Further Illness Reports at the Marconfort Beach Club Hotel

Following on from reports that we made back in April, we have received further reports of illness at the Marconfort Beach Club Hotel in the Torremolinos region of Spain, suggesting that the necessary steps may not have been taken to prevent further outbreaks.

Past Problems at the Spanish Hotel

In April we reported how holidaymakers at the Marconfort which is advertised by Monarch and Jet2 Holidays, had experienced what appeared to be symptoms of food poisoning, suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and other related symptoms. It appears that the Spanish hotel has yet to adopt or properly implement an effective HACCP like food hygiene system, and until it does it’s likely that holidaymakers will continue to suffer.

Scathing Reviews Highlight Hygiene Issues

On the popular TripAdvisor review site, scathing reviews have begun to emerge that highlight similar issues that we previously reported, with many people referring to “the bug”, which appears to cause symptoms of Gastroenteritis, something the staff at the Marconfort Beach Club Hotel appear unwilling to admit to. The following are examples of just some of the reviews being posted by disappointed guests.

‘line_dancer3’ from Widnes said that her family was “enjoying lovely week in this hotel, until the bug hit us.” Adding that “First my husband, then myself and upon return on the Saturday my eldest granddaughter started with it.” With 3 out of 4 of this family becoming ill, the last 3 days of ‘line_dancer3’s family holiday was ruined. ‘line_dancer3’ drew attention to the fact that the staff at the Marconfort have denied claims that there is a problem, but found that “a lot of people we spoke to had either been I’ll themselves, or family members were I’ll.”

‘Sharon S’ said that while the location of the Marconfort was “excellent” the standard of hygiene and cleanliness was below par, with dated furnishings. Illness struck on the second day of her holiday when her “husband got “the bug” which left him confined to the room for a day.” She went on to allude to this being caused by an infection by saying that “This definitely was not down to too much food or alcohol.”

‘rosie208’ from London said that “out of 7 of us 4 of us suffered sickness, tummy pain which when we complained was put down to a virus.” Although the user is “convinced it is also due to the food” as “the same food was reheated and served again after lunch for dinner.” ‘rosie208’ also noted that many other guests were also suffering similar symptoms.

‘tinkerbell247’ from Chorley found that “during the course of the week there was not a single day when all four of us were well.” The family of holidaymakers also “spoke to so many others with the same sickness” and “witnessed an old man leave the dining room and vomit all over the floor, the poor man couldn’t even make it to the loo which made him more upset.” They “spoke to a lady in the lift whose daughter had been in hospital for 2 days, a bloke who had took his little son on holiday was bedridden for two days, the list goes on.” They went on to highlight issues with the cleanliness of the resort and swimming pool, noticing that “Cats and birds drink from the pool all day“, highlighting that it’s unlikely that chlorine is being used.

‘Leanne W’ suffered illness at with Marconfort, with herself, her “husband and father in law having a stomach bug”, stating that the family only ate “at the hotel and didn’t eat out once.” She encountered issues of denial by the Marconfort management who refute that there is a problem, claiming that while “people were ill and being sick in the hotel” this is because “they over indulge on the food and drink causing them to be sick, then they touch items and contaminate other guests.” This is arguably an erroneous excuse by the hotel staff for the continued issues with illness at the Marconfort.

‘KrisKa1234’ from Trowbridge says that out of a holiday party of 25, 15 “had vomiting, diarrhoea or both“. Followed by excuses by the hotel management “who put it down to over indulgence, followed by being sick and creating a bug.” ‘KrisKa1234’ also noted that the standards of cleanliness were below what they had expected, which is likely the cause of their illness.

‘Cellamc’ says that their holiday party arrived on a Friday and “have been ill since Monday evening” and that they “felt sick and ached all over before vomiting all that night” and had to spend “Tuesday and most of Wednesday in bed.” Along with “serious concerns about food hygiene practices and the overall cleanliness of the hotel” they “overheard a young family speaking to a rep about their experiences of being ill“.

What to do if you Become Ill

If you have had a similar experience to these holidaymakers, it’s important to still report your illness to the staff at the Marconfort, and also complain to your holiday representative or tour operator about the conditions, ensuring that you receive a written acknowledgement of your complaint. It’s usually advisable to seek out medical assistance for your condition, however ensure that you contact your travel insurance company before doing so if possible.

Claiming Compensation from Your Tour Operator

Upon returning to the UK you might want to lodge a formal complaint with your tour operator and pursue a compensation claim on your own, but we recommend contacting us for a free no-obligation consultation on your claim before doing so. Our travel law specialists can advise you of the true value of your claim and the best method to maximise your compensation. Often tour operators can try to settle claims for a fraction of their true value, so make sure that you get what you’re entitled to.