Dad unable to work after food poisoning from five-star hotel on TUI holiday
Robert Wootton was left bedridden for a week with food poisoning after returning from a TUI holiday in Turkey and believes he caught an infection from an omelette or pudding
A British dad has been struck down by food poisoning after splashing out to stay at a posh five-star hotel in Turkey.
Robert Wootton spent £3,000 for a week’s family holiday at the luxury Rixos Sungate resort in Antalya.
But when the 41-year-old got home to Warwick he was forced off work for days with diarrhoea, a bloated stomach and headaches.
The symptoms persisted so he went to see his GP, who carried out tests – which showed he had contracted salmonella.
The site manager and carpenter believes he got the bacterial infection from an omelette or pudding during the trip.
Several people have allegedly been hit by food poisoning after staying at the all-inclusive resort – with some considering legal action against tour operator TUI.
TUI said it was “very concerned” to hear about the “small number of cases” but could not comment further for legal reasons.
He said he’s suffered food poisoning before but normally it last 24 hours, while this has “gone on for days and days”.
It was nine days before he could even eat a meal after returning home.
He said: “It’s really horrible. I’ve had food poisoning before but it usually only lasts 24 hours.
“This has gone on for days and days. I was still being sick after a week and it was nine days before I could eat a meal.
“I’m still not fully recovered. We expected much better. We travel a lot and we’ve been to the Rixos in Abu Dhabi and it was fantastic.
“I’m an easygoing person, but I’ve been really sick and unable to work. That’s not okay. I’m pretty peed off, to be honest. It wasn’t a cheap option.”
Robert, wife Natalie, 46, and their children Jaxon, 10, and Eden, 16, flew out from Birmingham Airport on March 31 for their family holiday.
They returned on April 7.
The next day Robert woke with a severe headache, and bloating.
He also had bad diarrhoea and some sickness on April 9.
Still poorly and unable to work, he went to his GP on April 12.
Robert said he ate an omelette for breakfast and a panna cotta as part of his lunch at a buffet restaurant at the resort on the last day of the holiday.
He says no one else in his family ate them which is why he got ill – and they didn’t.
Robert said: “We’ve chatted online to other people who have tested for salmonella after staying there.”
Natalie called TUI last weekend but got no answer, Robert said.
She also made an online complaint because the couple said facilities they were promised at the hotel had been closed during their stay.
Natalie updated her complaint when Robert’s salmonella was confirmed.
The family have since received a phone call to say TUI’s legal team will be looking at compensation, Robert said.
He added: “Compensation for this would be great. It’s very frustrating that TUI are so hard to contact.
“The staff were friendly and the hotel seemed clean, but a lot was a bit off with the holiday.”
Lawyers at the firm Irwin Mitchell have announced some British families are considering legal action against tour operator TUI.
A TUI spokesperson said: “We were very concerned to hear of small number cases at Rixos Sungate in Turkey, as the health and safety of our customers is our highest priority.
“We’d like to reassure all customers that we regularly audit all of our hotels in respect to health and safety, including hygiene.
“As this is now a legal matter, we are unable to comment on the specific cases.”
Rixos Hotels is part of the Accor group. A spokesperson for the Accor group was approached for comment.
