Travel company TUI is facing a lawsuit seeking over £5m in compensation from approximately 300 holidaymakers who allege they contracted severe stomach bugs at the 5-star Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel in Cape Verde during 2022. The widower of holidaymaker Jane Pressley, who died weeks after falling ill, is among those seeking compensation.
The claimants attribute the illnesses to issues such as improperly prepared food and drink, unhygienic swimming facilities, stray dogs, and cockroaches. The High Court case will proceed to a six-week trial scheduled for the end of next year, following its initial hearing last week.
According to legal documents, the claims could result in compensation payouts worth more than £5m. The group action is part of a series of claims brought through lawyers Irwin Mitchell after an explosion in gastric problems among tourists in the African islands. More than 1,500 tourists fell ill after booking holidays in Cape Verde, with six deaths, including Ms Pressley.
The claims cover several Cape Verde hotels, but those involving the all-inclusive TUI-run Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel were the first to reach court. The resort, on the island of Sal, features a waterpark, six swimming pools, a spa and several restaurants. Infections peaked in October 2022, when 110 people became ill with gastric problems.
The holidaymakers complain of undercooked food, dirty swimming pool water, unsanitary rooms infested with cockroaches, and stray dogs on the hotel's private beach. Lead claimant Nicky Morley, from Devon, fell ill a day into her holiday in May 2022 and has since lost over four stone. During last week's hearing, Master Gidden ordered that the case proceed with 30 lead claimants, whose outcomes will dictate the fate of the others.
