A dad’s surprise “trip of a lifetime” for his 40th birthday bash was ruined when he claimed he was left bleeding on the loo during a five star £2,500 TUI holiday. Jamie Foy jetted off to a luxe resort in Cape Verde for an exciting week in the sun with his partner Leanne Lynch, 41.
The dad claimed his dream getaway turned into a disaster after he ate exclusively in the main buffet restaurant for the first three days of the adventure, which started on December 12. Jamie alleged his birthday treat started to dramatically go downhill after he began experiencing sharp stomach cramps and diarrhoea two days into his holiday.
He said: “Up to this point, we had only eaten in the main restaurant of the hotel.” The dad added: “It was a sharp pain like someone was poking my belly with a needle, sharp cramps and I felt my belly churning.” Jamie said he experienced “cold sweats and was shivering uncontrollably” later that night.
The dad-of-two claimed his plans to enjoy the five-star resort and sunny beaches was replaced with him rushing to the toilet 30 times a day for the rest of his holiday. The plasterer said his condition had gotten to the point where he only managed to eat three chips during a luxury private birthday dinner.
Jaime said: “It was a three-hour dining experience and I went to the toilet eight times. At this point, the holiday was ruined and I was starting to get worried as it wasn’t easing up.”
As the plasterer’s symptoms persisted, Jamie alleged he started passing blood on the day before he was meant to fly home to Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
The dad said he visited the on-site doctor who claims he had contracted gastroenteritis and was prescribed antibiotics, probiotics and electrolytes. But after speaking to a doctor back in the UK, he now believes he contracted shigella – an infection of the bowel caused by bacteria.
Jamie fumed and said: “I definitely didn’t have food poisoning, I think it was bacterial from bad hygiene.” He added: “The dinner halls are all buffet styles and I didn’t see one single bottle of sanitizer. As soon as people left their table it was given a quick wipe ready for the next person to use.”
One shocking snap from the horror holiday showed Jamie curled up on a sun lounger in pain after claiming the illness “ruined” his birthday trip.
Jamie however claimed he researched the five-star hotel before flying to Cape Verde and allegedly found other holiday goers reporting they had fallen ill at the resort. The dad said he shared his apparent finding to TUI and claimed the travel company “said it was a load of nonsense”.
The dad also said he reached out to TUI after returning from his 40th birthday trip but claimed the travel company won’t take responsibility for his illness due to a lack of ‘pathological evidence’ and not being able to provide stool samples.
Jamie said: “TUI’s response has annoyed me. It’s my first TUI holiday and my last. I have never been this ill on holiday and I’ve never complained before.”
A hotel spokesman said the health and safety of their guests is their “highest priority” and they follow strict health and safety protocols and regulations at the resort. A TUI UK&I spokesman said: “Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, which is why we were very sorry to hear that Mr Foy was ill during his holiday to Cape Verde.
“As this is now a legal matter, we are unable to comment any further at this time.”
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