Honeymoon from hell
Couple abandon £5k dream trip to Cuba after catching bug at ‘dirty’ five-star hotel
THEY forked out £5,000 for a dream honeymoon in Cuba.
But instead of relaxing by the white sands and clear waters of their five-star resort, newlyweds James and Kathryn Longhurst were struck down by a horrific gastric illness.
The couple say ‘unhygienic’ conditions at their luxury hotel left them so ill that Mr Longhurst was rushed to hospital and put on a drip. At one point, his condition was so bad his tongue turned black.
The couple from Eastleigh, Hampshire, are now taking legal action against holiday firm Thomas Cook after their hellish stay at the Paradisus Rio de Oro in Guardalavaca. Mr Longhurst said: ‘ you just wouldn’t expect it from a five-star resort, we paid good money for it and want Thomas Cook to take responsibility.
‘We couldn’t enjoy the holiday at all, we were devastated, and now I’m absolutely furious that Thomas Cook haven’t responded to our com- plaint.’ The newlyweds tied the knot in July and flew to Cuba in November for a two-week all-inclusive break. The holiday complex boasts four restaurants and five bars, along with 354 bungalow- style rooms fringing a white-sand beach.
Project manager Mr Longhurst, 38, said: ‘ We started enjoying our honeymoon, and went to some of the hotel’s fine dining restaurants.
‘But they weren’t very clean – the food wasn’t covered properly, and there were birds and insects flying around the restaurant buffet area.’
The couple say the resort’s lagoon- style pool was cloudy and dull and they spotted staff not wearing gloves while handling food. They also saw unclean tableware and said the same utensils were used for different dishes at the buffet.
Two days into the holiday Mr Longhurst came down with a bug and sought help at a medical centre. By the third day his condition was so bad he was rushed to hospital by ambulance.
He said: ‘I went back to the hotel for three or four days, and then flew home – that was it.’
Even back in the UK, he went to A&E at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital because he was still suffering.
His wife, a 43-year-old restaurant manager, also contracted the bug but was not as badly affected as her husband. Describing her trip as a ‘shambles’, she added: ‘We were really looking forward to going there, but I ended up spending most of it watching TV – I could have done that at home.’
The couple have enlisted the help of lawyers at personal injury firm Irwin Mitchell saying they were ‘disgusted’ with the lack of response from Thomas Cook. They say other guests have also made claims about the hotel, which has a score of 4.5 out of five on Trip Advisor. A spokesman for Thomas Cook said: ‘We take all reports of illness seriously and will investigate this case thoroughly.’