British Couple Claims Sickness, Hotel Says “No”

A British couple tried to call in sick on their own vacation, but the resort saw them healthy and well.

There’s a new epidemic striking British all-inclusive hotel vacationers: not illness, but the claim of being ill. Many British tour operators have a clause in their contracts that if the traveler becomes ill from hotel hygiene standards, they’re eligible for a partial refund on the cost of the trip. The Daily Mail reported a surge in these sickness claims that might push the cost of the trips up.

One such case happened last year, when UK couple Martin and Lindsey Brown was staying at the Emre Hotel in Marmaris, Turkey. The couple claimed to have gotten sick on the trip, and when they returned to the UK, they filed a claim for about $1,550, saying they suffered from severe upset stomachs.

But the tour company is fighting back on this one. Apparently the hotel was tipped off about the couple’s upcoming sickness claim, and took action to document the couple’s health through security camera footage.

“We were told by another guest that Mr. Brown had mentioned he was going to make a sickness claim, so we made sure each evening that we had recorded footage that might help our defense,” hotel owner Emre Deliveli told the Daily Mail. “We put him under surveillance, so when the complaint came we had the CCTV footage ready. We had him running around, by the pool, dancing.”

The Browns are not taking ‘no’ for an answer, though, continuing to back up their claim.

“The whole place was a joke for the money I paid,” Martin said. “I was the worse. My partner had sickness as well and one of the children was really ill. If I was dancing around, I was still with my children on holiday. I’ve still got to look after them.”

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