Reports of “Montezuma’s revenge” at Riu Palace Bavaro in the Dominican Republic
Disappointed holidaymakers have gone online to share their comments on a holiday illness that they suffered at the Riu Palace Bavaro while staying there this March, explaining that they were subjected to potentially questionable hygiene standards.
The Riu Palace Bavaro in the Dominican Republic
The Hotel Riu Palace Bavaro is located in the popular Punta Cana region of the Dominican Republic and advertised by TUI-owned tour operator TUI on an all-inclusive basis. This Dom’ Rep’ hotel features pools, a beachfront setting and a selection of restaurants that should appeal to many holidaymakers.
Hotel reviewers report suffering the symptoms of a gastric illness
Guests who say that they stayed at the Riu Palace Bavaro in March have reported that they experienced “Montezuma’s revenge” in reviews that they left on TripAdvisor. Essentially suffering from a bout of travellers’ diarrhoea, these unfortunate reviewers have commented on hygiene issues that they believe may have been the cause of their discomfort.
In his review titled “Food Average Hotel Clean Room lots of broken things“, ‘Roger M’ says that “some of the 15 people in [his] party also had their turn at Montezuma’s revenge“, saying that guests should “not eat the ice cream [as] this seemed to be the cause“.
He goes on to explain that despite the fact that members of the hotel staff “flat out tell you “do not drink the tap water”“, “in the buffet, they bring you tiny glasses of filtered water” and says that “they use tap water for everything else“.
Bristol holidaymaker ‘John D’ says that although he and his wife “had a good holiday” they both suffered from “several days of bad diarrhoea and vomiting which was so bad that [they] couldn’t go on any excursions or even move too far from a toilet“. They continue to say that “some Canadian friends [that they] met near the end of the holiday had also experienced the same trouble“, resulting in having to “report [the incident] to [their] travel rep“.
I scream, you scream; ice cream food poisoning
If you’ve ever been inclined read a tub of ice cream, you may have noticed a cautionary message along the lines of ‘do not refreeze’. There’s a good reason for this warning; although freezing ice cream can reduce the risk of harmful bacteria breeding, once it has been allowed to defrost, the increase in temperature could allow hazardous pathogens to multiply.
This can increase the chance that you’ll contract a gastric illness such as E. coli, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter or Listeria, all of which are detrimental to your health, causing symptoms that can include diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, as well as the potential to cause long-term health problems.
Most hotels are aware of this and have proper facilities in place to store ice cream safely, but if their facilities aren’t adequately maintained or cleaned; disaster can soon strike.
The risk of waterborne diseases in tap water
Drinkable tap water isn’t always guaranteed on holiday, regardless of the standard of your hotel. If you consume the tap water of a country where it isn’t classified as potable (safe for human consumption), you could run the risk of contracting a waterborne illness.
While it can be an inconvenience, consuming potentially contaminated tap water can be avoided, however, it’s important to be aware that the staff members of your hotel might not consider this, and could serve you a glass or jug of tap water unless you state otherwise.
It’s generally best to only drink from sealed bottles of water, that ideally, you have opened yourself, and to only use bottled water to brush your teeth. It’s also advisable to only eat fruit that you have peeled yourself, as the skin of fruit can contain hazardous pathogens if it has been irrigated in contaminated water.
Find out if you could claim holiday illness compensation
If you suffered a gastric illness on a package holiday that you believe could have been prevented, then under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, you could be entitled to claim compensation. We can provide you with a free consultation during which we can offer you no-obligation advice on how to pursue your claim. If we represent you we can do so on a ‘no win no fee‘ basis.