Riu Merengue - Puerto Plata - Sickness?

[Smudgy]

My god-daugher, who is 18 and on her first holiday abroad, is one of the unfortunate people to be struck down with the sickness in the Dominican Republic at the moment. She is due to return on 17 August 2007 and has been in regular contact via Email. In her latest Email (12/08/07) she has advised that when her flight leaves the DR on Thursday the hotel is being closed down for two months!!!! She is counting the days to get home. Apparently all excursions have been cancelled and the pool closed. She says there is only so much sitting by the pool that you can do!
The tour operators have known about this problem since the beginning of June and should not have allowed other innocent people to walk into such a nightmare.
If this virus supposedly came in on a tourist then why is it only in one hotel. If it was transmitted on the plane then it would be in more of the hotels.
I think the tour operators are trying to pass the buck here. Apparently First Choice have pushed letters through the hotel room doors saying that it is a virus bought in by a tourist and that they can't sue the Company.
I myself suffer with emetaphobia (fear of being sickness) and know for a fact that this incident with my god-daughter has put me off going abroad for good (she says she will stick to Cornwall in future).
Good luck to anyone who is travelling to the DR but I think if it was me I would rather lose my money than walk into that shambles.

[MYCATTHAI]

Hi which hotel is your grandaughter staying in?? Hope she's well soon can t be much fun doing nothing all day and the travel company need to close the hotel down. I always no matter where I go get the "bug" as most do but it sound more than that if everyone is ill.

[steve 111]

hi
my partner and i went to the riu bachata in june 06 and i myself ended up on a drip in the doctors (which was the busiest attraction in the place) my partner had 2 weeks of stomach cramps.Make sure your insurance is good as the bill for 1 injection , a drip , 2 pills and 3 hours lying there was over �500 !!! .There was over 200 !!! people ill and the reps had no answer in the end they closed the Bachata to new arrivals but make no mistake this is an ongoing yr in yr out problem .The place on the face of it looks clean but something is seriously wrong when 200 + people are ill .I know people will say they never see any sickness well thats just fortunate because when we were there the Brits forced a meeting with the reps and the majority of people are persuing legal action as the tour company knew of the disease yet only stopped sending people there when it got to epidemic preportions.

[footballsleepy]

Hi there, We have just returned on the 23rd august from the Riu Merengue and i can say hand on heart that it was one of the most fantastic holidys myself, wife and 2 kids have been on. There was no sickness that we saw and the hotel was probably the cleanest we have ever stopped in. Ladies standing outside toilets with disinfectant for your hands and they are constantly cleraninf the toilets and restaurants all day. The daytime entertainment was excellant and if you did want to get away from it the beach was lovely and hassle free but a bit windy but that was sometimes welcome in the heat. Beware of sea urchins in the sea as sometimes they can be close in, take footware for the sea would be my recommendation.
Hope this settles your nerves and I hope you have as good a time as I did.
Cheers
Nick
PS Don't bother with the fishing trip no one seems to ever catch anything!!!