A British family from Bedford has described their £1,800 Spanish holiday as a "holiday from hell" after cutting their trip short by two days due to food poisoning and feeling unsafe at their resort.
Frankee and Jonny James, both 33, along with their eight-year-old son Rowan, returned early from their stay at the Hotel Sorra Daurada Splash in Malgrat de Mar after experiencing what they claim were poor hygiene standards, raw eggs in the buffet, and discriminatory treatment towards British guests.
The holiday that turned sour
The family, who had been looking forward to their first overseas holiday since before the pandemic, arrived at the four-star resort on Saturday, October 25, expecting quality family time and a well-deserved break.
"I purposefully booked somewhere I assumed I wouldn't need to leave the resort," said Frankee, an optical adviser. "It turned out to be the holiday from hell."
Problems began immediately when the family were charged five euros for a reusable drinking cup upon arrival. Frankee, who is vegetarian, complained that the food was "bland" and poorly labelled, making it difficult to identify suitable options.
Unhygienic conditions and illness
The family claims they encountered multiple hygiene issues throughout their stay. Frankee reported seeing raw eggs, mouldy butter and tomatoes in the hotel buffet and observed staff using the same pizza cutter for different types of pizza, including those containing meat and fish.
Both parents fell ill after eating at the hotel, with Frankee describing waking up "vomiting" the next morning. A doctor later confirmed that both she and her husband Jonny had developed acute gastritis.
Their room also presented problems, with Frankee claiming there was a pungent smell of sewage coming from the toilet that required them to keep the bathroom door closed at all times. "If someone went to the toilet in the middle of the night, they'd wake us all up with the smell," she added.
Feeling unsafe and cutting the holiday short
The situation escalated when the family attempted to raise their concerns with hotel management. Frankee claimed the manager only spoke Spanish and "went to walk off while shouting in Spanish" when she tried to speak with him.
Jonny, a prison officer, reported feeling discriminated against as British guests. "When my wife and I were ignored for 10 to 15 minutes at the bar, I witnessed the staff go over and above for the Spanish guests," he said. "They'd serve the Spaniards first while the Brits waited in the queue."
The tensions with staff reached a point where Frankee said she felt "unsafe," prompting the family to change their flights and return to the UK on Thursday, October 30 instead of their planned Saturday, November 1 departure.
Financial and emotional impact
The early return came at significant financial cost to the family. They have received only £214 of their £1,800 holiday cost refunded, while also having to pay £370 to change their flights.
Frankee expressed disappointment that their long-awaited family holiday had been "ruined," adding that they now plan to stick to UK holidays, having previously enjoyed breaks in Devon.
Online reviews of the resort show other guests have reported similar experiences, with one TripAdvisor user describing it as the "worst holiday I have ever been on" and another complaining about the water park being closed during their stay.
Hotel Sorra Daurada Splash did not respond to requests for comment regarding the family's allegations.
