Holiday hell for British tourists after sickness bug hits Thomas Cook Cuba hotel leaving 18 on IV drips By Martin Bagot The Mirror April 11, 2014
Pool at the Playa Pesquero Hotel Resort, Cuba
Holiday hell for many guests at Cuba’s Hotel Playa Pesquero who have reported under-cooked meals and filthy swimming pools
Sick British tourists were on IV drips last night after dozens fell ill at a Thomas Cook holiday hotel which suffered a similar outbreak last year.
Angry holidaymakers – including a wedding party – have reported under-cooked meals and filthy swimming pools and toilets at Cuba’s Hotel Playa Pesquero.
One visitor has been taken to hospital and 18 Brits were believed to be on saline drips for severe dehydration in the hotel after being violently ill with a bug.
One post, on TripAdvisor by PeteMay read: “I was part of a large wedding group and almost everyone had ‘bowel issues’ mine lasted two days.”
DominoOne, of London, posted: “There’s a sickness bug which has wiped out most of the hotel with 18 people requiring IV fluids.”
The news comes weeks after Thomas Cook agreed to pay £150,000 in compensation to 20 tourists who went down with food poisoning at the same hotel in Holguin last year.
It was still on offer at the Thomas Cook website last night at £786 per person, seven nights, all inclusive, flying from Manchester.
Lawyers for holidaymakers stranded on the Caribbean island said 80% of residents at the 944-room hotel have fallen ill. They suspect a repeat of last year’s salmonella poisoning outbreak at the Playa Pesquero, which is also used by other tour operators.
Simpson Millar lawyer Steve Lomax said: “We strongly suspect it’s bacterial food poisoning and it’s certainly got form at this particular hotel.
“It looks like dozens of Brits are affected. The allegations are very similar this time; birds in the restaurant, poor food hygiene, birds droppings in food, dirty equipment and under-cooked food.
“It’s difficult getting home early as flights are fortnightly with the tour operator.”
The Foreign Office confirmed one person had been hospitalised during the outbreak.
The Mirror asked Thomas Cook why it had continued to sell holidays at the hotel. But they had not replied last night and have launched a probe.
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