A dream trip to a four-star resort in Cyprus turned into a holiday from hell for seven family members after they were hospitalised with a stomach bug allegedly caused by a child defecating in the hotel pool.
Sadie Sanders, aged 35, went to the Mediterranean island with her husband Jason, their children and her sister’s family to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday in May.
However, shortly after they arrived, they were struck down by cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea just 72 hours after taking a dip in the pool – where a child had ‘an accident’ the day before.
They are now pursuing a legal investigation against the Holiday Village Aliathon after also complaining of cold food and unclean rooms.
Jason, 47, blamed the illnesses on a lack of cleanliness at the four-star, £200-a-night’s pool and is demanding compensation for his family.
‘It set me back £5,000 for the two weeks for my wife and four kids, but we thought it would be worth it because the resort looks great online.’
Seven of the family members vacationing at Holiday Village Aliathon were hospitalised with stomach bugs
‘Everything was nice enough for the first few days, but then on the fourth day everyone was told to get out of the pool because a child had had an accident,’ he continued.
‘A guy came to clean the pool with some type of chemicals, but he just threw them in – it didn’t look like he was doing a very thorough job.
‘The village said it was clean the next day and we could jump in.
‘So everyone apart from the birthday boy went for a swim – and the next day this terrible illness swept through all of us apart from my father-in-law.
‘While we were meant to be celebrating his birthday we were rushing back-and-forth to hospital as one-by-one we were all struck down. It was horrendous.’
Bridget, aged eight, was likewise sent to hospital – along with her mum and siblings – within hours of getting out of the pool
All four of Jason’s sister-in-law’s family, who do not wish to be named, had to go to hospital within hours of getting out of the pool.
Sadie was also hospitalised, along with three of their children Aylish, five, Darrah, nine, Bridget, eight.
Sadie’s son from a previous relationship Brandon, 18, and Jason were treated at the hotel and did not require hospital treatment.
Her dad Richard Walters, 70, was the only one of the group of 12 who did not fall ill because he did not go into the pool.
Jason added: ‘When you spend £5,000 on me, my wife and kids alone, you expect a bit more than conditions that send you to hospital.
‘They had a very casual attitude to cleaning up and were not really concerned by us needing medical treatment.
‘Whats more, after each of us came back from hospital, we had no choice but to stay at this hotel until we could fly home.
‘The illness suffered by the majority of our family completely ruined our holiday which we had been looking forward to for months.
‘It was supposed to be a time to celebrate my father-in-laws 70th birthday with all the family around, but there was no way we could enjoy it as we were all suffering horrendous symptoms.
‘This was quite a daunting experience for us all.’
Sadie, a full-time housewife, continued to feel ill even after returning to the UK and has only just recovered.
Jason said: ‘The fact that some family members are still suffering with symptoms after coming back to the UK simply adds insult to injury.
‘Theres no way of turning back the clock to enjoy that special celebration again but we want to know why our holiday was ruined.’
The getaway was booked through TUI UK Limited.
Jatinder Paul, a travel lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, who are representing the family, said: ‘The illness suffered by this family while staying at the Holiday Village Aliathon and their ongoing pain and suffering is extremely concerning and we have now launched an investigation into the cause of the illness.
‘Gastric illnesses can be extremely serious for victims, particularly young children, which makes it even more worrying that some of those hospitalised following this illness were under the age of ten and that some members of the family are still feeling the effects.
‘The illness Jason and his family suffered completely ruined what was supposed to be a special occasion for them and we are now investigating their concerns with the hygiene standards at the hotel to help provide them with the answers they deserve.
‘We would urge anyone else who has had a similar experience at the Holiday Village Aliathon to come forward as they may be able to help with our investigations.’
First Choice, otherwise known as TUI UK Limited, told MailOnline Travel: ‘We are sorry to hear of the Sanders family’s experience at the Holiday Village Aliathon earlier this year.
‘First Choice closely audits all resorts to which we operate to ensure that health, hygiene and comfort levels are maintained in line with industry standards.
‘As this case is now subject to legal proceedings it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.’
MailOnline Travel has also contacted Holiday Village Aliathon for comment.
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