TUI Faces £5 Million Lawsuit Over Illness Claims at Cape Verde Hotel
A legal battle has been initiated against travel company TUI, seeking damages of £5 million due to allegations of numerous vacationers falling sick at a luxurious five-star hotel in Cape Verde.
Approximately 300 complaints have been lodged as visitors reported becoming ill either during or after their stays at the Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel in 2022. Despite being a favored destination among British tourists seeking winter sun, the hotel is now entangled in a multi-million-pound legal dispute, with families voicing concerns about hygiene standards there, which are believed to have led to guests suffering from gastric ailments.
Complaints from victims include issues such as undercooked food, unsanitary conditions, dirty swimming areas, as well as encounters with stray dogs and cockroaches. Many guests claimed to have endured stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and vomiting while at the hotel or shortly after leaving, as per statements from lawyers at Irwin Mitchell.
Legal representatives for the claimants are pushing for over £5 million in compensation at the High Court, alleging that more than 1,500 holidaymakers fell ill while vacationing on the islands off West Africa. TUI, however, denies any liability in this matter.
This lawsuit marks the first in a series of claims brought forward by Irwin Mitchell related to Cape Verde vacations since 2022, with similar grievances reported. Tragically, four British individuals passed away in 2025 during all-inclusive trips, while another two deaths occurred in January 2023 and November 2024.
The deceased were identified as Elena Walsh, Mark Ashley, Karen Pooley, and an unnamed man in 2025, along with Jane Pressley in 2023 and a man from Watford in 2024. It was noted that many affected individuals had been staying at popular all-inclusive resorts in Sal, particularly those managed by Riu Hotels and booked through TUI. The claims regarding the TUI-operated Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel were the first to progress to a pre-trial hearing last week.
Judge Master Mark Gidden has scheduled a six-week trial at the end of the upcoming year to determine the outcome of the claims. Legal documents submitted as part of the High Court proceedings suggest that the compensation payouts could exceed £5 million.
Jatinder Paul, an international serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “For several years, we’ve had numerous holidaymakers instructing us to investigate serious illnesses linked to stays in Cape Verde. This is the first group action to go before the courts and therefore a major milestone in our clients’ quest for answers.”
The affected individuals during the 2022 Cape Verde trips included even children as young as six months old. Victims reported contracting severe gastric illnesses like E. coli, salmonella, shigella, and cryptosporidium infections, requiring many to seek medical treatment either overseas or upon their return to the UK.
According to the claim documents, “The claimants were all staying at the hotel on an all-inclusive basis, so that they all ate and drank exclusively – or in some cases predominantly – at the hotel during their time in Cape Verde before they became ill.”
Leading the case against the Riu Palace Santa Maria Hotel is Nicky Morley from Devon, who fell ill during her May 2022 stay, experiencing symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. She has been dealing with ongoing gastric issues, losing over four stone in weight since the incident.
Last week, health authorities cautioned against traveling to Cape Verde, citing a UK Health Security Agency investigation linking cases of shigella and salmonella to visits to the winter sun destination. The investigation, conducted by UKHSA in collaboration with other public health agencies, revealed that the majority of shigella cases reported post-October 1, tied to international travel, were from individuals who had visited Cape Verde, particularly the Santa Maria and Boa Vista regions.
Dr. Gauri Godbole, deputy director for gastrointestinal infections and food safety at UKHSA, advised, “The best way to avoid gastrointestinal infections, including shigella and salmonella, or passing them to others, is simply by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol gel – particularly after using the toilet, changing nappies, and before eating or preparing food.”