Nearly 1,000 British holidaymakers are taking legal action after contracting a stomach bug while staying at luxury hotels in Cape Verde. A staggering 926 people over the past three years have said they became seriously ill after visiting the island during what were supposed to be dream trips.
Many were hospitalized with their symptoms after their five-star breaks turned into ‘holidays from hell’. Since 2022, hundreds of people have reported contracting serious illnesses such as Shigella and Salmonella at seven different hotels on the island.
These included a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, a man so ill he lost consciousness on the way home, and a beauty therapist who doctors initially feared had a stroke. Cordelia Plummer, 56, from Shard End, Birmingham, and her partner Ian Waller, 56, from Kingston-Upon-Hull, are among a new group of holidaymakers who have contacted lawyers.
They both contracted serious stomach illnesses during a two-week stay at the Riu Cabo Verde hotel in Sal, Cape Verde. Bookings for the holiday, which ran from July 12 to 27 this year, were made through tour operator TUI and the couple paid around £3,000 for the all-inclusive holiday.
Jatinder Paul, specialist international serious injury solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, who represents holidaymakers, said: “We continue to see such a high number of customers falling ill during their stay in Cape Verde over the last three years that it is incredibly worrying. The relevant figures show that these are not isolated incidents.
“The fact that a significant number of people are still reaching out to us with similar first-hand accounts points to a worrying picture of disease that is ongoing and shows no signs of ending. Those we represent rightly have some concerns about how such diseases emerge at such a time.
“Stomach diseases can cause long-term health problems and even death, and it is feared this could end in tragedy if something is not done to address the underlying causes. We understand that several people in the hotel also fell ill in the same way. As part of our investigations, as did Cordelia and Ian, we are investigating this at the same time.” “We would like everyone staying at the hotel to receive information.”
Customer service assistant Cordelia fell ill a week after vacation with severe stomach symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. She remained mostly confined to her room for four days, and when she returned to the UK she had to consult her GP, who initially said her symptoms could be a sign of shigella.
Ian died a few days later with the same symptoms, which continued for the remainder of the holiday and upon his return to the UK. Ian continues to suffer from an ongoing change in bowel habits.
The couple said they spoke to other guests at the hotel who had similar symptoms. When they returned home, they were shocked to read negative reviews online; people reported having experiences similar to theirs.
The couple claimed that they noticed that the food was mostly served uncovered and lukewarm. They also claimed that the same dishes were served multiple times and that they both saw cockroaches near the desserts at the restaurant.
Cordelia said: “What was supposed to be a two-week dream on a wonderful island turned into a holiday that Ian and I will now do our best to forget. What started as a headache and feeling nauseous turned into the worst illness and diarrhea I have ever known.
“I think everyone has probably experienced nausea at one time or another, but this was something much worse. I was in the room for a few days and I’ve never felt this sick.”
“It was bad enough that we had to seek medical advice and do it again when we got home. Ian was really sick too but decided to let the illness run its course.
“We both had concerns about the presentation of the food; some dishes looked undercooked, or the same dishes from lunch appeared again at dinner. The cockroaches were also disgusting, and on one occasion when we pointed this out a member of staff came out, picked it up with a napkin and walked towards the kitchen.”
“While we were at the hotel, we encountered several other guests who said they had the same symptoms as us. There were also three elderly ladies we spoke to and a group of young girls who said they were really sick.
“The number of stories we see and hear before we come home and return to the UK is shocking. If we had seen these in advance we wouldn’t have booked the holiday. “I think Ian, me and other people who have gotten sick need to know what happened and what is being done to prevent this from happening to others.”
Cordelia and Ian are among a new group of 10 holidaymakers staying at the five-star Riu Cabo Verde to train with Irwin Mitchell this summer. Meanwhile, more than 20 people who stayed at Riu Funana Hotel in 2023 applied to the company.
In 2022, more than 170 holidaymakers came forward to take legal action after falling ill at the same hotel. Hundreds of other holidaymakers have instructed the firm due to illness at other hotels in Cape Verde.
A total of 806 people came forward in 2022, followed by 65 in 2023 and 55 so far this year. TUI did not respond to requests for comment.