Cape Verde: Autumn holidaymakers at Sol Dunas battle ‘sickness’, blast hygiene

Dozens of TripAdvisor reviewers spending autumn holidays at the Sol Dunas hotel in Cape Verde have claimed that poor food hygiene left large numbers of guests in considerable discomfort with sickness and diarrhoea.

If you are a traveller who has fallen ill on holiday and you can prove that it was due to the negligence of a tour operator, restaurant, or hotel, get in touch with Holiday Claims Bureau to file your food poisoning compensation claim. We will fight for your rightful compensation. Contact us on 01618132131 or start your claim online now using our online form.

The hotel is situated on the seafront of the island of Sal, close to the white sands of Algodoeiro beach.  UK-based tour operator TUI offers all-inclusive stays at the family hotel with a 4-‘T’ rating.

LucyS488, posting about a November stay, says that food hygiene and was a ‘huge issue’ at the Sol Dunas, and that sickness meant her partner ended up stuck in the room for 3 days of the holiday:

“…hygiene standards are pretty much absent. Raw meat sat next to lukewarm cooked sauces, lukewarm food going cold in dishes at the buffet and two other restaurants, and so many flies landing on everything – cross-contamination is almost guaranteed.

“The resulting medical symptoms (sickness/diarrhoea) completely ruined our holiday. This needs dealing with immediately, as it’s not acceptable to put your guests at risk by not taking responsibility for this issue! ”

“There is a lack of hygiene here”

Another late November guest, posting as ‘Just a girl from London’ makes similar observations after being struck down with what she describes as ‘food poisoning’.

“We ate in spices restaurant around 7pm, and at around 12:30am I awoke to immediately vomit and have severe dihorrea which led me to the hospital on the island at 4am.

I have spent the last day in pain and discomfort due to stomach cramps which has ruined my time here. The hotel staff are so lovely and friendly and it is not done to be malicious but there is a lack of hygiene here i.e. flies on food, uncovered raw meat. I hope they get this sorted because it is a beautiful resort.”

The hotel’s general manager has posted a reply on TripAdvisor denying that gastric illness has been a widespread issue:

“Kindly be aware that the food is prepared according to the international standard and safety norms under the strict supervision of our executive chef and his team of hygienists. Had there been the case of the food not being of good quality there would have been a general outbreak which is clearly not the case.”

Food was “cold all the time”

However, a number of earlier reviews relate a similar ordeal.  Jean says that her 14-night stay which started on 6th November was spoiled and that she and her party “wouldn’t come back if you paid us”:

“The food was cold all the time. My husband started with diarrhoea on our fourth day closely followed by our friends and I started with it the night before our return. I am still unwell and have not eaten properly for the last three days.  My husband is in the food industry and knows all about hygiene regulations. ”

Traveller2324 says that food poisoning caused the travelling couple to become unwell along with others visiting at the same time:

“…food is quite often cold, we ate in spices mainly but made a fatal decision to eat at the Italian were both myself and my partner were struck down by food poisoning and by reading other reviews we were not the only ones.

“While we were there cats were jumping on the tables and eating unfinished food that was left on plates and there was not much effort to shoo them away to indeed clear the table. They seemed very under staffed so I could imagine behind the scenes in the kitchen some kind of basic hygiene issue was occurring for so many people to be ill.”

Has sickness struck during your stay at the Sol Dunas?

Holiday Claims Bureau’s dedicated travel law team are here to assist anyone affected; if it can be shown that food hygiene caused illness during your holiday, you could be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as for the spoiled portion of your stay.  We would recommend that you formally report your illness to the tour operator and stay in contact with anyone else you meet who has endured a similar experience.

Our experienced solicitors have successfully represented scores of Cape Verde package holidaymakers in claims in the UK under the Package Travel Regulations.  You can speak to us on 0161 813 2131 or fill in our quick online form and we will arrange to call you back.