, is now taking legal action against them and called in lawyers to investigate after illness spread like “wild fire” through the three-star hotel.
Several guests were struck down with vomiting and diarrhoea and on one day Ms Page said 40 people were in reception reporting problems to hotel staff.
“We didn’t take any excursions and stayed at the hotel. I think it was just unfortunate,” she said.
“Half the hotel had it. They should have shut the hotel doors.”
"Half the hotel had it...they should have shut the hotel doors" - Julie Page
She says she did not see hand sanitiser in the hotel until their final night and saw no “deep clean” being carried out.
Ms Page, 50, says she was shocked the illness seemed to be “common knowledge” around the hotel but there had been no notes put through the doors warning guests and telling those affected to stay in their rooms for 48 hours.
One of the guests the family befriended during the trip was a cruise ship manager who was telling staff how to stop the illness spreading further.
“I’m so angry with TUI because I’ve been going on holiday with them for 20 years," said Ms Page.
"It’s a genuine complaint and they just don’t care. I will never go on holiday with them again.”
Ms Page fell ill just as the family were making their journey home and says she had to take Imodium so she could make it to the airport and was ill for several days after returning while one of the children was sick on the plane flying home.
Her sister fell so ill she had to have blood tests to monitor levels in her pancreas for three weeks after and Ms Page says the doctor was shocked by how high the readings were.
The family, who spent £4,500 on the trip, were into their eighth day when Ms Page’s brother-in-law and her partner, Stephen Hammond, both fell sick.
Ms Page says she just wanted an apology from TUI.
“They got my back up because of the aftercare,” she added.
“I wasn’t going down the compensation road but I think they should give us some money back because we lost two days.
“I just want them to say sorry."
A TUI spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear about this family’s experience on their holiday in Ibiza.
"As this is now a legal matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
“We would like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety, including hygiene."
Ms Page’s lawyer, Jatinder Paul, of Irwin Mitchell, said he was concerned so many people appeared to have been affected and urged others to come forward.
“It is vital that where appropriate, lessons are learned to prevent other people facing similar issues to what Julie encountered,” he added.
