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Lyndhurst family demands compensation from tour operator after falling ill in Madeira (From This is Hampshire)
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Lyndhurst family demands compensation from tour operator after falling ill in Madeira
9:00am Saturday 31st July 2010
A HAMPSHIRE family are demanding compensation from a tour operator after being sent to a hotel where many of the guests were ill.
The family say they were struck down by the same stomach bug and spent half their £1,000 holiday confined to their hotel room.
John Frankham, 67, and his wife Elizabeth, 63, went to the Savoy Gardens Hotel in Madeira with their daughter Helen to celebrate her 30th birthday.
Elizabeth and Helen began to suffer from vomiting, fever and diarrhoea within 24 hours of starting their week-long vacation.
They claim that when they arrived at the hotel up to half the guests were already ill. But the only indication of trouble was a small, partly hidden notice they saw by chance.
John Frankham said he asked Thomson if they could switch to another hotel but was told that the outbreak “wasn’t that bad”.
His daughter added: “We’re furious that we were not pre-warned.
“I think it’s appalling that a well-known travel company like Thomson would send guests to a hotel where there was so much sickness. We felt so ill and being prisoners in our hotel room for half our holiday just ruined it.”
Now the family, from Lyndhurst in the New Forest, are taking legal advice from travel law experts Irwin Mitchell.
An Irwin Mitchell spokesman said: “It’s unacceptable to send holidaymakers to accommodation affected by an outbreak of gastric illness.
“Thomson should have been aware of the problems. They should have warned the Frankhams about the risk of illness and offered them the option of changing to a different hotel.”
A Thomson spokesman said guests at the hotel were hit by the winter vomiting bug norovirus.
She added: “Outbreaks of airborne virus are common, particularly within contained environments and an outbreak in a hotel or resort is not indicative of a failing in hygiene standards.
“Thomson made every effort to prevent the spread of this illness.
“We take the lead from the Foreign Office in instances of illness outbreaks abroad and no restrictions on travel to Madeira were put in place.”
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Your Say YourHampshire
Brite Spark, Stubbington says...
9:59am Sat 31 Jul 10
MaximumAdrian wrote:What would you recommend next time a family wants to holiday in Spain, a tent or a canal boat?
A reminder why staying in 1000 room hotels (and let's include floating ones as well) is never a good idea.
Brite Spark, Stubbington says...
10:02am Sat 31 Jul 10
MaximumAdrian, says...
10:05am Sat 31 Jul 10
Brite Spark wrote:Well having camped in Spain then a tent is a very valid option. There are numerous sites on the coast and inland.
MaximumAdrian wrote: A reminder why staying in 1000 room hotels (and let's include floating ones as well) is never a good idea.What would you recommend next time a family wants to holiday in Spain, a tent or a canal boat?
.
For canal boat read Villa - there are thousands for rent all over Spain - I have one and should know.
.
Or for the really adventurous any of the many smaller family run hotels - where you might just need a few dozen words of the local lingo.
.
Not very brite are you.
MaximumAdrian, says...
10:08am Sat 31 Jul 10
Brite Spark wrote:I love it when your foot and mouth come together.
or Portugal! ... ...
enzo27, southampton says...
10:28am Sat 31 Jul 10
Brite Spark, Stubbington says...
10:40am Sat 31 Jul 10
MaximumAdrian wrote:All that you would have needed was a single man's tent for your holiday.
Brite Spark wrote:Well having camped in Spain then a tent is a very valid option. There are numerous sites on the coast and inland. . For canal boat read Villa - there are thousands for rent all over Spain - I have one and should know. . Or for the really adventurous any of the many smaller family run hotels - where you might just need a few dozen words of the local lingo. . Not very brite are you.MaximumAdrian wrote: A reminder why staying in 1000 room hotels (and let's include floating ones as well) is never a good idea.What would you recommend next time a family wants to holiday in Spain, a tent or a canal boat?
Buenos Noches.
StEmmosfire, Woolston says...
11:17am Sat 31 Jul 10
Get it right, Hythe says...
11:37am Sat 31 Jul 10
StEmmosfire wrote:...or even THEIR insurance...
Why didnt there travel/holiday insurance pay out?
MaximumAdrian, says...
11:54am Sat 31 Jul 10
Brite Spark wrote:Even your insults are none too brite. Is that really the best you can deliver?
MaximumAdrian wrote:All that you would have needed was a single man's tent for your holiday. Buenos Noches.Brite Spark wrote:Well having camped in Spain then a tent is a very valid option. There are numerous sites on the coast and inland. . For canal boat read Villa - there are thousands for rent all over Spain - I have one and should know. . Or for the really adventurous any of the many smaller family run hotels - where you might just need a few dozen words of the local lingo. . Not very brite are you.MaximumAdrian wrote: A reminder why staying in 1000 room hotels (and let's include floating ones as well) is never a good idea.What would you recommend next time a family wants to holiday in Spain, a tent or a canal boat?
cowley, southampton says...
2:07pm Sat 31 Jul 10
StEmmosfire, Woolston says...
2:09pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Get it right wrote:good contribution, you enlighting us everyday. How fast can you run the 100 meters?
StEmmosfire wrote: Why didnt there travel/holiday insurance pay out?...or even THEIR insurance...
Atpost, Minstead says...
2:21pm Sat 31 Jul 10
MaximumAdrian wrote:You have a villa in spain?
Brite Spark wrote:Well having camped in Spain then a tent is a very valid option. There are numerous sites on the coast and inland. . For canal boat read Villa - there are thousands for rent all over Spain - I have one and should know. . Or for the really adventurous any of the many smaller family run hotels - where you might just need a few dozen words of the local lingo. . Not very brite are you.MaximumAdrian wrote: A reminder why staying in 1000 room hotels (and let's include floating ones as well) is never a good idea.What would you recommend next time a family wants to holiday in Spain, a tent or a canal boat?
And you tell people??
You should hang your head in shame that you were one of the duped masses, who paid too much for an ever depreciating lump of concrete.
Very eighties!
Do you have blond streaks and fake tan?
TheJoiners, harefield says...
3:05pm Sat 31 Jul 10
Get it right, Hythe says...
6:38pm Sat 31 Jul 10
StEmmosfire wrote:Not sure what sense you are using, but it should be "you enlighten.." or "you are enlightening..".
Get it right wrote:good contribution, you enlighting us everyday. How fast can you run the 100 meters?StEmmosfire wrote: Why didnt there travel/holiday insurance pay out?...or even THEIR insurance...
Also "meters" should be "metres", although I'm not sure of the relevance.
10 Minute Man, Bitterne says...
8:18pm Sat 31 Jul 10
But sending people to a hotel where a significant percentage of people are known to be ill - to me this sounds like dodgy behaviour from the tour operator. They shouldn't be knowingly sending people to a hotel in that condition - if that is what they did (I can't verify the facts, so this is just my opinion).
John and Elizabeth Frankham with daughter Helen and th Savoy Gardens Hotel in Madeira.
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MaximumAdrian, says...
9:31am Sat 31 Jul 10