Children ‘too scared to eat’ as Brits hospitalised at Turkish resort

British families have revealed their ‘nightmare’ holidays at a five-star resort in Turkey, with scores of people being put on drips, kids being too frightened to eat and worried parents describing having to watch their sick children sleeping.

At least 33 families who visited the Rixos Sungate resort in Antalya say they have been affected by severe sickness, with many blaming suspected food poisoning for their symptoms which have included diarrhea and vomiting.

Many rushed to A&E and their GPs on their return to the UK, and now a father-of-two has tested positive for salmonella. His daughters, aged six and nine, were on IV drips during their trip and are still severely unwell a week later.

Cases of salmonella were reported among guests at the hotel back in Easter, but tour operator TUI said this week that food poisoning was not confirmed and that the illnesses were thought to be norovirus.

Some holidaymakers due to fly out were told that they cannot change hotels, with TUI branches and call handlers allegedly telling customers that they have no knowledge of the sickness sweeping the resort.

Vdara, 6, became unwell on May 30, a few days after the family arrived at the resort, and was soon taken into the hotel’s clinic and put on an IV drip

James Pearce was bedbound throughout his holiday at the Rixos Sungate resort, according to his wife

One guest told MailOnline that she forked out £5,000 for a luxury holiday at the resort to celebrate her partner’s 40th birthday, but that it has turned into a ‘nightmare’

Families have claimed that their loved ones became ill after eating food at the resort, and say that several people in a group chat set up by sick guests had tested positive for salmonella.

Dominic Brackley from Leighton Buzzard said the first night his youngest had the illness he ‘thought was dying she was so bad’.

Vdara, 6, became unwell on May 30, a few days after the family arrived at the resort, and was soon taken into the hotel’s clinic and put on an IV drip.

The dad said he ‘then spent the next five nights watching her sleep, making sure I could see her tummy move.’

The little girl has been off school for two days and gone back to the doctor after getting home last Sunday. Dominic’s nine-year-old, Blythe, is also unwell and had to be put on a drip in Turkey.

Dominic has since gone to his GP at home and tested positive for salmonella, with the whole family continuing to experience horrible symptoms. He said his holiday cost him a total of £4,700.

Another guest said that she forked out £5,000 for a luxury holiday at the resort to celebrate her partner’s 40th birthday, but that he has been bedbound throughout the trip.

Dominic with his partner and daughter Vdara in the clinic at the Rixos Sungate Resort in Turkey

Katie Harrington, 33, said her husband James was unable to move or eat, suffering from kidney pain, a fever and diarrhea.

He was put on two drips in the hotel’s clinic and prescribed numerous antibiotics, but was not improving. 

Katie claimed her children hadn’t eaten in ‘days’ as the family feared getting ill from the resort’s food.

The mother-of-two said her husband was among numerous patients in the hotel’s clinic, and MailOnline has seen pictures showing both young and elderly patients being treated there.

After returning to the UK this week, Katie said her GP confirmed the symptoms of his illness were not consistent with norovirus and are more likely linked to a ‘bacterial infection of some kind – very likely salmonella.’ James is waiting on his test result. 

Katie has slammed TUI, who she said she contacted with concerns about her upcoming holiday back in April, when reports of suspected salmonella cases among guests at the hotel emerged. 

Katie Harrington said her husband James has been in bed since Thursday and was unable to move or eat, suffering from kidney pain, a fever and diarrhea

Katie said she spoke to the TUI rep who denied that it was related to food poisoning and she said showed ‘no compassion or help at all’.

‘They’ve done nothing to sort this and are in denial. We would never have come here if we knew it hadn’t been dealt with!’

She said she has filed an official complaint with TUI and wants a full refund, compensation and loss of earnings, with her husband having to take time off work.

Another guest said her husband had to be taken to hospital after suffering severe diarrhea, and described doctors at the hotel’s clinic as ‘useless’.

Holly Laird, from Essex, said her husband Ant has been suffering from ‘sickness, diarrhea, fever and dizziness’ since eating at the hotel’s buffet on Thursday.

After his sickness worsened, she said, she took him to the Medical Park Hospital, where she says doctors confirmed to her that he has a ‘serious infection – food poisoning’. 

Ambulances have been pictured outside the Rixos Sungate resort in Antalya, with violently ill guests needing to be taken to hospital

Holly said she had seen reporting in April about cases of salmonella among guests at the hotel and contacted TUI with her concerns, but was reassured by the tour operator.

‘I am kicking myself as I saw the reviews before I came but had faith all would be ok, but clearly and sadly this is not the case.’

Ant has since been in A&E with what Holly said is ‘severe kidney damage’, and claimed that doctors confirmed he is suffering from a bacterial infection.

Linda Leitch, whose daughter Chloe was on IV drips in hospital for days and claims doctors told her she was suffering from food poisoning, said she is fuming at TUI’s response to her complaint.

Eight-year-old Chloe has been on a series of IV drips after suffering from ‘severe vomitting, diarrhea, and being unable to keep water down’, her mother Linda Leitch says

After receiving an email saying Chloe may be suffering from gastroenteritis, Linda criticised the tour company’s characterisation of her daughter’s illness as ‘unpleasant’.

‘Unpleasant! You should be here listening to my eight-year-old screaming in pain, vomiting up bile and pooing green sludge since Wednesday crying ‘mummy I can’t do this anymore’.

‘She is currently seriously ill on a constant cocktail of IV drugs to get her through this food poisoning!’ Linda wrote on social media earlier this week. 

Linda also refuted the claim that guests may be suffering from norovirus, sharing Chloe’s negative test result for the illness. The family are now back in the UK. 

Another holidaymaker, who is due to fly out with 15 family and friends later this month, told MailOnline that despite raising concerns with TUI, she was told she ‘can’t rebook’ her holiday at another hotel.

The Rixos Sungate Resort saw a spate of food illnesses over the Easter holidays, and is now facing fresh allegations

Anna Krasnianska from Wellingborough is due to travel on June 23 in a group of 16 including a 22-month-old child. 

She told TUI representatives over the phone and at a branch in Rushden that she wanted to change hotels after reports of sickness.

But, Anna claimed, she was told by a rep that there is ‘no issue at all’ at Rixos Sungate – which TUI has since suggested was a ‘miscommunication’.

She and her family were also told that they cannot rebook as the issue will be ‘cleared’ by the time they are due to fly out. 

She said no policy was ever mentioned to them, despite others claiming they have been able to change hotel and pay the difference.

Anna said she has spent £4,000 on the holiday for her family of four, but that her ‘main concern is obviously health of the children, if it is salmonella which is the cause [of the illness].’

‘Lack of any response, ownership of the issue from TUI is extremely frustrating,’ she said. TUI said it would be in contact with Anna.

Another holidaymaker who is due to fly out to Rixos Sungate at the end of the month claimed that her local TUI branch told her they ‘were not aware of any [issues]’ at the resort.

She said a call handler told her they are ‘not able to change’ her booking, despite other customers being moved to different hotels.

Earlier this week, TUI said they were not aware of food poisoning and that norovirus could be to blame, claiming that 34 of around 1,800 guests were affected and guests with symptoms told to stay in their rooms.

They also said that the hotel will be paying the medical bills of all TUI customers – which have amounted to thousands in some cases – as a ‘good will gesture’.

The tour company said in their latest statement: ‘We are aware of a small number of customers becoming unwell at the Rixos Sungate Hotel in Antalya, Turkey. 

‘The health and safety of our customers is always our upmost priority, and we remain in close contact with anyone impacted, offering support where necessary and are working in close collaboration with the hotel.’

Accor, the hotel group which owns Rixos Sungate, has been contacted for comment.