Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: Early 2019 reviews warn of “sickness outbreak” afflicting scores of guests

Holiday Claims Bureau have been alerted to an outbreak of gastric illness at the 5-star Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica hotel, situated on a private beach in the idyllic coast of Guanacaste Province.  Many TripAdvisor reviews posted in January and February claim that large travelling parties were decimated by severe sickness and diarrhoea.

Some eyewitness accounts claim that the cause of the spread is viral, while others allege that inadequate food hygiene and cleaning practices were seen.

If you have been on holiday and suspect you may have fallen ill due to food hygiene practices at a restaurant abroad whilst on holiday, you may be eligible to file a food poisoning claim with Holiday Claims Bureau. Let us handle your case and fight for the compensation you deserve, at no cost to you. Contact us now at 01618132131 or start your claim directly with us online by utilising our online form.

Mandy L says that her party was affected by illness and “There was mention of the glasses at the bars outside not being washed properly, kitchen staff does not wear gloves and the lady I talked to said she had talked to some wait staff that was sick…”

January visitor Mike D says:

I’m very aggravated because the staff knew there was an outbreak and did not notify the visitors. We had a group of approximately 80 and 1/3rd got sick. I spoke with other groups who had the same experience.”

Hotel response

The hotel has posted the following response to any reviewers mentioning the alleged outbreak:

“We have recently been informed by the Guanacaste Tourism Chamber of a possible stomach virus affecting this region. While this unfortunate situation is currently taking place, we would like to reaffirm that our resort does have a regular system of ongoing inspections, certifications and trainings conducted by leading third-party organizations to ensure our property meets the highest possible hygiene, water and food quality standards.”

February visitor Amber’s review argues that the sickness affecting her party was due to food poisoning:

“…my fiancé has severe diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps and vomiting. I reported it as food poisioning as the chicken at the hibachi place looked under cooked but I was told it is probably just contamination from something or someone he touched. The doctor said we would have to prove it was the food but I’m sure none of us have a lab to take the food to check so you are basically SOL. I happened to run into a woman who was mentioning she knew of 6 families that were sick.”

Whatever the source of any such outbreak, Tour Operators should take steps alongside partner hotels in practices to prevent the spread of sickness and in keeping future travellers informed of any established problems in particular destinations.

Help for affected UK holidaymakers

You may have had a similar experience at the Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica: you are certainly not alone and Holiday Claims Bureau have extensive experience of helping package holiday customers pursue successful claims after falling ill as a result of poor hygiene standards on their all-inclusive holiday.

As ever, we recommend that you take the following steps that can help substantiate your claim:

• Seek medical attention and keep a record of any doctor’s visits overseas, as well as receipts for any medication purchased
• Report your illness(es) to the Tour Representative on site, and directly to the Tour Operator.  Ask for a copy of the report
• Make a record of what happens and when you were informed of any outbreak.  Keep any literature given to you by tour reps or hotel staff
• Keep in touch with other affected guests you meet – especially in the absence of an identified food pathogen in sample, strength in numbers clearly improves the prospects of your own claim
• Seek independent legal advice; be wary of any ‘good will’ gestures offered by the hotel or Tour Operator

The tour operators rarely make reasonable offers of redress directly to their customers; that’s where we come in.  Get in touch with us to see how we can help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Call today on 0161 813 2131 or complete our contact form and one of our team will be in touch.