Couple's luxury family holiday to Turkey turns into 'holiday from hell'

Tourists at the Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme were forced to have IV drips with one holidaymaker claiming he heard reports from hotel staff there was poo and vomit in the swimming pool

Holidaymakers were left reeling with severe gastric illness, complete with sickness and diarrhoea, during their stay at a four-star hotel in Turkey. Guests at the Holiday Village Hotel in Sarigerme had to resort to IV drips, with one vacationer alleging he was told by staff about poo and vomit contaminating the swimming pool.

Families who shelled out hefty sums for their holidays complained of the hotel's dilapidated state, citing grimy upholstery and an overall lack of cleanliness. Reports also surfaced of canteen workers topping up old buffet food that had been out for extended periods.

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Ryan Charlesworth, 39, paid £2,782 for a week-long getaway with his wife Toni, 36, but soon faced high temperatures, body aches, and headaches. After returning to the UK, he ended up hospitalised with severe diarrhoea, including blood, and delirium.

The self-employed carpenter was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and doctors found inflammation in his liver and kidneys, suspecting salmonella as the cause. Ryan recounted overhearing hotel staff discussing the unsanitary conditions in the pool, saying: "This was meant to be our annual relaxing break in the sun. By the end of it, I started to wonder if I'd make it through."

"This is the worst illness I've experienced and when Toni saw how ill I was in the resort, the doctor was called in twice. I'm told I was delirious at that point and all I remember was the sickness and the pain. I was determined to make it home and somehow survived the flight but I knew I was far from right," recounted Ryan from Sidcup, Kent, who insists the hotel should have "warned in advance" about the sickness that had struck several guests earlier in the year. He added: "I know I'm not the only person to have fallen ill at this hotel and we understand several others were sick earlier in the year. If there were issues that were known about I feel we had a right to be warned in advance."

Melissa Davidson and Paige Pottinger, both 32, who became friends on holiday in 2022, took their families to the same resort in May this year. However, Paige's son Oakley, seven, quickly fell sick with vomiting and diarrhoea, with his dad Michael, 41, and brother Roman, three, soon following suit.

Paige herself and her other son Noah, four, who needed an IV drip, also succumbed to illness. Upon returning to the UK, Paige had to visit her GP due to severe stomach pains.

Paige expressed her disappointment: "We'd been planning this trip for some time and to bring our families together for one big joint holiday. It was supposed to be a great time for us all to catch up and for the kids to have a fun time together. This trip cost us a lot of time to organise, not to mention the cost and none of us expected to have a holiday from hell in return."

"All of us were so ill, but myself and Noah seemed to get the worst of it. It's awful to see your children so ill, and to try and comfort them when they're being placed on drips is heartbreaking. Not least when you're so ill yourself. Nothing can make up for what we all went through, but given the number of people who were ill, we deserve some answers and assurances."

Paige was joined by NHS worker Melissa and her two children Logan, 13, and Bella, six. All of them fell ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea just three days in.

They went to a local clinic for IV drips but Melissa says she has "never felt so ill." Melissa, from Devon, said: "This trip was one Paige and I had been planning for a while."

"We were really looking forward to getting our families together for a fun time abroad and I still can't believe the way things turned out. I've never felt so ill and it was shocking to see all the children become so sick as well. You feel so helpless in that situation and you just naturally begin to think terrible thoughts."

Melissa said: "I was just glad for all of us to get home. It all could have been much, worse. Now safely home, Paige and I want answers about what happened to us and our families. I'm sure other people were sick too and I think we need to hear what is being done to prevent this happening to other families in the future."

Jatinder Paul, a specialist in international serious injury law at Irwin Mitchell, expressed his concern: "The first-hand accounts we've heard from the families regarding their holidays at this hotel in Turkey are deeply disturbing. Particularly given the significant history of claims over the last 15 or so years. Worryingly, the latest reports of illness and substandard hygiene at the hotel appear to show history repeating itself once again."

He added: "Gastric illnesses, particularly bacterial infections such as Salmonella, can lead to very serious long-term health complications and their impact should never be downplayed. While it's too late for these families, understandably, they still want answers on how they all came to fall so ill. We're committed to providing them with the answers they deserve."

He concluded by saying: "If during the course of our investigations, any issues are identified, action must be taken to ensure other holidaymakers don't continue to have the same experiences in future. As part of our investigations, we'd be interested in hearing from other guests who fell ill while staying at the same hotel as this group."