A couple had to shorten their initial overseas family vacation due to feeling “unsafe” at a Spanish hotel, criticizing the staff’s behavior and mentioning that spoiled food caused them severe illness.
Frankee and Jonny James, both aged 33, described it as part of a series of issues they encountered during their £1,800 trip with their eight-year-old son, Rowan. They labeled it a disastrous holiday due to foul odors, subpar cleanliness, and alleged mistreatment of English visitors at the Hotel Sorra Daurada Splash in Malgrat de Mar.
They reported being neglected by hotel employees for 10 to 15 minutes, while staff members allegedly favored Spanish guests. Consequently, the family decided to return home two days early after experiencing food poisoning and feeling insecure due to the staff’s conduct.
The family now intends to opt for vacations within the UK rather than traveling abroad. Jonny, a prison officer from Bedford, remarked on the preferential treatment given to Spanish guests, causing frustration among British visitors.
Their trip began on October 25 with the hope of enjoying quality time under the sun during a well-deserved break from their routines. They were drawn to the advertised water park and family-friendly environment at the four-star resort.
Frankee expressed disappointment over having to pay for a reusable drinking cup upon arrival and criticized the bland and poorly labeled food. She highlighted the closure of the water park and a persistent sewage smell from their room’s toilet.
The family’s buffet experience included encountering raw eggs, moldy butter, and unappetizing tomatoes. Frankee’s limited food intake to chips, pasta, salad, and pizza led to her falling ill the next day.
Both Frankee and Jonny suffered from acute gastritis after the meal, confirmed by a doctor. They recounted difficulties in communicating with the manager, who allegedly dismissed their concerns, leading Frankee to feel unsafe and prompting an early departure on October 30 instead of November 1.
The James family expressed regret that their post-Covid inaugural family trip abroad had turned sour. They are now considering future vacations within the UK, having received a partial refund of £214 out of the £1,800 paid, alongside incurring an additional £370 to change their return flight. Similar negative experiences were shared by other guests in online reviews of the resort.
Reviewers criticized the hotel’s cleanliness, services, and staff behavior, with complaints ranging from the closure of amenities to poor communication and food quality issues. Hotel Sorra Daurada Splash did not provide any response to requests for comments.