Victims of hotel vomiting bug get share of 500k compensation

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More than 400 British tourists who stayed at the Royal Park Hotel in Bulgaria four years ago were awarded £500,000 in compensation from tour operator First Choice after they were struck down by a vomiting bug at the hotel.

The Daily Mail reports that dirty conditions and appalling food hygiene made numerous families fall ill, turning their holiday in the Bulgarian resort of Elenite into a nightmare.

Yesterday 281 holidaymakers who stayed at the hotel between June and October 2008 won a settlement of more than £500,000 from First Choice after suing the travel company.

This follows a £200,000 payment to nearly 100 tourists who stayed at the hotel between 2004 and 2007 through the holiday firm and suffered the same fate.

Many of the unlucky holidaymakers were hit so badly with gastric illnesses that they continued to suffer from the symptoms years later.

Guests complained of flies buzzing around the food, undercooked chicken, dirty crockery and cutlery in the restaurant and rude staff and tour reps at the 'hotel from hell.'

30 of nearly 300 people to receive the latest compensation were so ill they required hospital treatment.

Despite the same complaints being made year after year, nothing was apparently done to improve the hotel's conditions.

A number of the holidaymakers booked trips for occasions such as wedding anniversaries and honeymoons.

According to the Daily Mail, First Choice, which refused to comment yesterday, denied responsibility for the guests' sickness but agreed the six-figure settlement shortly before the trial date was due to be fixed.

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