Devon mum's severe gastric illness turned four-star Turkish trip into holiday from hell

Tourists say they suffered from sickness and diarrhoea and want answers

British tourists, including a family from Devon, were left needing IV drips after a dreadful gastric outbreak at a Turkish four-star hotel left them seriously unwell. Guests staying at the hotel in Sarigerme, Turkey, have recounted their battles with sickness and diarrhoea during their stay.

Shockingly, one visitor even overheard hotel staff claiming there was faeces and vomit in the pool. Melissa Davidson and Paige Pottinger, both 32, took their families to the destination in May, reconnecting after their previous holiday in 2022. Melissa and her two children Logan, 13, and Bella, six, began to fall ill with severe sickness and diarrhoea just three days into their holiday.

They all had to visit a local clinic and pay for IV drips but Melissa says she has "never felt so ill." Melissa, from Exeter, Devon, shared: "This trip was one Paige and I had been planning for a while."

She continued: "We were really looking forward to getting our families together for a fun time abroad and I still can’t believe the way things turned out. I’ve never felt so ill and it was shocking to see all the children become so sick as well. You feel so helpless in that situation and you just naturally begin to think terrible thoughts."

Paige's seven-year-old son Oakley quickly came down with sickness and diarrhoea, with his father Michael, 41, and little brother Roman, three, soon following suit.

Paige, hailing from Norwich, Norfolk, watched helplessly as she and her four-year-old son Noah, who needed an IV drip, fell ill too. While the others began to recover after some days, Paige continued to suffer, eventually seeking medical advice from her GP upon their return to the UK.

Despite tests returning clear, Paige had to take additional time off work as her health slowly mended. She expressed her disappointment: "We’d been planning this trip for some time and to bring our families together for one big joint holiday.

"It was supposed to be a great time for us all to catch up and for the kids to have a fun time together. This trip cost us a lot of time to organise, not to mention the cost and none of us expected to have the holiday from hell in return."

"All of us were so ill, but myself and Noah seemed to get the worst of it. It’s awful to see your children so ill, and to try and comfort them when they’re being placed on drips is heartbreaking. Not least when you’re so ill yourself.

"Nothing can makeup for what we all went through, but given the numbers of people who were ill, we deserve some answers and assurances."

The families, who paid £6,000 altogether for the trip, have said the hotel complex looked in a poor state of repair, with dirty upholstery and a general lack of cleaning. They claim staff added new food poured on top of existing ones in the buffet areas, without rotation, and that it was commonly left out for long periods of time.

Melissa concluded: "I was just glad for all of us to get home. It all could have been much, worse. Now safely home, Paige and I want answers about what happened to us and our families. I’m sure other people were sick too and I think we need to hear what is being done to prevent this happening to other families in the future."

Ryan Charlesworth, 39, forked out £2,782 for a week-long stay at the Holiday Village Hotel with his wife Toni, 36. However, just days into their holiday, Ryan began experiencing high temperatures, aches, pains, and headaches.

His condition quickly escalated to severe diarrhoea, complete with blood in his stool and delirium. Upon returning to the UK last month, he was rushed to hospital.

The self-employed carpenter was diagnosed with gastroenteritis, suspected to be caused by salmonella, and suffered inflammation of his liver and kidneys. He also reported hearing from hotel staff about faecal matter and vomit present in the swimming pool.

Ryan recounted: "This was meant to be our annual relaxing break in the sun. By the end of it, I started to wonder if I’d make it through."

"This is the worst illness I’ve experienced and when Toni saw how ill I was in resort, the doctor was called in twice. I’m told I was delirious at that point and all I remember was the sickness and the pain."

"I was determined to make it home and somehow survived the flight but I knew I was far from right."

From Sidcup, Kent, Ryan expressed that guests should have been "warned in advance" about previous illnesses reported by guests earlier in the year. He added: "I know I’m not the only person to have fallen ill at this hotel and we understand several others were sick earlier in the year. If there were issues that were known about I feel we had a right to be warned in advance."

Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, remarked: "The first-hand accounts we’ve heard from the families regarding their holidays at this hotel in Turkey are deeply disturbing.

"Particularly given the significant history of claims over the last 15 or so years. Worryingly, the latest reports of illness and substandard hygiene at the hotel appears to show history repeating itself once again. Gastric illnesses, particularly bacterial infections such as salmonella, can lead to very serious long-term health complications and their impact should never be downplayed.

"While it’s too late for these families, understandably they still want answers on how they all came to fall so ill. We’re committed to providing them with the answers they deserve.

"If during the course of our investigations any issues are identified, action must be taken to ensure other holidaymakers don’t continue to have the same experiences in future. As part of our investigations, we’d be interested in hearing from other guests who fell ill while staying at the same hotel as this group."

TUI has been approached for a statement on the matter.