Tourists thought they were 'going to die' after falling ill on holiday in luxury hotel

Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme had had dozens of complaints after guests fell ill staying at the resort.

A group of British tourists fell ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea after contracting a gastric illness during their stay at a four-star hotel in Turkey.

Guests at the Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme were reportedly treated with IV drips, with one guest claiming hotel staff mentioned incidents of vomit and faeces being found in the swimming pool. Families who spent thousands on their vacations said the hotel was poorly maintained, with dirty upholstery and a general lack of cleanliness.

Canteen staff were also seen adding fresh food on top of dishes that had been left out for extended periods. Ryan Charlesworth, 39, spent £2,782 on a week-long stay with his wife, Toni, 36.

However, just a few days into their holiday, Ryan fell seriously ill with high fever, body aches, and headaches. Upon returning to the UK, he was hospitalised with severe diarrhoea, blood in his stool, and delirium. Doctors diagnosed him with gastroenteritis and discovered inflammation of his liver and kidneys, which they attributed to salmonella.

Ryan recalls hearing hotel staff talk about vomit and faeces in the pool. He said: "This was supposed to be our annual relaxing holiday in the sun. By the end, I was questioning whether I’d make it through. It’s the worst illness I’ve ever experienced. I don’t remember much, just the pain and sickness. I barely made it through the flight home." He expressed disappointment, feeling the hotel should have warned guests in advance about prior illness outbreaks.

Paige Pottinger, 32, who had been on holiday at the same hotel with her family, also suffered along with her son, Oakley, seven, her partner Michael, 41, and their younger children, Roman and Noah. Noah had to be placed on an IV drip after falling severely ill, and Paige experienced stomach pain upon returning to the UK. She shared: "This holiday took a lot of time and money to plan, and none of us expected this nightmare. Watching your children fall sick and having to comfort them while you're ill yourself was heartbreaking."

Melissa Davidson, 32, from Devon, had also traveled to the resort with her two children, Logan and Bella. All three became sick just days into the trip and had to visit a local clinic for IV drips. Melissa said: "I’ve never felt so ill in my life. We were looking forward to this holiday for months, and it turned into a disaster. Watching the children suffer was the worst part."

Jatinder Paul, a lawyer specialising in serious international injury cases at Irwin Mitchell, commented: "The accounts we’ve heard from these families about their time at this hotel in Turkey are deeply concerning, especially given the hotel's history of similar incidents over the last 15 years. These illnesses, particularly bacterial infections like salmonella, can lead to long-term health issues. While it's too late for these families, they understandably want answers about how this happened, and we’re committed to getting them the justice they deserve."

TUI has been contacted for a response to the claims.

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