Cape Verde illness and due to travel in 3 weeks

monstermash

I would like some advice as i booked a holiday through TUI for the Santa Marie in cape Verde.  I have just seen lots of articles in the newspapers saying about the number of people who are claiming against TUI for sickness who have visited this hotel (the latest claim for sickness is for August 2024).  
My partner has several serious health conditions and any sickness would be a serious issue for her health and would most probably mean a visit to the hospital. 
Reading all the articles has really made us very anxious and we have lost all excitement for the holiday.  I'm i right in thinking that we will lose a lot of money if we decide we cannot take the chance in staying at this hotel.
Thanks 

la531983

I stayed at the one next door in August (also a Riu). Absolutely fantastic, best food I have had whilst abroad for some time.

Some people will never agree wit h the food in another continent, its part of the human condition. Mate of mine regularly goes to India on business and is constantly ill afterwards, it is what it is.

eskbanker

monstermash said:

I'm i right in thinking that we will lose a lot of money if we decide we cannot take the chance in staying at this hotel.

Yes, you'll lose 90% of the value of your booking if you cancel three weeks out.

heatherw_01

Sadly you can't get a refund just because you don't wish to stay there, even because you read about people getting ill.
You would lose that money.

eskbanker

heatherw_01 said:

Sadly you can't get a refund just because you don't wish to stay there, even because you read about people getting ill.
You would lose that money.

As above, you can get a refund, but just not a full one, assuming more than two weeks' notice of cancellation is given....

DullGreyGuy

monstermash said:

I would like some advice as i booked a holiday through TUI for the Santa Marie in cape Verde.  I have just seen lots of articles in the newspapers saying about the number of people who are claiming against TUI for sickness who have visited this hotel (the latest claim for sickness is for August 2024).  
My partner has several serious health conditions and any sickness would be a serious issue for her health and would most probably mean a visit to the hospital. 
Reading all the articles has really made us very anxious and we have lost all excitement for the holiday.  I'm i right in thinking that we will lose a lot of money if we decide we cannot take the chance in staying at this hotel.
Thanks 

Have you spoken to them about changing the hotel maybe?

People will always blame the hotel or a restaurant if they go on holiday and get sick however having seen how many tourists act when on holiday at least some cases it looks much more like their own fault. Many places in the world they recommend you not to drink tap water and as a consequence, not to have ice in drinks. Locals will have tolerances in many cases to low level exposure but as someone who's only been there a few days you won't. Number of times I've seen people go to a random shack bar and have cocktails loaded with ice it's no surprise that some of them are then vomiting the next day. Had beer or drinks without ice and never sick one. Also had the buffet at the hotel which they blamed and no problem there either. 

eskbanker

DullGreyGuy said:

Have you spoken to them about changing the hotel maybe?

Perhaps worth noting that the lawyers supporting this claim are doing so on behalf of visitors to nine different hotels there (over at least three years), so any issue doesn't appear to be isolated to an individual hotel or time period:

The full list of hotels are:

• Riu Palace Santa Maria
• Riu Boavista 
• Melia Dunas
• Sol Dunas
• Riu Funana
• Riu Cabo Verde
• TUI Blue Cabo Verde
• Riu Karamboa
• TUI Suneo Dunas

https://www.irwinmitchell.com/news-and-insights/newsandmedia/2024/october/more-holidaymakers-instruct-lawyers-after-being-struck-down-by-illness-linked-to-cape-verde-hotels

IvanOpinion

We visited Cape Verde last year (Riu Cabo Verde).
The food in the hotel was great, as someone else said, some of the best we have ever had on holiday.
I took a bad dose of the montazumma's for a few days. I went to the nearby medical centre for all sorts of tests for food related poisoning and every one came back negative.

The one thing I did different was that, for the first 2-3 days, I used a DEET spray due to continually being nibbled at by mosquitos.  I believe the spray may have been the cause (for me) - others had a similar experience, tested negative for food related but had been using DEET sprays. I stopped using the spray and was fine a couple of days later (coincidence?).

It was also very hot and we had been lying out for most of the day, so simple dehydration or sun stroke could also have been the cause.

NoodleDoodleMan

I wonder what newspapers "lots of articles" have appeared in ?

Some of the British press will jump on anything, regardless of the veracity of the situation.

We only have experience of one RIU hotel - it is first class, now booked for fifth visit next Spring. They have high standards.

Still a family owned and run chain - perhaps an email to them  ?

Chose between reservations@riu.com and ask for your issue to be directed to the relevant department - or complaints@riu.com if you feel that's more appropriate.

eskbanker

NoodleDoodleMan said:

I wonder what newspapers "lots of articles" have appeared in ?

Some of the British press will jump on anything, regardless of the veracity of the situation.

Google is your friend, but it's been picked up by the Reach group, which encompasses some nationals and lots of regionals, so the group lives up to its name!  The lawyers I mentioned above are usually featured so it would seem likely that they're pushing the story....

Lorian

The normal precautions would be to avoid ice, and drink and clean teeth with bottled water. I went to riu boavista the first week it opened and loved it. That was quite some time ago now.