TUI customer fumes as all-inclusive Corfu holiday 'has no English food'

Edinburgh Live

03-06-2025

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A disgruntled holidaymaker has sworn off TUI after a "nightmare" all-inclusive trip to Corfu, lamenting the lack of "English food" and entertainment at her hotel. Susan Edwards looked forward to a seven-night stay on the Greek island from May 12.
Joined by her elderly cousins, daughter, and second cousin, Susan checked into the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel. Yet, the 69 year old from Westerhope described the holiday as "horrendous from the minute [they] got there."
Susan shared her experience: "It was all-inclusive, £750 each we paid and there was no food we could eat and we couldn't have anything to drink. I have to be careful because I have ulcerative colitis so there's certain things I can't eat. The all inclusive drinks were wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy. Yes, there were soft drinks, but we had to pay €1.50 for water."
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Upon their arrival at the hillside haven around 2pm on May 12, Susan and her group expected a warm welcome with plenty of food and beverages. After climbing a steep ramp to the reception, they were informed that pool-side snacks would be available at 5pm, which turned out to be just a "one-inch square of baklava".
The following day, Susan's frustration grew when she found the hotel completely lacking in "no English food". She described the sparse breakfast offerings, noting: "On a morning you could have toast, a hard boiled egg, or something in sauce.", as reported by Chronicle Live, reports the Express.
"There was no bacon. For breakfast there was mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage.
(Image: Susan Edwards)
(Image: Susan Edwards)
(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
"We got chips one day. One day out of the whole lot. There was fish, sardines and rice - I was sick to death of looking at rice. There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked (labelled). One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn't eat that. It's the worst holiday I've ever been on."
Susan also voiced her disappointment with the drink options during her stay, as she isn't a fan of ouzo or brandy. She explained that her preferred tipples, bottled lager or a Bacardi and Coke, would have cost her €9 and wouldn't have been her usual brand.
"By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, €70 tourist tax for me and my daughter and an extra £450 for both of our meals, I could have been to the Caribbean on that", Susan bemoaned.
TUI's website describes holidays at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel as all about relaxation, with table tennis and pool being the most energetic activities available, along with occasional live music and Greek nights. The site also boasts of the four-star hotel's private beach located just a few steps away.
However, Susan disputed these claims, stating that the hotel lacked entertainment and was "stuck there in the middle of nowhere". She added: "There was a private beach but it was so steep we couldn't get down to it and it was 150 yards from the hotel."
Susan shared her exasperation with the hotel's accessibility features, remarking: "There's a ramp at the side of the hotel that you have to try and pull your case up when you arrive. My daughter was up and down, up and down, trying to pull everyone's case up for them."
She also expressed her dismay at being refused an additional room key, which would have made it easier for her daughter to enter their room without disturbing her. Susan said: "I asked for a second key for my daughter because sometimes I get tired in the afternoon and rather than lying in the sun and getting burned."
However, her request was turned down due to extra charges. Susan noted that she usually holidays in Spain with her cousins and has always preferred flying with TUI, trusting in the support of a major company should any problems arise.
Yet, this disappointing experience has led her to question whether she will use TUI again.
Despite TUI offering her £100 in holiday vouchers, Susan refused, pointing out that other guests at the hotel had received better compensation after raising their concerns. She concluded: "In the past I've paid more to get on a TUI flight because if anything happened I've always thought you've got a big company behind you if anything goes wrong. Not anymore. This holiday was a nightmare."
A representative from TUI UK commented: "Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Mrs Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Mrs Edwards to come to a resolution."