Dozens of Brits who claim to have contracted a sickness bug on holiday are considering legal action against the same resort in Antalya, Turkey.
More than 30 people who stayed at the Mukarnas Resort & Spa have instructed lawyers to investigate after coming down with stomach cramps, diarrhoea, night sweats, and fever.
The holidaymakers stayed at the four-star resort, which was booked through Jet2holidays, between 9 and 27 July.
A number of them told lawyers that the food served at the resort was lukewarm and that the pool looked dirty.
They also raised concerns over the package holiday provider’s decision to allow them to proceed with their trip after a previous cohort of guests had reported falling ill at the resort in May.
Among those affected was Lauren Scott, a salon owner, and her partner, James Beard, a cleaning business owner, from Wigan. They travelled to the Mukarnas Resort on 9 July.
Ten days into their long-awaited holiday, Mr Beard began to suffer diarrhoea, vomiting, dizziness and fever. Later during the two-week trip, Ms Scott and the children also came down with similar symptoms – their lawyers said.
The family said that they visited the hotel doctor but that they were advised the cost of a consultation and stool samples would cost €1,000 – around £840 – at a hospital two hours away. The family decided against the idea.
They were still suffering from gastric issues when they returned to the UK on 24 July, they said.
Mr Beard said: “We were all really excited about going to Turkey. It was our first holiday away as a family and we’d been counting down the days.
“Sadly, the resort was a huge letdown. We were shocked at the standards and the number of holidaymakers who were falling ill.
“The food served was never particularly hot and was served lukewarm. The pool looked dirty and we didn’t see it being cleaned throughout our stay.
“We’ve heard of so many other people falling ill, which really isn’t something you expect on holiday.
“We feel that the hotel staff were unhelpful and we’re concerned that we were allowed to fly out to this resort when it’s believed so many holidaymakers were falling ill at the hotel.
“All I want now are some answers as to why this happened; it’s the least we deserve after what we’ve had to endure.”
Mark Clifton, an electrician from Somerset, stayed at the resort with his partner and her two children between 15 and 25 July. On 18 July, he was unable to get out of bed as he had stomach cramps, diarrhoea, sweats and fever, he said.
He said that the hotel doctor was unavailable and that since the holiday he has suffered further gastric problems.
Mr Clifton said: “I was really shocked by the number of people I heard were ill at the resort. Some staff tried to say it was heatstroke, but I think it was more than that.
“I remember thinking the food at the hotel was lukewarm, and I didn’t once see the pool being cleaned or tested while I was there.
“My partner and her children also fell ill, but their symptoms, fortunately, weren’t as bad as mine. More than two weeks, on I’m still not 100 per cent and I’m not sure how long this will go on for... I just want to know why this happened.”
Personal injury law firm Irwin Mitchell has been instructed to investigate the case.
Lawyer Jennifer Hodgson, who is representing the affected guests, said: “Gastric illness can lead to long-term health issues and its effects should never be downplayed.
“The holidaymakers we represent understandably have many questions about how not only they fell ill, but also why they were not informed of reports of illness among other guests at the resort before they travelled.”
A Jet2holidays spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear about any customers feeling unwell.
“As lawyers have been instructed, it would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment at this time.”
The Independent has contacted Mukarnas Resort for comment.
