Guest Brian Williams alerted company chiefs about the “disgusting” conditions he encountered during his two-week stay at Hurghada’s Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel.
The safety engineer, 65, claimed he and his family saw filthy conditions, including excrement on walls, dumped food for days on floors and snack areas full of grime and muck.
Brian sent a damning health and safety dossier to Steigenberger HQ to highlight the health and safety risks and received a letter of thanks and £300 in compensation.
He told The Sun on Sunday: “It was obvious within the first few days of our holiday that the hotel was very unclean. We soon became aware of people being really ill with sickness and diarrhoea.
“Some people didn’t leave their room. It cost £150 to see the hotel doctor, people were being taken to hospital because they were so bad.
“There were health and safety issues in the dining room, the bedrooms, the entertainment areas, the pool — the list goes on.
“The toilets were terrible with excrement up the wall.
“The hotel was a year old but the rooms were already showing signs of wear and tear.
“A number had technical problems associated with air conditioning. They were a health and safety risk, they were not cleaned thoroughly. Doors, cupboards, handles and mirrors weren’t cleaned.”
John Cooper, 69, and wife Susan, 63, died within hours of each other last month after being struck down by a mystery illness at the hotel.
Daughter Kelly Ormerod, 40, said there was “something suspicious” about the deaths and said her parents, from Burnley, Lancs, were in “perfect health” before falling ill.
Brian went to the five-star hotel with his wife Gill and daughter Kayley, 17, in August 2014, and said they were initially impressed.
But as he wandered around the complex, he became horrified at what he found and took photographs of the filthy conditions.
He reported his findings to the Thomas Cook rep, who told him to speak to the hotel manager.
Brian, who works for BAE Systems, said: “The more I looked around, it became clear why people were becoming sick.
“Things weren’t being washed or cleaned. The swimming pool didn’t appear to be cleaned even when children had been sick in it.
“Staff were not doing a thorough clean and were mopping hotel corridors with water that was black.
“The snack outlets around the entertainment area were full of grime and muck.
“Children would help themselves to burgers and kebabs, drop food on the floor and just kick it to the side where it would be left for days.
“The aspect that worried me most was the dirt and grime that was left — it was a breeding ground for bacteria. We didn’t see staff clean the tables and chairs so bacteria could easily have been spread to the restaurant.
“It was the unknowns that worried me the most — the aspects you couldn’t see.
“In the entertainment area temperatures exceed 40C due to the absence of any air circulation caused by the enclosure. The food and drink dispensers were contaminated with waste food and drink.
“Spilled food and drink wasn’t picked up and the chairs and tables weren’t clean.”
Three days into the holiday, the family, from Wesham, Lancs, was struck down with a sickness bug.
Brian’s wife Gill, 48, a primary school teacher, claimed she saw people at the restaurant buffet putting food into their mouths then spitting it back out into the trays.
She said: “It was the first holiday we’ve wanted to come back from.
“Kayley was crying because it was that bad.”
Brian added: “If a lot of people have been reporting illnesses consistently over the last four years, hotel bosses have had ample opportunity to resolve the situation.”
Last night a spokesman for Steigenberger said of the Coopers: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death. All of our thoughts are with the family. We are highly engaged in running our own investigations concerning the tragedy.”
Robert Greaves, 32, and his family also stayed at the hotel at the same time as Brian in 2014.
He suffered a serious leg injury and is now bringing a personal injury case against Thomas Cook.
Robert was in a pedalo when the water got choppy and a lifeguard arrived in a motorboat to help.
He ended up in the water and the lifeguard directed him to the back of the boat. But the propellers were on and sucked him in, tearing into his leg and leaving a 4in gash.
He claims he could have lost his leg but says the hotel has denied all responsibility, claiming their guest was hurt after falling off a ladder.
Robert, from Blackpool, said: “I have had panic attacks and nightmares about being under water.
“If the hotel and Thomas Cook had apologised that would have been something, but nothing.
“I’m really angry about it.”
Stephanie Osborne, from his solicitors Slater and Gordon, said: “Mr Greaves almost lost his leg and was exposed to a horrific situation through no fault of his own.”
Thomas Cook said: “We have received Mr Greaves’ claim and are liaising with his solicitor.”
A spokesperson for Steigenberger said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death and all of our thoughts are with the family.
“In addition to our full support of the authorities, the tour operator and the franchise partner we are highly engaged in running our own investigations concerning the tragedy.
“In respect for the family and the investigations of the authorities we cannot comment on statements or pictures at the moment. As soon as more information from the authorities and from our investigation become available, we will fully respond on all your requests.”
A spokesperson for Thomas Cook said: “The safety and well-being of our customers is always our first priority. That’s why we removed 300 customers from the Steigenberger Aqua Magic hotel after receiving further reports of illness last week.
“We audit all 3,000 of our core hotels every year and so far this calendar year we have removed 47 hotels for health and safety reasons and a further 150 which did not meet our strict quality criteria.
"As well as the audits our quality teams regularly inspect our properties and provide support, guidance and training to help hotels improve. We last audited Steigenberger Aqua Magic in July 2018.
“We are contacting every Thomas Cook customer that has returned from staying at the hotel since 22 August and we have put a dedicated team together to prioritise all complaints from this hotel.
“We have received Mr Greaves claim and are liaising with his solicitor.”
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