Kieran Ockenden made the tough decision to forfeit £1,200 rather than risk a week at the now infamous TUI Blue Manar hotel in Tunisia, following a slew of disturbing reviews.
The family had initially been excited about their getaway, shelling out a hefty £6,636 for their stay at what they believed to be a top-notch five-star retreat.
However, Kieran’s excitement turned to dismay when TUI notified him that the hotel’s rating had been downgraded and numerous guests shared tales of illness on the TUI BLUE app.
He told the Mirror: “Initially we had no concerns, but once the hotel reopened four weeks later, people were posting on the hotel pinboard on the TUI BLUE app that they had severe sickness and diarrhoea.
“Again, we weren’t concerned as it can happen, but as the months went on, more and more people were claiming to be ill.”
TUI insists there are no reports of anyone falling ill at the TUI Blue Manar since August 4. But expert lawyers specialising in serious international injuries at Irwin Mitchell have reported being approached by “a growing number” of tourists who fell unwell at the resort, with the figure reaching at least 12.
After monitoring the unending bad reviews for months, Kieran said: “My wife has a form of Crohn’s and getting ill like that will result in hospitalisation and it ruined our excitement so we decided to cancel. When we cancelled we lost our deposit of £1,200.”
Jatinder Paul from Irwin Mitchell commented on the situation: “We’re being contacted by a growing number of people across the UK who fell ill during holidays to the TUI Blue Manar this summer.
“While their trips were separate, many of our clients are reporting suffering the same serious symptoms, including severe sickness and diarrhoea.
“Understandably, our clients now want answers as to how they became so ill on a five-star holiday. We’re investigating these first-hand accounts and are determined to provide them with the answers they deserve.
“If during the course of our investigations, any issues are identified, action needs to be taken to reduce the risk of other holidaymakers falling ill in the future.
“As part of our investigations, we would be interested in hearing from other guests staying at the hotel at the same time as this group.”
When asked about Ockenden’s case, a TUI spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear that Mr Ockenden and his family have chosen not to travel on their holiday as planned.
“We would like to reassure customers that we take reports of illness very seriously. We can confirm that there have been no reports of customer sickness at the TUI Blue Manar since August 4, 2024.
“As Mr Ockenden and his family were not due to travel until October, our normal terms and conditions and therefore cancellation fees were applied.”
TUI’s policy outlines that if a customer is set to travel within 14 days and has a serious underlying health issue, and the travel firm is monitoring the hotel for illness, they can change to another hotel in the same destination on the same dates and flights without any fees.
However, if a customer needs to amend the booking or cancel outside of the 14 days before departure, normal terms and conditions would apply.