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We are forwarding this letter of complaint to Tui uk and ABTA
Michael Verdun Thomas
Wetherlam
Ginhall Lane
Leominster
HR6 8RD
[protected]@aol.com
+[protected]
Tui UK & Ireland
Alexandra House Swansea SA1 5ED
20 October 2023
Re: Unsatisfactory Holiday at Hotel Touareg Boa Vista on 4th October 2023
Booking reference: [protected]
To whom it may concern,
I have just returned from a holiday at Hotel Touareg Boa Vista which was most disappointing.
I went with Wife.
Please find below a list of my complaints:
Day 1) 4th October 2023
Up on arriving at the reception we were informed that our room was not ready and it would be another two and half hours bef0re it would. We were exhausted from rising early in the morning then travelling for many hours. In order to help with a quick check in we registered our passport details and check in on line with the hotels App prior to our departure hoping it would speed the process up when we arrived total waste of time. It took just as long when we arrived as it would have done if we had not check in via the App.
We were unable to refresh our selves after a long journey and had to wait in very high temperature for a long period. After the specified time we returned to the reception and again we were told our room was not available and they were upgrading us to a junior suite which was in block 3 room 6161. Well on arriving we were shocked and disappointed at the filthy condition of the room and the building itself.
The windows were filthy dirty it looked like they never had been cleaned in decades there was black mildew on the walls along the ceiling line around the air-conditioning unit. Cracks in the ceiling plaster flaking of the walls, and then I looked under the bed. It was absolutely disgusting dust and dirty worse than anything I had ever seen plus a full bottle of water. I wouldn’t have put my dog into those conditions never mind a human being the hotel and Tui should be ashamed.
I went straight back to reception and made a formal complaint to staff members telling what I thought of their so called five star hotel more like 0 stars. And once again the excuse we have nothing available until 2pm tomorrow. We agreed to wait until then however I told the staff member that we would look at the room first before agree on any move. So in the meantime I photographed all the issues we found and they were submitted to you later in a complaint I made directly to you via your app.
We changed into our swimwear and head for the main swimming pool and yet an even greater shock awaited us when we arrived there. The pool was in a deplorable state of lack of maintenance, tiles surrounding the pool were broken or completely missing. The surrounding the pool was crumbling away or completely gone there were trip hazards everywhere. And these were minor compared to the pool itself Black mould growing in the bottom of the pool and on the sides. The edges inside the pool itself were filthy dirty and had not been cleaned. During our stay we did not see one person cleaning the inside of the pool just sweeping the dirt and dust from the crumbling paved areas surrounding the pool. Photographs were taken and submitted to you via a formal complaint via your app once again.
Day 2) 5th October 2023
Missed breakfast went straight down to the main pool, before reporting to reception in order to view new room. Meet member of staff at reception began trek to view room in block 9 and what a trek. I suffer with Asthma by the time we reached block 9 I became extremely short of breath, up to second floor and lead us into the room. Which had been completely refurbished or was new? And it was very nice. However due to the distance to was totally unsuitable for the reason giving. On the way back to reception I became very short of breath and had to take my Ventolin medication the staff member could see I was struggling greatly.
Once again at reception the person concerned said they had nothing available till 2pm tomorrow, it was getting very frustrating and annoying to be dealt with in this manner totally unacceptable. We returned to the pool for the rest of the day. When lying n the sun bed I noticed a very red blotch on my left arm after coming out of the pool. I assumed it was a touch of sunburn and thought nothing of it.
Day 3 6th October 2023-10-20
During the night my left arm became very itchy and had a burning sensation once again I thought it was sunburn even though I had been using factor 30 all the time. At 2pm we returned to reception and were taken to room 3102 in block 3 a very short distance from the main restaurants. The room was far more presentable and closer to restaurants and bars etc. So we returned to room 6161 in block 6 to get ready to move. We moved in to room 3012 block 3 hoping this would be the last move which it was.
On returning to the pool my arm had begun to swell and the itching and burning was getting worse and this continued tall night long keeping me awake. The room prove to have a number of faults 1) air-conditioning unit was very loud on settings 1-2 setting 3 was better but remained to loud in order to sleep. We kept it turned off at all time other than when we were out relying on the overhead fan to keep cool. 2) When the toilet was flushed the smell of sewage was very strong. By this time we had enough of moving and backwards and forwards to reception and complaining. 3) The bed sheets were far from clean I was about to photograph them to show reception but wife convinced me not to.
Day 4 7th October
Due to the appalling condition of the main pool we moved up to the infinity pool which was very clean and in good order. By this time my left arm had swollen to over twice its size and the itching and burning had become much worse. While at the pool I went on line to research black mould in swimming pools the results were shocking
1) However, although the black algae itself won’t cause illness, it can attract insects or harbour organisms or harmful bacteria like E. coli, which can make swimmers sick. Young children and elderly ones could have life threaten conditions with E. Coli but do TUI and the hotel care of cause not. Money comes first.
2) It’s best to avoid swimming in a pool with black algae until you’ve eradicated it.
Once again I took Photographs of my arm and submitted yet another formal complaint, later I filled an incident from in sent by you and made a direct complain to the Tui reps. their remarks and response were frightening. We are fully aware of all you have reported and told us we have forwarded all you Photographs to our head office but we are totally powerless to do anything.
Then via the app I received a number of messages asking if I required any medical help. Fortunately having travelled extensively worldwide I always carry a number of different medications. One of which is antihistamines once my arm had began swelling, I knew it was an insect bite and took 1 antihistamines 4 times ad day. It took more than five days before the swelling began to reduce. I made a total of six complaints vi the App all recorded with photographs all sent to the TUI reps who said they had forwarded them on?
Day 4 – 14
With all this happening we thought things must begin to improve but how wrong were
On the 11th of October we went to the main restaurant for an evening meal. During the day of the Imelda begun to have severe tummy pains, that evening we were due to go on a turtle watching trip. As we were going to the meeting point Imelda had to rush back into the hotel having very chronic diarrhea. When going onto the beach Imelda was in awful pain and had to go in the dark to the toilet. During the night Imelda was violently sick and constantly on and off the toilet never in 36 years have I seen Imelda being so sick and in so much pain.
Next day was the same so Imelda took rehydration salts and lots of fluid with very no food this lasted many days and Imelda has not as yet made a full recover. One of the other guests who had come to know gave us some more rehydration salts which was very kind of her.
We heard via other guests that a number had been restricted to their rooms due to the same prolems. First thought was the swimming pool as it was so dirty and with the black algae the Tui reps and the hotel management were fully aware of the condition of the pool and still had no concern for the safety of those using it.
We never used the main pool for all the afford mentioned problems then the unthinkable happened all
Guests were barred from using the infinity pool some were threatened with eviction from the complex if they did not move or attempted to use it. And yet we had paid to use that pool we were barred due to the adult’s only pool breaking down as they had paid more for the holiday they had priority over us.
Moving on to the Italian, Asian and Boa Vista restaurants that have to be the worst specialist restaurants we have ever attended. Service was none existent much of the food was uneatable over cooked under cooked very poor choice. Wines were diabolical really cheap and nasty, spirits were the same beer was fine. Before leaving I spoke to one of the managers about some of these issues, he said they were aware of them and were trying to get the group to give more money to address the issues.
In all this is the worst holiday we have ever experienced with Tui absolutely disgusting hence this letter
We contacted your representative at the resort on 4 October 2023, but they were unable to resolve the matter and advised us to complain upon our return home.
Under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 you have a responsibility to provide all the elements of the package contracted for as they were described. We are legally entitled to receive compensation from you for loss of value, consequential losses and for the disappointment and loss of enjoyment we suffered. As you failed to provide us with the holiday we booked we are seeking a full refund plus compensation from you for the problems we encountered, and for the distress and disappointment we suffered as a result.
I have also sent a copy of this letter and enclosure to ABTA (of which I note you are a member).
I look forward to receiving a response from you within 14 days of receipt of this letter.
Yours faithfully, Michael Verdun Thomas
PS I have many more photos of the appalling condition of this hotel
Desired outcome: full refund plus compensation of holiday £3500 plus £9,750 compensation for pain, suffering and strerss
