Tag Archives: Los Gigantes Hotel

’What do you expect in a hotel full of 400 people;’ holiday from hell for UK couple

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It’s becoming a standard headline out of the U.K. – folks trying to leave the dreariness of England and end up barfing at some Mediterranean resort.

The North-West Evening Mail reports that Tony and Linda Kneale are among 28 holidaymakers from the UK involved in legal action against Thomson over claims it failed to protect tourists from illness at the Los Gigantes Hotel in Tenerife.

The couple, of Jesmond Avenue, Barrow, had spent over £1,800 for a fortnight at the ‘Gold’ status hotel.

But their dream break became a holiday from hell when, on arrival, they received a factsheet saying there was a norovirus outbreak.

61-year-old Mrs Kneale spent two days confined to her bed, and lost around half a stone. She became so weak she could barely walk further than her hotel room.

Mrs Kneale, who, along with her husband had been keen to get away after missing out on a holiday last year when she lost her mother, said: “ I had absolutely no appetite and I had a fever. It’s a nasty bug. …

“When I first got the virus, the travel rep said: ‘What do you expect in a hotel full of 400 people?’ They were defensive about it, almost blasé about it.”

Barf and barfblog, personal and travel versions

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Amy started barfing about 10 p.m. Thursday night. Daughter Sorenne woke up about 6 a.m., covered in barf. I felt fine, did laundry and chores, fed Sorenne some stuff about 9 a.m. before I had to go give a lecture to the third-year Vet class.

She projectile vomited all over me.

Emma the excellent babysitter showed up at 9 a.m., I did my talk about barfblog, smelling like baby barf, and came home and took care of things.

About 11 p.m. Friday night, I started barfing.

We had friends over for dinner Thursday night, but they seem fine, so probably something we ate earlier in the week. There was perhaps some dodgy seafood, but I cooked it thoroughly, verifying the results with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer.

There are so many unknowns with foodborne illness it’s amazing anything gets linked back to an original source.

There was a lot of barfing at the four-star Los Gigantes Hotel – a property exclusive to Thomson on an island belonging to Spain on the west coast.

The U.K.Telegraph reports it is alleged that Thomson failed to ensure proper hygiene standards were enforced and did not provide adequate assistance or information as to the severity of the outbreak.

Thomson said in a statement:

"In January, an independent hygiene consultant confirmed that the hotel was operating to the highest standards and concluded that a viral agent was the most probable cause of any illness. The hotel has adopted procedures set by its own consultants and local government. The hygiene consultant witnessed these and has advised that they appear to follow good practice. There is advisory documentation on personal hygiene in bedrooms and sanitising gel stations are located in the main restaurant."

Thomson said that normal booking conditions will continue to apply, therefore amendments to holidays at the hotel will be subject to charge.

That’s a polite way of saying, screw you, sickies.