A family’s holiday in Egypt turned into a nightmare after staying at a hotel in the middle of a construction site. Tourists claim they have faced dirty rooms, food-borne illnesses and dangers in children’s areas.
Scott Edward (from Wales), 36, went with his wife, Katie, and their two children, Freddy and Alexandra, on a resort holiday in Hurghada, Egypt. The family arrived at their destination after nearly 18 hours of travel, plagued by delays and transfers.
But, according to the British, the problems started immediately after arrival. “Nobody enjoyed the holiday. It has caused enormous stress and financial problems for all of us, having to pay the extra charges on our credit cards. We were all very ill and the children became anxious about travelling’Scott Edward told the New York Post.
“Dirty rooms and unclean toilets”
The family claims that the first room she was put in was dirty and had no working internet. Although they asked to change the room, the situation would not have improved.
Edward recounts that the hotel was in an advanced state of disrepair.
“The rooms were dirty and damaged,” a he said, claiming that the toilet had traces of feces and urine, and the air conditioner was covered in mold and dust.
“Everything was run down, damp and moldy and the plaster and paint was coming off the walls. There was also an electrical panel with exposed fuses right outside our door.” he added.
According to the family, the renovation works were taking place right near the rooms occupied by tourists. “That night there was children’s music like ‘Baby Shark’ playing right in front of our room as the entertainment stage was under renovation.” said the Briton.
“I had kidney pain for two weeks”
In addition to the accommodation conditions, the family claims that they also had serious health problems due to the food served at the hotel.
“The food made everyone extremely sick and I couldn’t eat at any of the restaurants anymore”Edward stated.
He says that he spent much of the holiday confined to bed and that the symptoms continued even after returning home.
“I had kidney pain for two weeks after the holiday due to dehydration from the illness,” he stated.
Due to the health condition, the family could no longer participate in the trips and activities planned for the children.
All the playground equipment was broken
Scott Edward states that the spring was a danger even for the little ones. He claims he received an electric shock from an exposed cable in the children’s club area and that the playgrounds were damaged.
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“All the playground equipment was broken and dangeroushe said.
According to him, the children’s club had trampolines with broken and sharp metal springs, pieces of wood with nails on the floor and very few staff to supervise the area.
Also, the areas under construction would have been completely accessible to tourists. “Huge areas of the hotel were under construction, with concrete pouring, jackhammers and drilling going on all day, and there were doors, windows, toilets, broken bricks, glass and rubble everywhere,” Edward recounted.
One of the children was nearly seriously injured after stepping on broken glass in the walkway between the room and other areas of the complex.
“Fortunately, the shoes absorbed most of the impact and prevented the glass from cutting his leg”the father explained.
Over $4,000 Vacation
The family paid more than $4,000 for their vacation in Egypt and are now seeking full compensation for the experience.
Scott Edward says the tour company initially only offered them about $140 in compensation. However, operator Loveholidays later announced that it would refund the full cost of the holiday, including flights and transfers.
In a press release, company representatives said the family did not contact the agency during their stay, but several weeks after returning home.
“We are very sorry that Mr. Edward and Mrs. Hillman’s recent experience at the hotel in Egypt was not up to our usual standards”a company spokesperson said.
“We offer 24/7 support to our customers. However, Mr. Edward did not contact us until seven weeks after returning home. Unfortunately, this prevented us from helping the family while he was still on vacation.” the representatives of Loveholidays also specified.
The company added that the refund process is ongoing and that the reported issues have been forwarded to the property managers.
