Episode 3 Holiday Hit Squad


Episode 3

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Episode 3. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

# Ole, ole, feeling hot, hot, hot #

0:00:020:00:06

Millions of you are already flicking through your holiday brochures,

0:00:060:00:09

choosing where you're going to spend your two weeks in the sun.

0:00:090:00:13

We all put our faith and our hard-earned cash in the holiday industry

0:00:150:00:18

and hope it lives up to our expectations.

0:00:180:00:21

But sadly, that's not always the case.

0:00:210:00:24

Even a perfectly planned holiday can turn into a nightmare.

0:00:240:00:27

It was just a crash. And I heard the bones of my legs break.

0:00:310:00:36

-It's what you'd call a holiday from hell.

-I'm just appalled.

0:00:360:00:40

Agh. That hurts, yeah.

0:00:400:00:41

We are the Holiday Hit Squad and our mission, quite simply,

0:00:410:00:45

is to ensure that you get the best holiday possible

0:00:450:00:47

by sharing with you some of the tricks of the trade.

0:00:470:00:50

'We're travelling the world to some of Britain's favourite hotspots

0:00:500:00:54

'to see what can happen when your holiday goes seriously wrong.'

0:00:540:00:58

-It's really frightened you, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

0:00:580:01:01

You just want to go home.

0:01:010:01:03

'I'm pulling back the covers...' This bed has cockroaches crawling over it.

0:01:030:01:08

'..to reveal the type of hotels that you wouldn't send our worst enemies to.'

0:01:080:01:12

-That's a long way down.

-It is.

-You are not going to survive that.

0:01:120:01:15

'And I'm turning holiday horrors...'

0:01:150:01:18

Passports, driving licences, cash,

0:01:180:01:21

absolutely everything on the back seat had gone.

0:01:210:01:24

-'..into holiday heaven.'

-That is just so beautiful.

0:01:240:01:28

-Coming up on the programme...

-'We're in Thailand with a couple

0:01:320:01:35

'whose view from their hotel balcony was a work in progress.'

0:01:350:01:40

It was just a complete construction site going on next door.

0:01:400:01:43

'We're in Spain at the one place you don't want to visit as a tourist.'

0:01:430:01:47

-He said it is broken.

-It is broken?

-Yeah.

0:01:470:01:51

'And in Greece, at a rundown hotel that's lost its spark.'

0:01:510:01:56

If you see anything like that, please don't touch it.

0:01:560:01:58

More of us complain about hotel accommodation

0:02:030:02:06

than anything else to do with our holidays.

0:02:060:02:09

But it does seem as if, no matter how much research you might do,

0:02:090:02:13

you never really know what's in store for you until you actually check in.

0:02:130:02:16

'We've all been there. You've booked a hotel that looks like it had it all.

0:02:180:02:23

'Luxury rooms, fine dining and stunning views.'

0:02:230:02:26

# I know a place where the sun hits the sky #

0:02:260:02:31

'But have ended up with a barren bedroom, mediocre food

0:02:310:02:35

'and a location that leaves a lot to the imagination.

0:02:350:02:38

'Frankly, it's time we put our foot down.

0:02:400:02:42

'So we're visiting some of those horror hotels

0:02:420:02:46

'on a quest to bring them back up to standard.'

0:02:460:02:49

Well, I've just arrived in Rhodes. Great weather and a lovely view. I'm about to check into the Hotel Maran.

0:02:540:02:59

Now, the thing to say about this place is it's a basic two/three star,

0:02:590:03:03

so quite affordable and certainly a popular destination for British holidaymakers.

0:03:030:03:07

What doesn't matter is the star rating. What does matter is that the simple things are right.

0:03:070:03:11

It's got to be clean, it's got to be safe and it's got to be enjoyable.

0:03:110:03:14

So, I'll check in and see how we get on.

0:03:140:03:17

'It looks like a great location.

0:03:170:03:19

'The 80-bed Maran Hotel is just nine miles from Rhodes old town

0:03:210:03:25

'and a short walk from some spectacular coastline.'

0:03:250:03:29

# Ooh, heaven is a place on earth #

0:03:310:03:35

'But online reviewers have complained about its very basic facilities

0:03:360:03:41

'and its low levels of cleanliness.'

0:03:410:03:44

Right, this is 233.

0:03:450:03:48

This is me.

0:03:490:03:51

OK.

0:03:520:03:54

So, it's kind of, I think, what I was expecting.

0:03:540:03:58

So it all looks fairly clean on the floor.

0:03:580:04:01

The bed sheets look clean.

0:04:010:04:04

It's got a basic kitchen unit, a simple hob, en suite, it's got air-con.

0:04:040:04:08

So for the money, two/three star, I think this is probably just about what you expect to get.

0:04:080:04:13

'Owner Terry has been in charge for over 20 years.

0:04:130:04:17

'Rooms may only cost 25 Euros per night,

0:04:170:04:20

'but with complaints on the up and bookings going down,

0:04:200:04:23

'he's asked us to help save his hotel.'

0:04:230:04:27

# Save me

0:04:270:04:29

# Somebody save me #

0:04:290:04:32

'I've only just arrived and I've already heard from one guest who's less than impressed.'

0:04:320:04:38

-Hey, Derek, how you doing?

-All right?

-Good to see you.

0:04:400:04:43

Now, I'm curious to learn about this bathroom of yours. Is it here?

0:04:430:04:46

-Yes. We're having a bit of a smell in here.

-Yeah?

0:04:460:04:49

-We've got this awful smell coming up.

-It's definitely coming from that drain?

-Definitely.

-I can't smell it.

0:04:490:04:55

-It seems OK.

-It's when we have a shower and the water's going down.

0:04:550:04:59

Oh, yeah.

0:05:020:05:04

-Oh, that's strong, isn't it?

-It's very strong. Very strong.

0:05:040:05:08

As I say, you can smell it now, can't you?

0:05:080:05:11

-It just hasn't been cleaned at all.

-It's absolutely terrible.

0:05:110:05:15

-That's not good at all.

-It's not good at all. When I took the cover off,

0:05:150:05:18

-it was just all gunge, thick with hair, really matted up.

-Urgh.

0:05:180:05:22

'Derek is clearly not happy.

0:05:220:05:24

'I think it's time to call in reinforcements.

0:05:240:05:28

'Simon Gregory works as a health and safety inspector for a large multinational company.

0:05:290:05:35

'First he wants to check out the bedrooms.'

0:05:350:05:37

Right, now, here we have what I would probably describe as a bedroom that's typical in this hotel.

0:05:380:05:45

First impressions as you come in?

0:05:450:05:48

OK, first impressions as I walk in, what am I looking for?

0:05:480:05:51

The main thing I want to see in the bedroom is a fire alarm,

0:05:510:05:55

smoke alarm, any form of protection from fire.

0:05:550:05:58

Now, the first thing is I'm looking for a fire plan on the back of the door over there.

0:05:580:06:02

There isn't anything at all when we walk in.

0:06:020:06:05

Nothing in the corners, no smoke alarm at all.

0:06:050:06:08

-I can't even see a smoke alarm.

-Exactly. Smoke alarm, where is it? There isn't one. So big, big problem.

0:06:080:06:14

'Fire safety should be a priority in a room that's advertised as self-catering

0:06:140:06:18

'and so should basic kitchen hygiene.

0:06:180:06:21

'This little gismo will check whether the cutlery has been properly cleaned.'

0:06:220:06:27

Just to give you an idea, 0 to 30 is the parameters for what it should be.

0:06:270:06:31

That's basically clean.

0:06:310:06:33

Any more than that is dirty.

0:06:330:06:36

# Cos you're filthy #

0:06:360:06:39

-90.

-I think the cleaning is working in here, it just needs to be tighter.

0:06:390:06:43

'And the same goes for the bathroom.'

0:06:430:06:46

OK, 75. It isn't clean.

0:06:480:06:50

What we'll do is recommend that they give it another clean.

0:06:500:06:53

I'll also find out whether they actually clean these regularly.

0:06:530:06:56

But by the looks of it, it's not filthy.

0:06:560:06:58

'Everything about the Maran seems tired and unloved.

0:06:580:07:03

'And in the bathroom, I've found something that's truly shocking.'

0:07:030:07:06

Now, I don't think that's still connected to the mains,

0:07:080:07:11

but I don't know, and it doesn't feel like it should work like that.

0:07:110:07:16

It's not ideal, no. You've got lots of exposed wires there.

0:07:160:07:20

It's not good at all. The main thing I would say is please don't touch it.

0:07:200:07:24

If you see anything like that, anything that gets broken, report it.

0:07:240:07:28

'Exposed wires could be lethal,

0:07:280:07:31

'especially in a bathroom.

0:07:310:07:34

'Coming up, Simon's worried that guest safety is on the slide.'

0:07:360:07:40

It's just an accident waiting to happen, in my opinion.

0:07:400:07:42

'And I put hotel manager Terry on the spot.'

0:07:420:07:47

-The rooms don't seem to have smoke alarms.

-No.

0:07:470:07:49

'Two and a half million British holidaymakers visit Majorca every year.'

0:07:540:07:59

# We are young, we run green

0:07:590:08:02

# See our friends, see the sights

0:08:020:08:05

# Feel all right #

0:08:050:08:08

'But while most of us are having the time of our lives on the beaches,

0:08:080:08:11

'as ever, I've been given an access-all-areas pass

0:08:110:08:14

'to join the army of people whose job it is to keep us safe from crime,

0:08:140:08:19

'to help us if we lose our travel documents...' Oh, dear.

0:08:190:08:24

'..or calm things down if the partying gets a bit out of hand.'

0:08:240:08:27

-What's happening?

-There's a fight here.

-They're fighting.

0:08:270:08:31

'Tonight I investigate what happens if you find yourself in need of emergency medical treatment.'

0:08:310:08:38

# Feel all right #

0:08:380:08:41

SIREN WAILS

0:08:410:08:44

Here on the island of Majorca, over the last two years, they've seen an increase of 132 percent

0:08:440:08:49

in the number of Britons who need to be hospitalised,

0:08:490:08:52

for everything from falling off hotel balconies

0:08:520:08:55

to road accidents, broken bones, food poisoning and serious illness.

0:08:550:08:59

So I'm here this week to see how Britons abroad are supported by the medical professionals.

0:08:590:09:05

'The Juaneda Hospital treats up to 100 tourists a day in high season.

0:09:060:09:12

'Claudia La Vell's holiday has been interrupted by stomach pains

0:09:130:09:17

'so severe that she's been rushed into the A&E department by her husband, Steve.'

0:09:170:09:22

-What's brought you here?

-Yesterday afternoon, my other half started feeling ill

0:09:220:09:25

and started being sick.

0:09:250:09:28

Didn't know what it was. We'd both had the same sort of food and the same drinks.

0:09:280:09:32

-And you felt fine.

-I felt fine, no problems at all.

0:09:320:09:35

-And she just got progressively worse.

-How concerned are you about her?

0:09:350:09:38

Yeah, I'm worried. Just hanging on and see how we get on.

0:09:380:09:41

'With as many as one in five tourists suffering from some kind of tummy bug whilst abroad,

0:09:410:09:47

'it's the most commonly reported travel illness.

0:09:470:09:50

'But coordinator Natalia has already run some tests

0:09:500:09:55

'and she's brought Claudia the results.'

0:09:550:09:57

We can see you are dehydrated

0:09:590:10:01

and there's a little bit of infection.

0:10:010:10:03

You have gastroenteritis. So it's going to be necessary to keep you overnight.

0:10:030:10:08

-OK.

-OK? And you cannot eat or drink anything.

0:10:080:10:13

'A bout of gastroenteritis and a night in hospital

0:10:130:10:16

'is not what Claudia and Steve had in mind

0:10:160:10:19

'when they booked their summer holiday.'

0:10:190:10:21

Booked in a room here for a night, have you?

0:10:220:10:25

-You OK?

-No sunbathing.

-No sunbathing.

0:10:250:10:28

-Not what we had planned, is it, eh?

-No.

0:10:280:10:31

'Poor Claudia's going to have to spend the next 24 hours on a hospital drip.

0:10:330:10:38

'Last year, on average, 70 British people were hospitalised every week whilst abroad.

0:10:390:10:45

'And older travellers can be even more at risk

0:10:450:10:48

'as they are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions.

0:10:480:10:52

'After spending yesterday enjoying the sunshine,

0:10:520:10:54

'73-year-old Kevin Amer is the latest arrival to the hospital's A&E department.

0:10:540:11:00

'His anxious wife Maureen is in the waiting room.'

0:11:000:11:03

-You must be a bit worried.

-Oh, very, yes.

0:11:030:11:05

Really. We don't know whether he's had one of these TIAs.

0:11:050:11:10

-A mini-stroke.

-Yeah. And he had a little episode last night

0:11:100:11:13

and then this morning he had another one,

0:11:130:11:16

and so we called the Juaneda doctor.

0:11:160:11:18

He came out and said he thinks it's better if he comes and gets checked out.

0:11:180:11:22

'With Kevin showing all the telltale signs of a classic stroke victim,

0:11:220:11:27

'the hospital are taking no chances

0:11:270:11:30

'and send him for an immediate brain scan.

0:11:300:11:32

'Kevin is going through everyone's worst holiday nightmare,

0:11:350:11:39

'becoming seriously ill whilst abroad.'

0:11:390:11:42

It can be a bit overwhelming when you're in a foreign hospital if you don't speak the language

0:11:450:11:49

when you've got, as you have here, four people around you

0:11:490:11:52

all speaking in a language you don't understand.

0:11:520:11:54

'If you're insured, efforts will be made to have you treated

0:11:560:11:59

'in a hospital where English is spoken.

0:11:590:12:02

'If not, you may be able to claim back on translation bills.

0:12:020:12:06

'This scan will help determine whether Kevin has suffered any permanent damage.'

0:12:080:12:13

Well, they've moved you, so what's going to happen now?

0:12:150:12:18

Well, he's going up to a room and I think he's going to be in for a couple of days.

0:12:180:12:23

They're going to do some more tests. And I'm staying with him tonight.

0:12:230:12:27

-You're going to stay in the hospital tonight, are you?

-Yes.

0:12:270:12:30

-They've got double beds here.

-Not looking forward to that.

0:12:300:12:35

'Luckily, they're insured.

0:12:350:12:37

'But Kevin and Maureen must now wait to see how many nights of their holiday they'll spend in hospital.

0:12:370:12:44

'Later in the programme, we'll be back with Kevin at the Juaneda Hospital

0:12:460:12:51

'as he waits to hear his test results.

0:12:510:12:54

'And we'll meet Janine who, after a day at a water park,

0:12:540:12:57

'took more of a slide than she bargained for.'

0:12:570:13:00

I'm hoping I haven't broken it, but it is very painful across here.

0:13:000:13:03

These days, almost half of us choose to book our holidays ourselves

0:13:060:13:11

rather than go through a travel agent or a tour operator.

0:13:110:13:14

You've got the world at your fingertips or at the click of a mouse.

0:13:140:13:18

It really is just all too easy.

0:13:180:13:20

But it's also easy for things to go wrong.

0:13:200:13:23

Helen investigates.

0:13:230:13:26

'Most of us can't bear the thought of missing out on an annual holiday.

0:13:270:13:31

'It's a chance to escape our everyday lives.

0:13:310:13:34

'We dream of the perfect getaway.'

0:13:340:13:38

# I'm so excited

0:13:380:13:41

# And I just can't hide it #

0:13:410:13:43

'But no matter how well a holiday is planned,

0:13:440:13:48

'for some, the dream can turn into a nightmare.

0:13:480:13:51

'I'm meeting travellers who've had the holiday from hell.'

0:13:540:13:58

Flames rushed out of this bottle, straight in Kirsty's face.

0:13:580:14:02

'And doing my best to give them an experience that is simply unforgettable.'

0:14:040:14:10

That is amazing. SHE LAUGHS

0:14:100:14:12

For most of us, going on holiday is a chance to visit somewhere new and exciting.

0:14:180:14:23

But if you've never been there, how can you make sure

0:14:230:14:25

that the holiday you're booking is all it's cracked up to be?

0:14:250:14:28

'Nicky and Rob Ritchie are a prime example of a new generation of holidaymakers

0:14:290:14:34

'who have abandoned the travel companies to plan and book their holidays independently.'

0:14:340:14:41

We don't usually book package holidays.

0:14:410:14:43

We tend to book hotels and flights and make our own itinerary.

0:14:430:14:48

'But even seasoned travellers can come a cropper when booking online.

0:14:480:14:53

'In 2011, they booked a hotel in Thailand through a website

0:14:530:14:57

'advertising luxury rooms.'

0:14:570:15:00

It had a really nice view into the Bay of Patong,

0:15:000:15:03

it was just far enough away where it was escaping the noise.

0:15:030:15:06

Everything looked ideal for what we were looking for, nice and tranquil and close to the sea.

0:15:060:15:11

'The Ritchies paid £300 upfront

0:15:120:15:14

'and were thrilled at the prospect of spending five days basking on Thailand's tropical beaches

0:15:140:15:20

'and living the life of luxury

0:15:200:15:22

'in what looked like a dream hotel.

0:15:220:15:25

'Arriving late at night, the Ritchies went straight to bed.

0:15:260:15:30

'But the next day, they had a rude awakening.'

0:15:300:15:33

ENGINES WHIRR

0:15:350:15:37

It was probably about eight o'clock,

0:15:370:15:40

maybe half seven in the morning when the banging was going on.

0:15:400:15:44

We didn't know what all the noise and commotion was outside

0:15:440:15:47

so we opened up our curtains

0:15:470:15:50

and there was just a complete construction site going on next door.

0:15:500:15:54

'This video, shot by Rob from his bedroom,

0:15:550:15:58

'shows the full extent of what was going on right on their doorstep.'

0:15:580:16:02

BANGING

0:16:020:16:05

There was workers outside, trucks going past,

0:16:060:16:10

workers lifting, pulleying things up.

0:16:100:16:13

There was all the semi-permanent village which had been erected next to us.

0:16:140:16:19

It was a tin town, like a shanty town.

0:16:190:16:21

They had all the animals living there and all the rubbish, which they burned on a daily basis,

0:16:210:16:26

so you constantly had smoke going over from all the burning rubbish.

0:16:260:16:29

We expressed that we weren't particularly happy

0:16:310:16:33

about the whole situation. They said there was very little we could do.

0:16:330:16:37

Refunds were not to be given under any circumstance. That was it.

0:16:370:16:41

'Robert and Nicky were trapped.

0:16:420:16:44

'They'd already paid for their accommodation so moving hotel wasn't an option.'

0:16:440:16:49

-We were a bit disappointed, weren't we?

-To say the least.

0:16:500:16:54

We'd expected a little bit more going there

0:16:540:16:56

and we got a lot more than what we actually bargained for.

0:16:560:17:00

-We felt a bit disappointed and let down.

-We felt a bit deceived.

0:17:000:17:03

'On their return to Liverpool, they complained to the internet company

0:17:050:17:09

'and demanded a refund.

0:17:090:17:11

'They eventually received half their money back,

0:17:110:17:14

'but their holiday had been ruined.'

0:17:140:17:17

I think that they should have put a disclaimer on there

0:17:180:17:21

to say that it didn't represent the pictures that they had on their website

0:17:210:17:26

and that building work was being done.

0:17:260:17:29

You're never guaranteed a problem-free holiday

0:17:290:17:32

because things can go wrong.

0:17:320:17:35

But making a few simple checks before you go away

0:17:350:17:37

could mean the difference between a dream holiday and a nightmare one.

0:17:370:17:42

'We'll be coming back to help the couple out later in the programme.'

0:17:420:17:46

# Sun is in the sky, oh, why, oh, why would I wanna be anywhere else? #

0:17:540:17:58

'The Spanish island of Majorca,

0:17:580:18:00

'Britain's favourite holiday destination.

0:18:000:18:04

'But the one place you'd rather not visit when you're here is Juaneda Hospital.

0:18:040:18:09

'Kevin Amer was rushed in yesterday with stroke-like symptoms.'

0:18:100:18:14

-Hi, Viv.

-Hello!

-Morning.

0:18:160:18:19

'Viv is one of the hospital's interpreters,

0:18:190:18:22

'who's on hand to help us Brits in distress.'

0:18:220:18:25

As a rule, they'll come in with dehydration,

0:18:250:18:27

it's one of the primary problems.

0:18:270:18:30

But I think what it does do is it actually sets off all their underlying problems,

0:18:300:18:34

and people who have underlying problems, like high blood pressure and diabetes and so on,

0:18:340:18:38

they can decompensate, and I think this is what we see quite a lot of.

0:18:380:18:42

'It's touch and go as to whether Kevin can continue his holiday.'

0:18:430:18:47

# I need a doctor

0:18:470:18:49

# I need a doctor #

0:18:500:18:53

'Viv is on her way to tell him his results.'

0:18:530:18:56

-Hello!

-Good morning!

-Good morning!

0:18:560:19:00

'And whether he can leave the hospital today.'

0:19:000:19:02

And so it's a tiny little clot that's gone into a tiny vessel,

0:19:020:19:07

so it hasn't given a big stroke or anything like that.

0:19:070:19:11

The next test we've got to do is a cardiac ultrasound, OK?

0:19:110:19:14

And then if tomorrow everything is OK,

0:19:140:19:18

-perhaps we can let you go, OK? But it will depend on how you are.

-Yes.

0:19:180:19:23

All right. Thank you.

0:19:230:19:25

'Sadly, Kevin faces another night in the hospital

0:19:250:19:29

'and another night waiting to hear how much of their holiday is going to be affected.

0:19:290:19:34

'Meanwhile, patients just keep on arriving.

0:19:350:19:39

'In A&E, the Coward family have come straight from a water park.'

0:19:390:19:42

-Hello. You look as if you've been in the wars.

-Oh, hello!

0:19:440:19:47

-What have you done?

-I've been at the water park,

0:19:470:19:49

hence the wet skirt,

0:19:490:19:52

and I was going down one of those blue mat things you slide down with your wrists

0:19:520:19:56

-and twisted my arm.

-Oh, no!

0:19:560:19:59

I'm hoping I haven't broken it, but it is very painful across here.

0:19:590:20:03

Yes. SHE GASPS

0:20:030:20:06

'Janine is sent for an immediate X-ray.

0:20:080:20:11

'Swimming accidents rank among the most common causes of holiday casualties abroad every year.

0:20:110:20:18

'Janine has been one of the unlucky ones

0:20:190:20:23

'and can only hope to salvage at least the last two days of her holiday.

0:20:230:20:27

'Within minutes, the results are back.'

0:20:290:20:32

Well, by the look of it, the doctor's now got his X-ray and...

0:20:320:20:35

Yes, in fact, they're looking at it on the screen. He's telling her what she's done.

0:20:350:20:39

-He said it is broken.

-It is broken?

-Yeah.

0:20:390:20:43

-And is it the wrist or the arm?

-In two places. In the wrist, I think.

0:20:430:20:47

Two places in the wrist? You've really done a job on it, haven't you?

0:20:470:20:51

-I've been oh so brave.

-SHE LAUGHS Mummy's got two breaks?

0:20:510:20:56

'Nine-year-old Ruby is already something of a medic in the making.'

0:20:560:21:00

You're going to make a good doctor! SHE LAUGHS

0:21:000:21:04

'More British holidaymakers are hospitalised in Spain than anywhere else in the world.'

0:21:050:21:10

Do you get many British people

0:21:100:21:13

-having injuries like this?

-In summer, yes.

0:21:130:21:18

-Normal.

-THEY LAUGH

0:21:180:21:20

'Luckily, Janine won't have to spend the night in hospital.

0:21:220:21:25

HE LAUGHS Bye now.

0:21:250:21:28

'Though she may have to avoid the water slides for a little while.

0:21:280:21:31

'But at least she can continue her holiday.'

0:21:310:21:34

Well, I'm impressed.

0:21:340:21:36

From the moment that Janine, her husband Alan

0:21:360:21:40

and that gorgeous little daughter of theirs walked in here

0:21:400:21:43

to the moment where they're now getting into a taxi,

0:21:430:21:46

it's taken 45 minutes,

0:21:460:21:48

and in that time, Janine was seen by a nurse,

0:21:480:21:51

X-rayed, diagnosed,

0:21:510:21:54

had the plaster put on and sent home.

0:21:540:21:58

Now, that's what you call a team of professionals.

0:21:580:22:01

'But not everybody gets back to their holiday so quickly.

0:22:010:22:06

'Poor Claudia has to stay in overnight,

0:22:060:22:09

'and the following morning, I'm back at Juaneda to see how she's getting on.'

0:22:090:22:14

-Morning, Claudia.

-Morning.

-How you feeling this morning?

0:22:140:22:17

-A lot better than yesterday, thank you.

-Gosh, you were in a bit of a mess yesterday.

-Yes.

0:22:170:22:22

So how do you feel this morning about what they might say to you?

0:22:220:22:25

Erm... I'm hoping they'll say that things are improving.

0:22:250:22:29

I'm waiting for blood tests to come back.

0:22:290:22:31

-Hello, Claudia.

-Hi, Viv.

-How are you doing?

0:22:310:22:34

'Viv has brought the all-important test results.'

0:22:340:22:37

-Yes.

-No nausea, no feeling sick, nothing?

-Yeah, it's gone now.

0:22:370:22:41

Wonderful. OK. I've got some really good news for you.

0:22:410:22:45

-Have you?

-You're going to be going home.

-Oh, wonderful!

0:22:450:22:48

-You've got to take a little bit of care, mind you.

-Yes.

0:22:480:22:51

-Be more careful.

-It's the best news you've had today, isn't it?

-Yes.

0:22:510:22:54

THEY LAUGH

0:22:540:22:56

-See you later, Claudia.

-Yeah.

0:22:560:22:59

Bye now.

0:22:590:23:01

# Must be talking to an angel #

0:23:010:23:04

'Claudia may have to watch what she eats,

0:23:040:23:06

'but at least she can try to enjoy the last day of her break.

0:23:060:23:12

'Now Viv and I are on our way to see Kevin,

0:23:120:23:15

'who's already spent two nights in the hospital.'

0:23:150:23:18

So, Viv, what's the prognosis, then?

0:23:190:23:22

Well, I think all the news is good.

0:23:220:23:25

All your tests are clear, as you know,

0:23:250:23:27

and you know that what we think happened

0:23:270:23:30

is that you had a small little clot that broke off and went travelling.

0:23:300:23:34

The heparin injections that you received have dissolved that clot.

0:23:340:23:37

There's no permanent damage. So you are free to go

0:23:370:23:40

and you're in good shape, which is most important.

0:23:400:23:43

Seriously, I knew I'd be well looked after here.

0:23:430:23:46

-Bye now.

-Goodbye.

-Bye.

0:23:470:23:50

# A lovely day #

0:23:510:23:54

Well, we've waited two days to see that sight.

0:23:550:23:59

Happy ending and it's really good to see him looking so well.

0:23:590:24:04

'Yet another satisfied customer for this team of professionals.

0:24:040:24:09

'More than 800,000 of us visit Thailand every year,

0:24:190:24:22

'from backpackers on a budget to families visiting the resorts.

0:24:220:24:28

'They're drawn to the stunning beaches,

0:24:280:24:30

'exotic food, Far Eastern culture

0:24:300:24:34

'and lively nightlife.

0:24:340:24:36

'But as with any holiday destination, it's not without its dangers.'

0:24:360:24:40

Two Thai guys came up beside us

0:24:400:24:42

and leant in and grabbed by bag.

0:24:420:24:45

I had a side bag on and I was holding it, as well,

0:24:450:24:48

and I grabbed hold of it back and they cut the straps

0:24:480:24:51

so I grabbed the straps and they cut the straps away from my hand, so they had the bag.

0:24:510:24:56

You've got to keep your wits about you

0:24:560:24:58

and be mindful of the darker side of Thailand.

0:24:580:25:03

If you get in trouble here,

0:25:030:25:05

it's a higher price to pay than maybe you would pay in the UK.

0:25:050:25:10

'So if things do go wrong,

0:25:100:25:12

'who's there to pick up the pieces?

0:25:120:25:15

'We're meeting the local saviours

0:25:150:25:17

'whose job it is to help holidaymakers in distress.' SIREN WAILS

0:25:170:25:22

-'From embassy staff...'

-I need to get an extension, another 14 days on my passport.

-OK.

0:25:220:25:28

'..to volunteer paramedics and tourist police.'

0:25:280:25:32

Calm down! Everybody calm down!

0:25:320:25:35

'No-one wants difficulties on their holiday,

0:25:350:25:38

'but here in Thailand, at least you'll be in good hands.

0:25:380:25:42

'Two hours south of Bangkok is the resort of Pattaya,

0:25:490:25:55

'where the Thai authorities have set up a police force that's dedicated to helping holidaymakers.

0:25:550:26:00

'David and Barry are two of the British officers who regularly help tourists in trouble.

0:26:020:26:06

'Barry from Liverpool has been in the force since it was set up over 15 years ago.'

0:26:060:26:11

We're here, really, with two roles.

0:26:150:26:17

One is a community role,

0:26:170:26:20

generally in this street to liaise with people,

0:26:200:26:22

to relate to them, to answer their questions,

0:26:220:26:26

and then at the other side of it, if there is trouble here

0:26:260:26:30

of a violent nature or drunken behaviour,

0:26:300:26:34

then we are here under the authority of the regular Thai police

0:26:340:26:38

to take whatever action is necessary.

0:26:380:26:40

'With 250 bars and clubs, the Walking Street area of Pattaya

0:26:400:26:44

'is renowned for its nightlight.

0:26:440:26:47

'And things are about to hot up for Londoner and ex-security veteran David.

0:26:470:26:51

'This tourist has been attacked in a bar

0:26:540:26:56

'and is unable to communicate.'

0:26:560:26:59

We're trying to find out what has happened.

0:27:000:27:02

At the present time, no-one seems to know.

0:27:020:27:04

He's been in some kind of fight somewhere.

0:27:040:27:08

I've been trying to assess his injuries and get him to hospital.

0:27:080:27:13

We have an ambulance coming down.

0:27:130:27:15

'Luckily for this traveller, it's all in a night's work for David and Barry,

0:27:150:27:20

'who make sure that he receives medical attention.

0:27:200:27:22

'Although badly bruised, the man was released from hospital a few hours later.

0:27:220:27:27

'Fortunately, not all tourists here end their night on a stretcher.

0:27:340:27:38

'Barry's next customer is British holidaymaker John,

0:27:380:27:42

'who's facing a problem of a different kind.'

0:27:420:27:45

I went to Siam Commercial Bank,

0:27:450:27:48

the nearest ATM to where I was,

0:27:480:27:50

put my card in and it swallowed the card

0:27:500:27:53

and it said, "Contact your issuing bank."

0:27:530:27:56

Have you any theory about why the credit card was swallowed?

0:27:560:28:00

No. As far as I know, the balance is absolutely fine.

0:28:000:28:04

'These days, we take it for granted

0:28:040:28:06

'that we can access our cash from any ATM in the world.

0:28:060:28:10

'But the Foreign Office does recommend carrying a mixed wallet

0:28:100:28:13

'that includes cash, traveller's cheques and pre-paid cards.

0:28:130:28:18

'There's no sign of the machine being tampered with,

0:28:180:28:21

'and luckily for John, he has friends who can tide him over.'

0:28:210:28:25

-I'll buy you a drink if I ever see you.

-OK.

0:28:250:28:27

Some people say it's to do with a blip in the electricity supply

0:28:270:28:30

and it misreads the card or doesn't accept it,

0:28:300:28:33

but there'll be no problem about getting it back.

0:28:330:28:35

'Despite Barry's reassurance, John decided to play it safe

0:28:350:28:39

'by cancelling his card the next morning.

0:28:390:28:42

'The Khaosan Road in Bangkok is where you'll find most of the action in Thailand.'

0:28:450:28:51

# The rhythm of the night, dance until the morning light #

0:28:510:28:54

'Packed with hotels, hostels, restaurants and discos,

0:28:540:28:58

'it's the beating heart of Bangkok's tourist scene.

0:28:580:29:02

'The Khaosan Road police station is open 24 hours a day.

0:29:020:29:06

'23-year-old Alex Hindman is on a month-long organised tour of Asia.

0:29:070:29:12

'It should be the trip of a lifetime,

0:29:120:29:15

'but it's only the third day of his holiday

0:29:150:29:18

'and he's arrived at the police station with an urgent problem.'

0:29:180:29:21

I was going to the Cambodian border

0:29:210:29:24

and, er, we were on the train

0:29:240:29:27

and I left my bag in the taxi.

0:29:270:29:30

'Alex is stranded alone in Bangkok.

0:29:300:29:34

'He's lost everything. His wallet, cash, credit cards,

0:29:340:29:37

'and most importantly, his passport.'

0:29:370:29:40

I'm going to go to the British Embassy tomorrow to sort out my passport.

0:29:410:29:44

For now, all I want to do is get some food and water and go to bed.

0:29:440:29:49

'With a flight to Cambodia booked for the morning,

0:29:490:29:52

'his group will have to go ahead without him.

0:29:520:29:55

'The next morning, stranded Alex heads off to the British consulate, hoping for a rescue plan.'

0:29:570:30:03

This is the first time I've ever been abroad quite far away,

0:30:030:30:09

and on my own.

0:30:090:30:11

'With all his travel documents lost and very little cash,

0:30:110:30:15

'Alex is trapped.'

0:30:150:30:18

# This is the worst trip

0:30:180:30:21

# I've ever been on #

0:30:210:30:24

-Hello.

-How can I help you?

0:30:240:30:26

I've lost my passport. I need to... This one.

0:30:260:30:31

All right, so we need to see your flight

0:30:310:30:34

before we issue a passport to you,

0:30:340:30:36

because we need your flight to support the document.

0:30:360:30:39

-Right, OK.

-So you may need to book your flight before, yeah?

0:30:390:30:44

Oh, OK. Thank you.

0:30:440:30:46

'British passports are worth up to £2,000 on the black market,

0:30:460:30:51

'so the embassy won't issue a temporary one

0:30:510:30:53

'without clear evidence of a planned journey.

0:30:530:30:56

'As Alex has missed his flight to Cambodia,

0:30:560:30:59

'he now has no option but to book another.'

0:30:590:31:03

8,400 bahts. That's about £200.

0:31:030:31:07

So much money wasted.

0:31:100:31:12

Please work. No!

0:31:160:31:18

It's said that it can't process the payment. Ohh.

0:31:200:31:24

'Once he realised that his bag was missing,

0:31:240:31:27

'Alex did exactly the right thing

0:31:270:31:29

'and cancelled all his bank cards.

0:31:290:31:32

'But now he's stranded in Bangkok.

0:31:320:31:34

'Desperate times call for desperate measures.

0:31:340:31:38

'Time for a midnight call to his big sister.'

0:31:380:31:41

# But I wanna go home

0:31:430:31:45

It's about three, four o'clock in the UK, I think.

0:31:460:31:51

She's going to kill me.

0:31:520:31:55

# I still feel all alone

0:31:560:31:58

# Just wanna go home

0:31:580:32:01

Hello, Claire. I need you to book me a flight.

0:32:010:32:03

Yeah. I'm sorry it's really late, but I'm in the embassy right now

0:32:040:32:07

and I need it otherwise I can't get the passport.

0:32:070:32:09

'His sister may have agreed to book another flight to Cambodia tomorrow,

0:32:090:32:14

'but Alex still needs an emergency passport

0:32:140:32:17

'and they cost £97.'

0:32:170:32:21

4,940 bahts, please.

0:32:230:32:26

Can I take that for you?

0:32:260:32:28

-Do you take dollars?

-Erm, no.

0:32:280:32:32

Or you can pay by card.

0:32:320:32:34

The thing is, I lost all my cards and my money when I lost my passport.

0:32:340:32:39

-All right.

-Is there no way around it?

-One moment, please.

0:32:390:32:44

# Let me go home

0:32:440:32:48

I can't believe they make you pay for one, an emergency passport.

0:32:490:32:53

You can't use it again, so why would they make you pay for it? It should be free.

0:32:560:32:59

'Some 60,000 British passports are lost every year.

0:32:590:33:04

'And without his, Alex is in danger of missing his second flight to Cambodia in two days.

0:33:040:33:10

'Coming up, in their eagerness to get home early,

0:33:110:33:13

'Laura and Leon are going nowhere fast.'

0:33:130:33:17

Leon decided to put them in the safe to keep them safe

0:33:170:33:19

and we were rushing in the morning, so we completely forgot and left them.

0:33:190:33:24

'And Alex hits rock bottom.'

0:33:240:33:27

-Does the embassy do emergency loans or anything like that?

-I'm sorry?

0:33:270:33:32

'Here on the Holiday Hit Squad, we're travelling the world to give you the best possible holiday advice.'

0:33:350:33:42

-Coming up on the programme...

-'I'm in Greece

0:33:420:33:45

'where the Maran Hotel's health and safety manual seems to have gone up in smoke.'

0:33:450:33:50

Smoke alarms. The rooms don't seem to have smoke alarms.

0:33:500:33:53

'I help the couple who booked a room with no view in Thailand.'

0:33:530:33:58

It was a tin town, like a shanty tin town.

0:33:590:34:02

'And in Egypt, we found a hotel that you may want to evacuate for good.'

0:34:020:34:08

I can't imagine what would be worse, trying to get away from a fire

0:34:080:34:11

or having to climb down this fire escape.

0:34:110:34:15

-'From mozzie bites...'

-She's not just sucking my blood, she's also peeing on me.

0:34:170:34:23

That's a lady.

0:34:230:34:24

'..to the holiday sneezes...' HE SNEEZES

0:34:240:34:28

'..all too often, an avoidable ailment can ruin our week in the sun.'

0:34:290:34:34

A burn like this, I mean, aside from the fact it would've ruined the holiday, it's very dangerous.

0:34:340:34:38

'So I've been finding out what we can do to make sure that we spend our holiday

0:34:380:34:43

'on the sun lounger and not the sick bed.

0:34:430:34:46

'This week, we're looking at how your tummy can cause you all kinds of trouble.'

0:34:460:34:52

Chris, diarrhoea, food poisoning,

0:34:560:34:58

they crop up just too often in people's holiday memories, don't they?

0:34:580:35:01

I thought to illustrate some of the ways you can get diarrhoea,

0:35:010:35:04

I'd swallow a small camera and we can have a look at my bowel.

0:35:040:35:08

It's first thing in the morning and I'm going to swallow this amazing camera pill

0:35:080:35:12

which is going to take photographs all the way through my guts.

0:35:120:35:15

-And it's still in there.

-It's still working its way through.

0:35:160:35:19

-And where's this, then?

-This is the muscular bag of the stomach

0:35:190:35:22

and the stomach doesn't digest food, it squeezes it and cleans it with acid.

0:35:220:35:26

But certain bacteria that give us food poisoning, viruses, as well, and certain parasites,

0:35:260:35:31

are not killed by acid. They've evolved the ability to survive the harsh conditions of the stomach.

0:35:310:35:37

'And it's these bacteria and viruses

0:35:370:35:40

'that prevent the body from properly digesting your food.'

0:35:400:35:43

Well, now it's really been broken down and it's just kind of liquid.

0:35:440:35:48

Yeah, I'm afraid this is what it looks like. It's liquid poo.

0:35:480:35:51

This is about to go into the large bowel where the liquid, in my case, will be taken out of it.

0:35:510:35:56

If you've got a large bowel infection,

0:35:560:35:58

that liquid won't be able to be taken out of it.

0:35:580:36:00

Your large bowel might be leaking fluid, and that's when you get diarrhoea.

0:36:000:36:04

'Even something as simple as washing your hands

0:36:040:36:07

'can reduce your risk of diarrhoea by 30 percent.

0:36:070:36:10

'Only if you do it correctly.'

0:36:100:36:12

# I've got protection

0:36:120:36:15

# From your infection #

0:36:150:36:17

The key thing is, palms together,

0:36:170:36:20

then backs of hands, fingers interlaced.

0:36:200:36:22

You've washed bugs off your own hands and you don't pass on bugs to anyone else.

0:36:220:36:26

'But what's most likely to harbour bugs is the food we eat.

0:36:260:36:31

'And it's not always the healthiest looking that's the safest option.'

0:36:310:36:36

There's some paradoxes about where we get the bacteria, which foods are most dangerous.

0:36:360:36:41

Things like this lovely, fresh salad. In a lot of parts of the world,

0:36:410:36:44

-human excrement is used to fertilise fields.

-Yuck!

0:36:440:36:47

Salad, of course, is hard to clean, you can't clean it with hot water and you don't cook it.

0:36:470:36:52

So in some parts of the world, salad can be quite a risky thing to eat.

0:36:520:36:55

Often places it's safe, but you do have to be very conscious of that.

0:36:550:36:58

Ideally you eat fruit that you can peel.

0:36:580:37:00

'The cost of your meal is no guarantee, either.'

0:37:000:37:04

Five star hotels are often the worst places to eat,

0:37:050:37:08

because they've got buffets under hot lamps that serve, essentially, as bacterial culture mediums,

0:37:080:37:12

and if the food is reheated, if it isn't changed a lot,

0:37:120:37:15

that can cause real problems.

0:37:150:37:18

And that's why food like this, street food, is often safer.

0:37:180:37:21

So if there's a big queue of local people, the same people go there day after day,

0:37:210:37:25

those guys can't poison their customers

0:37:250:37:27

in the way that a hotel that caters to tourists, they'll never come back, it doesn't matter.

0:37:270:37:31

So, Chris, if we've taken all precautions but you still get diarrhoea or food poisoning,

0:37:310:37:36

what can you do to make life a bit more comfortable?

0:37:360:37:38

I've had it and it's terrible. There are a few things you can do.

0:37:380:37:41

The first thing is rehydrate. You can do that with the sachets,

0:37:410:37:44

but they can be quite expensive. Three of these just make up one bottle. You might need four a day.

0:37:440:37:48

50/50 juice and water with a pinch of salt does exactly the same job.

0:37:480:37:52

Finally, we used to think that drugs that stopped you needing to go to the loo were bad

0:37:520:37:57

because they kept the bugs inside you.

0:37:570:37:59

We don't think that anymore. There's no evidence that they prolong the course of the illness.

0:37:590:38:03

So if you've got a long bus journey or a flight,

0:38:030:38:05

take a drug like loperamide, which stops the bowel from moving.

0:38:050:38:08

'To make sure a runny tummy doesn't ruin your holiday, here's the Hit Squad's hit list.

0:38:080:38:14

'Remember this mantra.

0:38:140:38:18

'Always drink bottled water and use it to brush your teeth, as well.

0:38:190:38:24

'Even take care to keep your mouth closed in the shower.

0:38:240:38:27

'And if you're really worried,

0:38:290:38:31

'water purification tablets can be the perfect solution

0:38:310:38:35

'to make water safe to drink.'

0:38:350:38:37

# Sunshine #

0:38:410:38:43

'The Holiday Hit Squad's mission to make sure you have the perfect holiday

0:38:430:38:48

'has brought me to the Greek island of Rhodes,

0:38:480:38:51

'where they enjoy over 300 days of sunshine every year.

0:38:510:38:54

'At the Hotel Maran, health and safety inspector Simon and I

0:38:560:39:00

'have already uncovered smelly showers...' Oh, that's strong, isn't it?

0:39:000:39:03

'..and rooms which, frankly, could do with a good scrub.

0:39:030:39:07

'Reviews here have been so bad that manager Terry

0:39:070:39:11

'really needs our help.

0:39:110:39:13

'Down by the swimming area, Simon spotted clear signs of neglect.'

0:39:130:39:17

OK, Simon, so this is the kids' pool. If you want anywhere to be particularly safe, surely it's this.

0:39:170:39:22

-Very much so.

-What are you looking for?

-OK. First of all, we notice we've got a big slide

0:39:220:39:26

-going into a very small pool. It's also a very old piece of equipment.

-Yeah.

0:39:260:39:30

And the depth of the water it's going into, a foot and a half, two feet?

0:39:300:39:35

Ideally it wouldn't be here. It's an accident waiting to happen, in my opinion.

0:39:350:39:38

'Every year in Europe there are over 200,000 serious injuries in swimming pools.

0:39:380:39:44

'And most of them are to children.

0:39:440:39:46

'Next, Simon wants Terry to show him the kitchen.'

0:39:460:39:50

We've got some sausages.

0:39:530:39:55

So on there we have...

0:39:550:39:59

OK, so by the looks of it, these have expired.

0:39:590:40:04

-Oh, sorry.

-What I would say is, just when the guys are putting things in,

0:40:040:40:08

they're checking the temperatures on a regular occasion,

0:40:080:40:11

-just get your staff to have a quick check of dates.

-I always do that.

0:40:110:40:15

'It's not just the out-of-date food that has Simon worried.'

0:40:150:40:19

One of the things I want to look at in here

0:40:190:40:22

is the fact of cleanliness, cos it's back of house.

0:40:220:40:25

What do you do currently in regards to pests?

0:40:250:40:28

-I put regular traps on the outside.

-OK.

0:40:280:40:31

In an open area, you always get some pests coming in.

0:40:310:40:36

We've got a door over there that's wide open, obviously for ventilation.

0:40:360:40:40

We've got a dirty area behind here. There could be bits of food build-up, bacteria.

0:40:400:40:46

For Colin the Cockroach and Ronnie the Rat,

0:40:460:40:49

he's going to have a field day in there, he's having a party.

0:40:490:40:52

So what we want to try and do is firstly, keep this area clean,

0:40:520:40:55

that's the main point I want to hit home.

0:40:550:40:57

Secondly, placing your actual traps in here...

0:40:570:41:00

If you've got a big kitchen and you're feeding lots and lots of people,

0:41:000:41:03

the health and safety has to be tip-top, no question.

0:41:030:41:05

The feeling here is that when you have a snack bar, it's a bit more casual,

0:41:050:41:09

you just do things a bit more as you want rather than how the textbook says you should.

0:41:090:41:13

The sense I'm getting from Simon is maybe standards here have slipped just a little bit.

0:41:130:41:18

Thank you very much.

0:41:180:41:20

'Hotel owner Terry has asked to hear our feedback,

0:41:200:41:23

'and I can at least open with a positive.'

0:41:230:41:26

I'll start by saying, generally everyone we spoke to

0:41:270:41:29

really liked you, you come across very well in this, OK?

0:41:290:41:32

So they like the customer service. That's a big plus point.

0:41:320:41:35

It's a family business so we've got our personal touch in it.

0:41:350:41:39

'But there are also a lot of negatives.'

0:41:390:41:42

Smoke alarms. The rooms don't seem to have smoke alarms.

0:41:420:41:45

No, because when it was built,

0:41:450:41:47

-it was a plain room, it wasn't with a kitchenette.

-Yeah.

-And that was done later.

0:41:470:41:54

Now you have cooking facilities in the rooms, it's crucial, isn't it?

0:41:540:41:57

You wouldn't know about it until you saw smoke billowing out.

0:41:570:42:00

'Simon's other major concern is kitchen hygiene.'

0:42:000:42:03

You do run a snack bar in the kitchen

0:42:030:42:05

and there's a few issues with cleaning there that could be a bit better.

0:42:050:42:08

But also a sense that you could get a slightly better system involved.

0:42:080:42:11

You could label things as they go in the freezer, what date they went in the freezer, that kind of stuff.

0:42:110:42:16

A good system there, so that anyone could come into the kitchen and check labels and dates and stuff.

0:42:160:42:20

-That can be done.

-He goes on about it, Simon,

0:42:200:42:24

his favourite phrase is, "It's easy to clean what you can see."

0:42:240:42:27

And that's absolutely true. It's easy to mop floors that you can stand on,

0:42:270:42:30

it's difficult to get to the stuff that's hard to reach.

0:42:300:42:33

He would say once a week, a deep clean,

0:42:330:42:35

getting underneath and behind units, cos that's where dirt builds up

0:42:350:42:39

and that's where you're going to get rodents and infestations like that.

0:42:390:42:42

I just got a feeling maybe you do all your big cleaning at the end of a season

0:42:420:42:46

or before a season, but not during the season.

0:42:460:42:48

-No, we doing during the season, as well.

-OK.

0:42:480:42:50

'And cleanliness is also a problem in the rooms.'

0:42:500:42:53

Some of the bathrooms,

0:42:530:42:55

the drains, there seemed to be an odour coming through

0:42:550:42:58

which would suggest a blockage or something happening there. Worth looking at.

0:42:580:43:02

They shouldn't have because we've got a very good drainage system.

0:43:020:43:07

Yeah. I did smell it when I was there

0:43:070:43:09

and it did seem a bit strong. It might be worth a little look.

0:43:090:43:13

Just little tweaks and making sure everyone's safe, it goes a long way.

0:43:130:43:16

There's always something you can improve on.

0:43:160:43:18

What we can do with the little that we have, we try to do our best.

0:43:180:43:23

-Well, thank you for showing us around.

-OK. Nice having you here.

0:43:230:43:26

'It's been a tough year for the Maran and takings are down,

0:43:260:43:30

'but Terry seems keen to take on board our suggestions.

0:43:300:43:35

'Sadly, since our visit, things have changed.'

0:43:350:43:39

It's been four months since our visit to the Maran.

0:43:410:43:44

Now, we left Terry with a list of improvements that were vital

0:43:440:43:47

to make his hotel safe and hygienic for customers.

0:43:470:43:50

And we were keen to return to see whether he'd put our advice into practice.

0:43:500:43:55

'But Terry has closed the hotel for the winter.

0:43:550:43:59

'He says that he didn't make enough money over the summer

0:43:590:44:01

'and so doesn't have the cash to make the safety changes that are so desperately needed.'

0:44:010:44:07

It's sad that Terry doesn't know whether he can afford to make those improvements.

0:44:090:44:13

But when it comes to guest safety, you can't afford not to.

0:44:130:44:17

For most of us, holidays are the only time of the year

0:44:230:44:26

that we get our loved ones, our family, our children, all to ourselves.

0:44:260:44:30

An uninterrupted break, completely away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

0:44:300:44:35

Because holidays are so precious, we want them to be perfect,

0:44:350:44:38

problem-free, and at the very least, safe.

0:44:380:44:41

One way of making sure that happens is to find out as much as you can before you book.

0:44:410:44:46

'Remember the Ritchies? They decided to arrange their own holiday

0:44:460:44:50

'and booked accommodation in Thailand based purely on pictures on a website.

0:44:500:44:55

'When they checked in, they received a nasty shock.'

0:44:560:45:00

There was just a complete construction site going on next door.

0:45:030:45:06

'I've invited Rob and Nicky to join me on holiday in Corfu.

0:45:080:45:12

'But I've challenged them to prove that they've learned from their Thai experience

0:45:120:45:16

'by doing some proper research before they book.'

0:45:160:45:20

That one doesn't look too good, does it?

0:45:200:45:22

It's not that far from the beach, though.

0:45:240:45:26

'When booking a hotel independently,

0:45:260:45:29

'there are some key clues that are worth close investigation.'

0:45:290:45:33

What's really useful now is to look at user reviews.

0:45:330:45:36

Go online, see what travellers have written about a hotel.

0:45:360:45:40

You can look to see what someone wrote last week or last month,

0:45:400:45:42

to make sure you're getting really up-to-date information.

0:45:420:45:46

'Having spent time researching all their options,

0:45:480:45:51

'Rob and Nicky are off to Corfu, confident that this time

0:45:510:45:53

'they're getting exactly what they're expecting.'

0:45:530:45:56

'The three-star hotel is in the old town

0:46:050:46:07

'and costs around £142 a night.

0:46:070:46:11

'The rooms are large and have a lovely view of the harbour.

0:46:110:46:14

'It's a world away from the Thai hotel the couple last stayed in.

0:46:140:46:18

'So what should we watch out for when booking our accommodation independently?

0:46:200:46:25

'Check the location.

0:46:250:46:28

'Think about noise levels, how close you are to the beach or facilities,

0:46:280:46:32

'and make sure you're exactly where you want to be.

0:46:320:46:34

'If you're worried, don't be afraid to ring a hotel

0:46:360:46:39

'to find out of they have any building work.

0:46:390:46:41

'And don't be fooled into thinking that hotel stars

0:46:410:46:45

'are a guarantee of quality.'

0:46:450:46:47

Different countries classify hotels in different ways.

0:46:470:46:50

So five stars in the UK isn't the same as five stars anywhere else in the world.

0:46:500:46:55

On top of that, different places prioritise different facilities,

0:46:550:46:59

maybe a 24-hour concierge, a large foyer or even a lift, that aren't that important to you.

0:46:590:47:04

So it's always worth checking that a hotel meets your needs.

0:47:040:47:08

'Now Rob and Nicky have arrived in Corfu,

0:47:080:47:11

'I've invited them to join me for a cruise.'

0:47:110:47:15

-Hello!

-Hello, captain.

0:47:150:47:18

We have got this boat for the afternoon.

0:47:180:47:20

So, jump aboard.

0:47:200:47:22

'I want to find out how their extra research helped them choose their hotel.'

0:47:320:47:37

I was surprised that you went for a hotel near to Corfu Town.

0:47:380:47:42

We decided we'd stay in Corfu Town as a base,

0:47:420:47:45

but then during the day, rent a little motorbike

0:47:450:47:47

and sort of shuttle out to beaches during the day and have an adventure.

0:47:470:47:52

'It sounds like the time they spent before booking has really paid off.'

0:47:520:47:57

The hotel has been great. The facilities there

0:47:570:48:00

-and everything about the hotel was ideal, really.

-Yeah.

0:48:000:48:04

And then we found some really nice restaurants

0:48:040:48:07

and tried local food,

0:48:070:48:11

and the whole experience has been really great.

0:48:110:48:14

# Well, I know that it's a wonderful world

0:48:140:48:17

'Rob and Nicky seem to have learned from their mistakes

0:48:170:48:20

'and hopefully this trip has made up for the awful time they had with their hotel in Thailand.'

0:48:200:48:25

# And I know that it's a wonderful world

0:48:270:48:31

# When you're with me #

0:48:310:48:35

-'Stinky loos...'

-Absolutely disgusting.

-'..rotten fish...'

0:48:460:48:51

-That needs to go in the bin.

-'..and gifts left by previous visitors.'

0:48:510:48:55

Dusty, used sock that someone's left behind.

0:48:550:48:59

'My squad of inspectors and I are travelling the world on a mission

0:48:590:49:03

'to raise hotel standards for Brits abroad.'

0:49:030:49:06

Looking further under the bed,

0:49:060:49:09

there are two dead cockroaches underneath.

0:49:090:49:12

'And tonight, our intrepid inspector faces horror in Hurghada.

0:49:120:49:16

'The Sand Beach Hotel in Egypt seems to have it all.

0:49:250:49:28

'20 minutes from the airport, with a private pool,

0:49:280:49:32

'it awards itself a decent three stars.'

0:49:320:49:35

# Welcome to the Karma hotel

0:49:360:49:38

# Looks like heaven but could be hell

0:49:380:49:41

'Bedrooms cost up to £50 per night.

0:49:430:49:46

'But guests have slated everything from grubby bedrooms to sloppy food.

0:49:480:49:54

'Can it really be that bad?

0:49:550:49:58

'Vince Matthews is a UK environmental health inspector.

0:49:580:50:02

'If there's any dirt here, he'll find it.'

0:50:020:50:05

This is quite a tired, rundown hotel.

0:50:050:50:07

You'd normally find quite a lot of maintenance issues,

0:50:070:50:10

so the kind of things we're looking for, broken tiles, things that people can trip on.

0:50:100:50:14

So this is a perfect example of the kind of broken bits of maintenance

0:50:160:50:19

that we're probably going to find all over the hotel.

0:50:190:50:22

So something to tell the manager on this one.

0:50:220:50:24

'And the frighteners don't stop there.'

0:50:240:50:27

This is such a strange design of pool. You've got this slope

0:50:300:50:33

with water coming down it.

0:50:330:50:35

All it takes is for somebody to be sliding off there, crack their head, fall into the water.

0:50:350:50:40

You add to the fact that there's no life-saving equipment here,

0:50:400:50:43

there's in lifeguard, really, really, really dangerous.

0:50:430:50:46

'Apart from the lack of safety here,

0:50:460:50:48

'I don't know about you, but that suspicious-looking stain on the bottom of the pool

0:50:480:50:52

'doesn't make me want to take a dip.

0:50:520:50:55

'Inside, the first thing Vince wants to check out

0:50:560:50:59

'is the fire escape route.'

0:50:590:51:02

So, this is a fire exit that opens inwards, which isn't great in a fire situation,

0:51:040:51:08

you want something that you can get out quickly. And it leads out...

0:51:080:51:12

..to somewhere I just would not want to go if the place was burning down.

0:51:130:51:17

There's a roof here that you absolutely wouldn't want to walk on.

0:51:170:51:22

And you walk round the corner to a set of ladders

0:51:220:51:26

that I couldn't even think about climbing down all the way to the ground floor.

0:51:260:51:30

I can't imagine what would be worse, trying to get away from a fire

0:51:320:51:35

or having to climb down this fire escape,

0:51:350:51:38

because both are lethal.

0:51:380:51:41

'But these aren't the only hotel horrors.'

0:51:410:51:43

# Food, glorious food

0:51:430:51:46

'The restaurant has a buffet serving both hot and cold food.

0:51:460:51:50

'But just how is it prepared?

0:51:500:51:53

'First impressions are poor.'

0:51:530:51:56

# Glorious food #

0:51:570:52:01

'For a start, the cockroaches are having a field day here.

0:52:040:52:08

'And to top it all off, there's a problem with the temperature of the fridges.'

0:52:140:52:18

Here you are, look, look. See?

0:52:180:52:21

30. So it's hot, too hot. We need to stop using that fridge, yeah?

0:52:210:52:26

-OK.

-Definitely. Promise me.

-Yeah, OK.

-Promise me. Don't use it again.

0:52:260:52:31

If this was at home, you'd shut it down on the spot.

0:52:320:52:36

'Time for Vince to give his verdict to Hermada, the man in charge.'

0:52:360:52:40

My biggest worry, if you like, is the kitchen downstairs.

0:52:410:52:45

I suppose the biggest thing I'd say is it needs a clean. Yeah?

0:52:450:52:50

You must see that when you go round. It needs a lot of cleaning.

0:52:500:52:54

We have a company, a special company

0:52:540:52:57

that comes every 15 days

0:52:570:53:00

to clean the equipment, the kitchen, the walls, everything.

0:53:000:53:04

If you have a company that come in, definitely be on top of them.

0:53:040:53:09

Use that company if you have something like that.

0:53:090:53:13

And the other thing that stands out is the fire safety stuff.

0:53:130:53:16

So we've got a lot of exits

0:53:160:53:20

that go onto the roof and down the side.

0:53:200:53:23

We have a company, we already make a contract with them...

0:53:230:53:26

-Yeah.

-..to take care of all these things.

0:53:260:53:29

Get those guys in, because there's quite a lot of things around,

0:53:290:53:34

you've got signs pointing different ways,

0:53:340:53:36

we've got fire hoses all wrapped up.

0:53:360:53:38

And the danger is, we just want to make sure everyone is safe, really.

0:53:380:53:43

If there was ever a fire, God forbid,

0:53:430:53:45

you just want to make sure that everyone can get out.

0:53:450:53:47

That's the main priority, isn't it?

0:53:470:53:50

'Hm. Vince doesn't seem convinced.

0:53:500:53:52

'Blaming outside contractors for the hotel's many failings

0:53:520:53:57

'is simply not good enough.

0:53:570:54:00

'As a health and safety expert, he's given the Sand Beach Hotel

0:54:000:54:03

'a low score in almost every category.'

0:54:030:54:06

'Next we're back in Thailand's exotic capital city, Bangkok,

0:54:110:54:16

'where close to 1,000 British holidaymakers are helped by the British Embassy every year.

0:54:160:54:21

'Alex Hindman is travelling around South East Asia,

0:54:210:54:25

'but he's lost all his credit cards, money and passport.'

0:54:250:54:28

# It's a cruel, cruel summer

0:54:300:54:34

I've only just got enough for the passport,

0:54:340:54:37

and I've got nothing to live on until I get my flight.

0:54:370:54:40

And nowhere to stay.

0:54:400:54:42

So, I need...

0:54:430:54:45

I need emergency cash from somewhere.

0:54:470:54:50

'Alex isn't the only tourist in trouble at the embassy.

0:54:500:54:54

'Despite Laura and Leon being seasoned travellers,

0:54:540:54:57

'they're also stuck without crucial documents.'

0:54:570:55:01

Lost our passports. We've left them in Ko Tao.

0:55:010:55:04

We were in the hotel in Ko Tao

0:55:040:55:06

and Leon decided to put them in the safe to keep them safe

0:55:060:55:09

and we were rushing in the morning

0:55:090:55:12

so completely forgot and just left them.

0:55:120:55:14

And then we arrived in Bangkok eight hours later

0:55:140:55:17

-and, er, realised that we'd lost them, didn't we?

-Yeah.

0:55:170:55:20

The fee is 1,940 bahts, please.

0:55:200:55:25

-Er, can we pay by card?

-Yeah, sure.

0:55:250:55:28

'As experienced backpackers, Laura and Leon knew that it's vital

0:55:280:55:32

to keep valuables in different parts of their luggage.'

0:55:320:55:36

I luckily had my bank card separately.

0:55:360:55:38

-Yeah.

-So we didn't really...

-It's been at the bottom of your bag.

0:55:380:55:42

I've kept it in my wallet in the bottom of my big rucksack

0:55:420:55:44

just in case anything else happened,

0:55:440:55:47

-so luckily we still have a card that we can use.

-Yeah.

0:55:470:55:50

-Brilliant. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

0:55:500:55:53

'So whilst they can head off to their hotel for a few hours' rest,

0:55:540:55:59

'poor Alex barely has enough money for food and shelter.'

0:55:590:56:03

Does the embassy do emergency loans or anything like that?

0:56:070:56:10

-I'm sorry?

-Do they do emergency loans of money at all?

0:56:100:56:13

No. No.

0:56:130:56:16

What we can do is contact your friends,

0:56:160:56:20

your family in the UK, and transfer to you.

0:56:200:56:23

I've not got any cards so how do I get the money?

0:56:230:56:27

Er...

0:56:280:56:30

Once you get your passport, we can transfer by...

0:56:300:56:34

They send you and you can show your passport to them

0:56:340:56:37

-and then you can receive the money.

-OK. Right.

0:56:370:56:40

-Yeah.

-Right. OK.

0:56:400:56:42

'Only in extreme circumstances will the British Embassy arrange an emergency loan.

0:56:430:56:48

'But with correct ID, Alex will be able to arrange for cash to be transferred.

0:56:480:56:54

'And luckily for him, his temporary passport is now ready.'

0:56:540:56:58

-It's finished now.

-Right.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:56:580:57:02

-Good luck. Have a safe ride home.

-Thank you.

0:57:020:57:05

'Less than 24 hours after losing his passport,

0:57:050:57:09

'Alex is free to continue his trip with his friends.'

0:57:090:57:12

I feel much more relieved now. I can finally get this moving again and get to Cambodia tomorrow.

0:57:120:57:19

I've been looking forward to meeting them, it's just...

0:57:190:57:21

-I've got to pay them all back now.

-HE LAUGHS

0:57:210:57:24

'And Laura and Leon can travel home as planned.'

0:57:240:57:29

-This is your passport.

-OK.

-All right, thanks very much.

0:57:290:57:32

Thank you. Whoo-hoo!

0:57:320:57:35

Here it is. We can travel home now. Passport.

0:57:350:57:39

# It's looking like a beautiful day

0:57:390:57:44

-Well, that's it for today's programme.

-Here's what's coming up next week.

0:57:520:57:56

'I investigate a hotel teeming with unwelcome guests.'

0:57:580:58:01

They carry their eggs.

0:58:010:58:03

So when you stamp on one, it's more than likely you pick their eggs up and then you spread them around.

0:58:030:58:08

'I try to help a couple devastated by an increasingly common crime.'

0:58:080:58:14

There was this bang on the back of the car and I just didn't know what was going on.

0:58:140:58:18

'And I'll be with the British Consul where drama is all in a day's work.'

0:58:180:58:22

Oh, dear.

0:58:230:58:25

Until then, that's it from the three of us. Goodbye.

0:58:250:58:30

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:300:58:34

# I predict a riot #

0:58:370:58:39

.

0:58:390:58:39

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS