It is with some concern that we have taken calls from recent guests of the Insotel Punta Prima Resort & Spa in Menorca relating to illnesses they suffered whilst on holiday at the popular complex.
Holidaymakers have turned to the review site TripAdvisor to express their concerns over a sickness outbreak which many say caused them to be violently ill and need hospital treatment.
The hotel, an all-inclusive holiday destination offered by tour operators Jet 2 Holidays and TUI,, scores well overall in the ratings of guests, with a ‘very good’ score from more than 2,700 reviews and high ratings for cleanliness, service and value.
However, there has been a significant number of bad reviews throughout May 2019 relating to illness and sickness, with many guests raising issues which appear to warrant further investigation.
Only yesterday (May 21), reviewer Kelly S referred to her 15-month-old daughter becoming ill quickly with ‘severe sickness and upset stomach’.
She says this continued for three days before she too became ill and was ‘ordered to hospital’ by the resort doctor with ‘suspected norovirus and dehydration’.
Kelly S says she had been concerned by ‘birds flying into the restaurant and landing on tables’ and worried about potential health issues – something we know is a common cause of holiday illnesses.
From ‘all-inclusive wrist band to hospital band’
Another reviewer, ‘Hunters’, entitled their post on May 20th ‘from all-inclusive wrist band to hospital band’, and says they were aware of six other families struck down by illness at the same time.
Stating that they ate from the adult and children’s buffets, the reviewer says: ‘My youngest awoke with horrible vomiting that continued all through the night. 3am my other daughter also started to vomit all night.
“By 6am both girls were exhausted and in a lot of pain with their stomachs. Then at 6am the diarrhoea started and did not stop.
“Medical help was needed by the early afternoon as we could not physically help our daughters as they were just too poorly and in immense pain. The call out doctor arranged for our girls to be taken to the private hospital in a taxi. There we spent the next two nights.”
The reviewer says that the eldest of the girls was put on intravenous fluids and that claims that tests showed she had norovirus.
“Both girls were so poorly and we was extremely worried and scared for them. It is very frightening to be in hospital when you are abroad. We stayed on the hospital until our girls were no longer vomiting although they were still extremely week after their ordeal,” the reviewer adds.
Other reviewers have raised concerns over the temperatures foods were stored and served at, and alleged that ‘partly raw chicken and fish’ and raw omelettes were served.
Families have described how children developed blisters after swimming at the complex, with some describing their experience as ‘traumatic’ and ‘frightening’, and the coach on the way home being ‘filled with numerous vomiting clients’.
Hotel regrets ‘setbacks’ and ‘inconveniences’ but defends food hygiene
Some of the most recent posts are yet to receive a response from hotel representatives, although previous replies to comments about illness have led to a statement being issued in the name of the manager, which says it regrets the ‘setbacks’ and ‘inconveniences’ suffered.
It adds on each occasion: ‘For us the hygiene and safety of our customers is paramount. That is why we have a demanding control of food hygiene audits who periodically certify the good practice of the staff working in our facilities.’
Of course, not all holiday illness can be prevented and there can be many contributing factors.
However, our holiday illness compensation claims team at Hudgell Solicitors has decades of combined experience in supporting families who have suffered illness abroad, securing compensation when it is established that contaminated food or poor hygiene standards have been the causing factor.
We have already been contacted by holidaymakers who have recently suffered illness at the Insotel Punta Prima Resort & Spa and we will be investigating whether this could and should have been prevented.
In such situations we feel such investigation and scrutiny is completely justified.
It is something we do, not only for those who have made illness or injury on holiday claims, but also to bring about changes and improvements if failings are identified, ensuring future holidaymakers do not suffer too.