A family’s £3,000 holiday to Mexico was ruined when their hotel flooded and the father caught a disease from allegedly eating food contaminated with human faeces.
The Madleys had to paddle through water every day after heavy rain brought down part of the ceiling at the Bahia Principe Coba Hotel in Riviera Maya, Yucatan.
Scott Madley, 29, needed three weeks off work after contracting cyclospora, a tropical disease usually caused by eating food contaminated with human faeces.
Scott Madley, 29, his wife Tammy, 27, and their daughter Madison, nine, had a terrible holiday
The ceilings flooded and caved in at the Bahia Principe Coba Hotel in Riviera Maya, Yucatan
He said he only ate in the hotel’s restaurants. His daughter Madison, nine, suffered a head injury after slipping on a wet floor during their two-week stay.
Mr Madley also claimed the coffee machine, fridge and spa bath in their room was faulty, and the air conditioning only worked intermittently.
The British Gas engineer, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, added that the beach smelt bad and bore little resemblance to the glossy brochure photographs.
He and his wife, Tammy, 27, are demanding that holiday firm TUI urgently investigate what went wrong to help protect the health and safety of other holidaymakers.
The British Gas engineer, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, said that the beach smelt bad
Mr Madeley said the beach bore little resemblance to the glossy brochure photograph (above)
The family travelled in June and complained immediately but claim TUI repeatedly ignored them.
Mr Madley took to social media at the weekend to vent his frustration at the holiday firm and share pictures of the hotel. He wrote: ‘Upon arrival our room was flooded.
‘We reported it immediately and it was mopped out. It became apparent that the leak was coming through the ceiling and a simple mop up wasn’t going to solve the issue.
‘I reported it to the TUI representative who was not interested and stated everyone has room problems.’
Madison, nine, suffered a head injury after slipping on a wet floor during their two-week stay
He added: ‘Then a few days later at 5.30am I was woken by a loud crash. The ceiling had fallen down. The same one I had been reporting.’
Mr Madley added that it took a full day for the ceiling collapsed to be cleared up, and that water was still coming through the family’s hotel room ceiling.
‘We had to paddle through water in our room and waste all our towels daily to try to make the floor not so slippy.
‘Two days before we were due to come home our nine-year-old daughter had an accident going to the bathroom – due to the flooded floor.
The family used the bathroom bin to mitigate the leak during their stay at the Mexican hotel
‘This resulted in a head injury caused by your neglect. The representatives were still not interested.
‘Upon returning home I then have a confirmed case of cyclospora caught from the hotel.
‘If this is not investigated and a full report, along with an explanation and settlements within the next week, I will be starting legal proceedings.’
Mr Madley attached a photograph of the hotel corridor when the ceiling had collapsed, left debris all over the floor and a gaping hole above.
The pictures show soggy towels strewn across the floor in an attempt to mop up the leaks
In other images taken by the family during their stay, water can be seen dripping through the light fitting in the bathroom.
The pictures also show soggy towels strewn across the floor in an attempt to mop it up. The family also used the bathroom bin to mitigate the leak.
Speaking today, Mr Madley said: ‘Safe to say all in all the holiday was a complete disaster. This was supposed to be a time of relaxation and making memories.
‘Not mopping up water and wasting our time constantly reporting issues and waiting for people that never turn up along with accidents.
The family want holiday firm TUI to probe what went wrong at the Bahia Principe Coba Hotel
‘I will be looking to start legal proceedings if they do not have this investigated properly and provide me with a satisfactory response and resolution.’
Mr Madley added that the family had to deal with many other problems which he believes were caused by the leaks – including constant dripping from the ceiling, intermittent air con and flickering lights.
He said: ‘It was interesting that all the electrical appliances within the room appeared to be faulty when water was leaking through. It was probably the cause of all this.’
However, Mr Madley believes he caught the disease after eating from one of the hotel’s restaurants.
How the bathroom at the hotel appeared in the brochure photographs – without any leaks
He added: ‘There was a variety of buffets and a la carte restaurants all included in the package and where all based within the resort, as part of the hotel.
‘I went to the doctors and got antibiotics, (and) took stool samples for parasites and disease. The main ones came back and nothing was found.
‘The doctor advised a lot of cases of cyclospora have been reported and symptoms stemmed towards it being this.
‘I had severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea and ended up taking three weeks off work. I’m still not great now. But much better than I was.’
Mr Madley took to social media at the weekend to vent his frustration at the holiday firm
The family were also annoyed by the pictures used by the travel company to advertise the Mexican resort against what it actually looked like, which they say was a beach covered in seaweed and ‘rotten’.
Mr Madley told TUI he wants a full investigation ‘to be completed and compensation awarded along with acknowledgment of their neglect and an apology’.
He said: ‘I would like to see what they believe is a fair settlement once they have completed their investigation. Legal action will only be taken if they do not comply with a full investigation and offer a fair settlement.’
A spokesman for TUI said: ‘We are sorry to hear about the Madley family’s experience on their recent holiday to Mexico and we will be contacting Mr Madley directly to discuss the issues raised.
‘We’d like to reassure customers that we regularly audit all of the hotels we feature in respect of health and safety.’