Barcelo Santiago: Sickness “outbreak” accounts arise from Tenerife hotel

Holiday Claims Bureau are aware of reports of gastric illness from the Barcelo Santiago.  Among the most recent TripAdvisor reviews posted for stays at the Tenerife hotel, several have given low ratings and claimed that issues with food preparation and sickness among guests have spoiled all-inclusive holidays.

Though the hotel have replied to most of those complaining of sickness to suggest that such episodes were down to a virus on the island, TripAdvisor reviewer Surreycritic123 takes issue:

“..the so called hot dishes were lukewarm at best and stone cold at worst. The plates were hotter than the food.   On the last day I was struck down by the sort of problem which means you need to carry a toilet roll wear running shoes and not venture too far from the room. On checkout I tried to record this with the lady on reception as three other people we spoke to had been similarly afflicted one requiring the attendance of a doctor. However the lady in question was distinctly uninterested stated that there was a “virus going round the island” and refused to make a written note of my problem. At the airport I asked the Tui rep and he was unaware of an Island wide-epidemic.”

If you are worried that you have become ill as a consequence of the negligence of a restaurant, hotel, or tour operator, you could be eligible to file a food poisoning claim with Holiday Claims Bureau as your expert solicitors. Contact us now on 01618132131 or if you are ready to start your claim, fill out our online form now.

Hotel and TUI “should warn customers”

Diane T says she became ill during the second week of her holiday through what she says was “food poisoning” from cross-contamination of cooked and uncooked meat, which “ruined” her holiday. Other February and March visitors to the Barcelo Santiago have voiced their concerns:

“We all succumbed to the gastroenteritis that is rife there at the moment and this took out 3 days of our week’s stay Apparently this has been virulent for about a month in the locality. I felt let down by Tui and the hotel for not warning us about this outbreak in advance. We would have taken more precautions such as not using the pools, being more careful with food choices and hand sanitising. This could be extremely serious for some people, say with weakened immune systems, and I think both Tui and the hotel should show a duty of care by warning customers.”  TTT404, February 2019 

“The food hygiene is very poor. On the first morning we saw a lady returning an undercooked egg to the cooking station – fine but the cook then put it back on the grill! Alas on the second day both my wife and I were very ill. Other guests we spoke to also had or heard of issues of stomach bugs. When we were ill the staff didn’t do anything to really help. They downplayed the issues stating we had over eaten or we brought virus from U.K! We saw cooks rushing to get food out. Bread rolls being touched with bare hands by cooks and then touching plates etc.” ManiG001, March 2019

Whatever the source of any such outbreak, Tour Operators should take steps alongside partner hotels in practices to prevent the spread of sickness and in keeping future travellers informed of any established problems in particular destinations.

Holiday Claims Bureau’s expert team a ready to assist any British visitors to the Barcelo Santiago whose holidays have been adversely affected by a distressing gastric illness.  Tour Operators have a duty of care in relation to performance of the package.  If there is a breakdown in hygiene systems and customers are made ill as a result, then appropriate redress should be sought.

Help for affected UK holidaymakers

You may have had a similar experience to these people; you are certainly not alone and Holiday Claims Bureau have extensive experience of helping package holiday customers in the Canary Islands pursue successful claims after falling ill as a result of poor hygiene standards on their all-inclusive holiday.

As ever, we recommend that you take the following steps that can help substantiate your claim:

• Seek medical attention and keep a record of any doctor’s visits overseas, as well as receipts for any medication purchased
• Report your illness(es) to the Tour Representative on site, and directly to the Tour Operator.  Ask for a copy of the report
• If you get the chance, take photos of any food hygiene problems which can be visibly observed
• Keep in touch with other affected guests you meet – especially in the absence of an identified food pathogen in sample, strength in numbers clearly improves the prospects of your own claim
• Seek independent legal advice; be wary of any ‘good will’ gestures offered by the hotel or Tour Operator

The tour operators rarely make reasonable offers of redress directly to their customers; that’s where we come in.  Get in touch with us and we can help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Call today on 0161 813 2131 or complete our contact form and one of our team will be in touch.