Dozens of British tourists trapped in a ‘disgusting and horrible’ Cuban hotel are begging Thomas Cook to let them go home, a distraught holidaymaker has said.
Charles Powell, 74, said he is ‘despairing’ after spending nearly a week at the Sol Rio de Luna and Mares Resort on the east of the Caribbean island.
His wife, 73-year-old Johanna, has contracted pneumonia in large part because of the damp and mould in the couple’s room, he added.
But when the former company director, from Newmarket in Suffolk, complained to Thomas Cook he claims he was simply bounced between the firm’s UK office and local Cuban office.
Charles Powell (pictured with his wife Johanna) said he is ‘despairing’ after spending nearly a week at a hotel in Cuba. His wife has contracted pneumonia in large part because of the damp and mould in the couple’s room, he said
Dozens of British tourists trapped in a ‘disgusting and horrible’ Cuban hotel are begging Thomas Cook to let them go home
Charles Powell said his wife, 73-year-old Johanna, has contracted pneumonia in large part because of the damp and mould in the couple’s room
He told MailOnline: ‘We feel like we are in prison. I’ve spoken to about 30 British tourists here – out of perhaps 100 – and they are all complaining of the same things. We are despairing.
‘Our room had no hot water, the electricals were broken, it was leaking, it had damp and mould, and my wife has now got a serious illness.’
He added: ‘There’s also lots of food poisoning. Large numbers of people are ill, shattered, worn out and disappointed. We have to get out of this hell hole. It is disgusting and horrible.’
Mr Powell said Thomas Cook’s response has made the guests at the resort ‘very, very angry’ and led to most of them declaring they will never holiday with the company again.
‘This is a crisis and it needs urgent attention – but Thomas Cook aren’t doing anything,’ he said.
He said his room had damp and mould, no hot water, the electricals were broken and the ceilings were leaking (above)
He added that around 30 other British tourists he has spoken to at the hotel has complained of similar things
Mr Powell said Thomas Cook’s response has made the guests at the resort ‘very, very angry’
‘There are people flying to this resort from Britain right now, heading towards this disaster.
‘The chief executive should be informed of this and it should be fixed immediately.’
Mr Powell – who said he will be expecting not merely a refund, but compensation for his ordeal – also said he and his sick wife are now in a room with the air conditioning stuck on cold.
‘This is despite the doctor telling my wife she shouldn’t stay in a cold room,’ he explained.
‘We want our customers to have the best possible time on holiday so we are sorry to hear of Mr Powell’s experience,’ a Thomas Cook spokesman told MailOnline.
‘We arranged alternative accommodation for Mr Powell and his wife which they have accepted. As always we will be looking into this case and any other customer feedback thoroughly.’
Mr Powell said he will be expecting not merely a refund as well as compensation for his ordeal
The Sol Rio de Luna and Mares Resort (as pictured on Thomas Cook’s website) is on the east of the Caribbean island
Sarah suffered head and eye injuries and required ten stitches to a deep laceration on her face, which is now likely to leave a permanent scar
This time last year, a British couple were left fearing for their lives when the lobby roof at the same hotel suddenly buckled and collapsed – trapping them underneath and injuring many members of the wedding party.
Sarah and John Wenham had saved for years for ‘the wedding of their dreams’ in Cuba, costing more than £25,000 for themselves and 24 guests.
Sarah, 35, said: ‘We were just about to meet with hotel staff to discuss our wedding plans in the lobby, when John pointed out the ceiling as it started to move.
‘A loud bang followed as the roof then suddenly collapsed and fell upon us, trapping us underneath.
This time last year, a British couple were left fearing for their lives when the lobby roof at the same hotel suddenly buckled and collapsed
‘The roof debris knocked us clean to the ground.
‘It was so heavy that I couldn’t move under it, and I was terrified because I couldn’t get to my daughters who I could hear screaming from somewhere beneath the debris.
‘I saw the blood start to gush from my head and I genuinely thought in that moment that I was going to die.’
John, from Gravesend, Kent, says he looked up after they had been in the lobby for around ten minutes to find the ceiling moving.
Several other members of the wedding party suffered serious injuries, including head and spinal injuries, a leg fracture and a deep head laceration, with one guest requiring 19 stitches across the top of her scalp. Left: The couple after the collapse. Right: The scene
He shouted at Sarah and their nine-year-old daughter Mia to run, pushing them out of the way.
But as the ceiling fell, he leapt in front of baby Penny, 20 months, to shield her from the debris, taking the brunt of the weight.
John was left with two fractured ribs, an injured spleen and severe bruising.
Sarah suffered head and eye injuries and required ten stitches to a deep laceration on her face, which is now likely to leave a permanent scar.
Several other members of the wedding party suffered serious injuries, including head and spinal injuries, a leg fracture and a deep head laceration, with one guest requiring 19 stitches across the top of her scalp.
Thomas Cook apologised for the incident at the time.