Hi there, thanks for replies:

Believe me, Its not just the couple of reviews on here that is putting me off, it's the 50+ bad/horrendous reviews I have gathered and printed from various other websites, regarding this "Bug". It just seems to be getting worse rather than better. Plus I have a few PM's from other HT members, who have stayed at this hotel, and have come down with a "sickness" bug.

With regards to personal hygene, I can accept that not every one has high standards in that department (I got some funny lucks every time I took my anti-bacteriel wash down at meal times ), when I stayed at the Orange hotel last month, but you cant tell me it's just in the regente that some people don't wash their hands before eating etc.. etc..., what about all the other hotels in benidorm ?where people may not have the highest of standards. I have not come accross one other hotel where this Bug has been reported. - So no- I don't accept that it has anything to do with personal hygiene - It's a horrendous bug/virus, and thomson that thomsons are well aware of, but are rising the lives people, by sending them to this hotel.

Regards, BBB

Sorry - The last line should read: Its a horrendous bug/virus, that thomsons are well aware of, but they still are putting peoples lives/health at risk!

Well I was very affected by this bug and my personal hygiene was fine!!! Infact we used to hold up the queue everyday whilst we used the bacterial wipes by the restaurant entrance! With people behind us then going in without even touching the wipes!
Also like BBB says, if it was a case of hygeine then why does it seem this hotel has so many cases? Surely people at other hotels behave in exactly the same way hygeine wise? Or are you saying People got this bug by not washing their hands etc and at all the other hotels ALL the guests do wash their hands? Think about it for a second and you'll see it's nonsense!!!
Also Sue Allen, I felt exactly the same as you about going and just enjoyed my holiday until the day before we came home when I was struck down with this virus and unless you've experienced it, it's hard to comment! I've never been so ill in my life! Tell me honestly, would you feel the same way if one of your party DID come down with the virus? Would you feel the same way if you yourself was lying in the doctors toilets on the floor whilst the doctor was looking for you? Honestly if you were as bad as I was I am 100% sure your opinion would change!
Also in my opinion if I DIDN'T catch the bug I'd be saying exactly the same as You Sue!
Seriously, it was too common and too bad to be put down to not washing your hands!!!

BBB

I am suprised you didn't research before booking, you are seasoned traveller and a regular on this forum. I bet you will research before you book again. I am not having a go at you or anything.

The washing of the hands, I try my hardest not to touch the handle on the toilet door and sometimes go to my room to use the loo. As said before if it was a case of people not washing their hands every hotel would have the same problem, how unpleasant it might seem seeing people not washing their hand and touching what they have touched. When a toilet is flushed the person flushing if covered by time amounts of urine and the other stuff, and that doesn't cause a problem at other hotel or in your home. It must something in the food, recycled food for the next left out in the heat or something in the pool. Pools are a source all different types of infection if they are not cleaned with chemicals every night.

When we were in tunisa my daughter got a stomach bug, we bought her a milkshake at the pool side bar unknow to us ice was put in it made from a domestic tap. I had such a go at the barman when I found out. He couldn't see anything wrong in with the ice. So you don't know what goes on behind the scenes and the hotel own hygien my be at fault, staff not washing their hands, not keeping food covered, not keeping food cool and not heating it properly before serving. I have seen progammes where a tv crew secretly film in hotel kitchen of big groups like dol hotels ect, their food left out with flies all over it, not a nice thought. Same with pools, the water not upto standard with high amounts bugs that can cause illness.

I do hope you het it sort out BBB.

Hi Chivas - I really do sypmathise, it sounds horrendous. and I agree 100% percent with what you say - this bug is not just something to do with personal hygiene (if it was I'd have no worries going, because I'm forever using antibacteriel wash, - I even get a tissue to open the door with, then apply more anti-bacteriel wash!).

You save up all year round for your 1 (or 2 weeks), in the sun - and this is what happens! Absolutely terrific! Really though,they should be some kind of law brought in, to protect holiday makers from this sort of problem, even the smallest number of complaints regarding a virus/bug, should be properely investigated, and the hotel shut down, until they can do a thorough investigation, toprove that there is no risk to other holidaymakers!

Can't - Yes I did read the reviews, if you read my earlier post, you will have seen I booked this holiday 12 months ago (last Oct 06), and yes I will admit there were 1 or 2 reviews regarding people falling sick, (I just thought like most people will have done reading them - "you always get the odd one or two who suffer from "Spanish tummy"!) but absolutely no reference was made (at the time - oct 06), about a sickness bug/virus, and nothing that made me think "Hang on, this hotel is a deffo no no". It was like reading reviews about any hotel, most of them were very good, it was only later on this year, that the reviews started going downhill, and when we got into aug/sep they were dreadful.( - and I'm not having a go either )

Thanks again, but as I post nothing has changed, and I really can't see it doing either, not received a reply from my recorded delivery letter to thomsons, but will let you know what they say!

Thanks again, everyone who has taken time out to post!

Regards, Belly!!

My husband and I stayed here in April 2006 and he also had this bug he was very ill so ill infact that he lost 1 and a half stone. As he is a diabetic this was not good and he was not the only one to be ill many older and younger people suffered too and some had to go to the Doctor and Hospital. It was nothing to do with our hygiene as we are most particular as hubby is a diabetic and we also use anti-bac wipes. We did not use the pool as it was too cold and when we ate elsewhere we weren't ill. Many other people had also known about this "bug" and as we were AOA had no choice to go here but they hoped that we wouldn't. Regarding its star rating it may have been a 3 star previously but when we were there it was only two stars on the road side. No I would not return.
It was Thomson that we travelled with too and I also complained to my local Travel Agent who them passed it on to Thomson.

So Ballyboo keep on complaining!!!

Hi jackie, - I'm sorry to hear that your hubbie suffered with this virus as well , I have also been contacted by another member who has also said their partner had also lost over a stone in weight too. It's an absolute disgrace that thomson's are still sending people to this hotel! What will it take for them to sit up and take this matter serious now?- someone's life? (God forbid!)

Regards, Belly

I have stayed in the Regente 3 times since April 06 and I'm booked to go back at Xmas.
I first went into this hotel on a mission for other HT members during Xmas 05/06 to check out a so called bug problem and I asked quite a few quests if they had, had any problems, all of whom said no.
I returned in April 06 armed with a camcorder and I made it quite clear to the Director and the staff why I was filming everywhere....again during my visits, there was suposidly a bug problem.

First of all, a few points.
This hotel was a 2 star and has been upgraded by Thomson after the refurbishment to a 3 star and IMO, quite rightly so, as classing it as a 2 star would be an injustice...it might not be the best 3 star, but it certainly is better than any 2 star.

This hotel has been thorougly disinfected including all the air con system, the water system and particular attention has been given to areas like the lifts, the door handles, the telephones, remote controls and the computer area.
The toilets are cleaned many times a day and therefore when you smell disinfectant/bleach, it is not a sign that something is wrong, it is a sign of the level of cleaning that they are maintaining.

The food was being tested everyday for the levels of bacteria present and the staff have undergone extensive training in food hygiene/ preparation.
I was invited to go inside the kitchens and film, without any prior notice.
The Director, staff and the Thomson rep all eat the same food as the guests and I have seen the Director bring his family into the resturaunt to eat, which is hardly the actions of someone who has a problem with the food.

The wipes are NOT medical wipes, they are merely the lemon refresher wipes that you would use to clean the hands after peeling prawns...they are a subtle reminder to wipe your hands, having passed 2 sets of toilets with excellent washing facilities, before entering the resturaunt.

The norovirus bug is in the Rincon area of Benidorm and it has no respect of age, gender or nationality, it mutates into a different strain and any immunity that one acquires, is short lived.

One of the problems with this hotel is the amount of people who take the short cut from the street passed the pool area and who go straight into the resturaunt without washing their hands.....they don't even use the lemon wipes.
I have suggested to the Director to block this door off and make people walk up the steps into the hotel and then pass two sets of toilets on their way back down the steps inside the hotel to the resturaunt...but would they still wash their hands ? and the disabled would be moaning at having to go around to the main entrance.
During the winter months this hotel is full of OAP,s who are very vunerable to bugs and you would expect them to be dropping down like flies with epidemic numbers recorded.

There have been the odd one or two who have reported being ill, but can they honestly say they have not had any food or drink outside the hotel or touched a filthy door handle etc ?

There have been people who report that they were ill for a week, but the staff in the Regente read all the reviews on all the sites and they know who is writing the reviews and they have seen them in the resturaunt piling up their plates after 2 days with food that is supposidly making them ill, unfortunately they cannot reply to the reviews written.
Some people just want to jump on the band wagon, maybe they have compensation ideas and once a hotel gets a reputation then the first sign of a tummy upset, the hotel gets the blame.

I've been 3 times, I use alcohol hand gel before I pick up my knife and fork, I use it everytime I touch anything that someone else has touched and I've had no problems.
My personal hygiene has never been in question, unfortunately I can't say the same about other people's and other hotels in Benidorm also have guests going down with a bug at various times, it would be silly to think otherwise.
The hotel can only do so much and cannot stop people from bringing this bug into the hotel, it's never the fault of the dodgey snack or the filthy pipes serving up lager for a euro, that's if the lager is still in date.

At the end of the day, you must do what you think is right for you, but I'm not worrying about going back to the Regente having survived 3 holidays there amidst a reported bug problem .

Sanji

Fair enough Sanji and I agree that whilst there the hotel was constantly being cleaned all over!
However, Where are all the reviews showing this illness at other hotels in the area?
I've just checked out the reviews for the Flamingo Oasis, just up the road and i couldn't find one that mentioned getting ill.
Same with The Dynastic which is over the road, Not one review about being ill. Surely this hotel would be affected!!!
Bermudas next to Regente, no illness there either!!!
Hotel Nereo, no mention of illness!

But Regente, over 50 reviews stating illness!!!

What more proof do you want?

Also one of the biggest gripes is I bet if anyone who goes gets ill and reports it to the the, the rep will say they know nothing about it!!! You can guarantee that!

Also one more thing to add,
If there are people getting very ill at other hotels in the area then surely thats a good enough reason for Thomson not to send people there!
I mean The Regente has lots of guests getting ill, so if it's the area thats affected and not just theRegente then the problem is 100 times worse than it being just the one hotel!!! Just seems The Regente's got it worse!

D Hi there, sorry for the delay in replying, went to bed early with a migrane, and just noticed your reply sanji!

First of all I know for a fact that thomsons have had more than 1 or 2 reports regarding a bug/virus at this hotel, as when I rung pre departures up (the department which deals in moving you to another hotel, if there are any problems), - admitted to me that they are "aware of a number of cases reported", but "Not enough have been reported to stop them sending customer's here". (So how many do they need?) - Although on the same day, thomson's customer services told me "We have had no reports on a virus at the regente". (I'm thinking customer services, and pre-departures need to get together, and sort their story out).

I can't accept that, this virus/bug, is anything to do with personal hygiene, (I'm trying not to sound like a broken record here, repeating myself from my previous posts), but customers hygiene in the other hotels around benidorm, would be no better or worse than the customers hygiene in the other hotels around benidorm - yet it just seems that it is the regente's customer's reporting this virus/bug. - (even the ones who have used the wipes, and anti bac wash)

Also speaking to Ros she mentioned that it would be near impossible to prove that the bug/virus would have been caught from a certain hotel (if Half board - as you may eat, and drink elseway for lunch), if a hotel, is all inclusive, then you would have a better chance of proving it.

All I can save is I should be really looking forward to my holiday, not dreading it, and to be honest yes I still would be worried if it was me and other half, going , but not half as much! Mum is diebetic, and not in the best of health, son has asthma, and a very week immune system, (seems to pick owt up going) - and reading through these reviews, just makes me worry even more.

I'll also never ever book another holiday with thomson, I can believe how unhelpful they have been over this

Just a small point here.

Sanji said

they have seen them in the resturaunt piling up their plates after 2 days with food that is supposidly making them ill, unfortunately they cannot reply to the reviews written.

They won't have seen any such reports from customers on holiday here at Holidaytruths Sanji as we don't allow posts from the country where the accommodation is situated as we want to ensure that our reviews remain unbiased. We leave a note and ask the person to re-post on their return if they are on holiday.

I've stayed at The Regente many times over the past five years including times when this bug has been going around. I personally never suffered from anything, and would indeed reccomend the hotel to people and would certainly stay there again. You dont get 4 star food but you aint paying 4 star prices. The food for the rating is very good indeed. The staff particularily on reception are amongst the friendliest in Benidorm, If it was me i would be going!

Best Regards - Taggy

Hi Taggy, - So glad to hear you have not suffered from this dreaded bug, - Although if you had have done, I'm sure you wouldn't have been back 5 times!

Regarding the food, believe me I'm not expecting 4 star food, (considering the hotel is only 2 star), I'd be quite happy with any star food as long as it didn't cause any stomach upset /sickness etc...:wink:

It's nice to hear that the staff are friendly on reception, as I bet they have had their work cut out, over the last few months dealing with these complaints regarding the "Bug"

Regards - Belly

The funny thing on hotel food, if somebody stays in 5* they expect better food than a 3* it is well known fact it doesn't matter what star the hotel is in a group, they tend to serve the same food in all of them.

BBB anymore news from thomsons, have you made them crack. The trouble is when you phone them its goes through to a call centre where all the robots giveout the same information and have no power to do anything. I always find they say hang on goes and talks to the person next to them and comes back with the same answer. I am still hoping you will come on here with some good news.

Hi can't I totally agree with the food thing, some of the 4/5* hotels we have stayed in, their food has been on parr, with the food in the 2 /3* hotels we have stayed in!

The thing with the star system - A 4* hotel could be more of less identical to a 2 or 3* hotel, (Regarding food), but may be awarded the extra star*, or star(s)*, for having better facilities ie: 3 pools,(instead of 1), gym, laundrey, hairdresser's , creche, etc.. etc..., (all of which would be of no interest to me - but could very well be essential to others). So personally I take the star rating with a pinch of salt!

No reply from thomsons yet, been over a week now, although it wouldn't surprise me, if my letter was waiting on my door mat, on my return from benidorm .

Any further developments, I will let you know, thanks for your reply!

Regards, Belly!

Hi all my mate and her family were supposed to go to the regente next saturday.She has been informed they are shutting the hotel and they wont be putting them elsewhere.She is not happy

Dont know where you are getting 50+ bad reviews due to the sickness bug?

I have read most of the reviews on all the review web sites and can only find 8 at the most that complains about the bug.

Sorry i was misinformed the hotel is not shutting.But Thomson have pulled out,