Holidaymaker whose trip turned into a fire nightmare after serious safety failings reminds tourists of their right to take legal action

Tony Brewer, 52, was staying with his partner Emma, 47, at the Leonardo Laura Beach and Splash Resort in Cyprus in September 2022, booked through tour operator TUI, when a fire broke out in a plant room of the hotel.

Despite the serious risk, he says no fire alarm sounded to alert guests after the system had allegedly been disabled following two false fire alarms the previous day and other fire safety measures were not in place.

Our specialist travel lawyers secured a legal settlement from TUI for Mr Brewer following the incident, which left him suffering from smoke inhalation leading to on-going respiratory issues and trauma.

Mr Brewer, who lives in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, is now backing our travel safety campaign to encourage holidaymakers to understand their travel rights and raise awareness that they are not powerless if they are injured or put at risk when things go wrong overseas.

Describing the terrifying moment which happened while he was asleep in his room following stag do celebrations the previous evening, Mr Brewer said: “I woke to find the room engulfed with thick, acrid smoke, but the fire alarm didn’t go off. It went off twice the night before and the hotel had turned it off.”

Because the fire alarm system had been compromised, the hotel's ventilation and air conditioning failed to shut down automatically. Instead, it continued to pump noxious smoke directly into the bedroom from a fire in the hotel’s plant room.

Drawing on his professional experience as an electrician, Mr Brewer quickly realised something was seriously wrong.

“It was dark and like old tar, rubber and lead was burning off. As an electrician I know exactly the kind of equipment that is in a plant room. It’s nasty stuff when burned. My throat felt rough and raw,” Mr Brewer added.

Attempting to escape, he opened his bedroom door only to find conditions even more dangerous.

“I didn't know what I was going to find and I was scared it was going to be an inferno outside. The corridor was full of smoke even worse than the room, so I went back in to get a wet towel to cover my head for protection. I tried to stay as low as possible under the smoke.”

However, he says multiple safety failures became apparent during his escape.

“There were no emergency lights on the stairwell, and you could see the equipment wasn’t being maintained. The break glass alarms clearly weren’t switched on because the glass was already broken but there was nothing sounding, and all the fire doors were wedged open so they couldn’t lock automatically to isolate the fire.”

After escaping into the hotel foyer, Mr Brewer was taken to a private hospital where he was put on a drip and given a nebuliser. But he alleges the medical care was unsafe and unhygienic forcing him to discharge himself, with clinicians failing to wash hands or change gloves between patients and struggling to get a cannula in properly leading to blood loss.

“I didn’t feel safe,” he said.

The wedding party was then scattered across different hotels, turning the bride and groom's big day into what Mr Brewer describes as a logistical nightmare.

“The holiday rep and hotel didn’t really get involved in helping us. Friends had to go and clear our room out. When Emma left the hospital once I as checked in and returned to the hotel, she found it locked up was actually shut off and she couldn’t get back in. Luckily, friends in our party had the foresight to reserve a room in the alternative hotel as the reps hadn’t even allocated my partner and I accommodation.”

When the guests were eventually returned to the Leonardo Laura Beach and Splash Resort days later, the safety issues remained unfixed, and Mr Brewer was even put back into his previous room that still had his own smoky footprints on the floor.

Mr Brewer says he continues to experience long-term health issues linked to the incident.

“I have asthma, which was under control, but the fire has really set it back. I've not really recovered fully, and I don't think I'll ever be back where I was.

“I do a physical job and after the fire I had to get someone in to help me. I would pick things up and then have to sit down for a few minutes to catch my breath. Things that you take for granted became an issue.

“Even now my breathing isn't quite right if I'm in a dusty environment. I've had to be prescribed new medication, spent a long time on steroids and gained weight. I had to take them so long I eventually had to be weaned off them slowly to reduce my daily amount.”

The incident also took a heavy psychological toll.

“In hindsight I shouldn’t have gone back to the same hotel. I was uncomfortable and on edge. I do think it messed with my head more than I gave it credit for. My other half said I would talk in my sleep and say, ‘I can’t breathe’. It’s made me a bit more wary, and I look at things differently now when I’m away; I scan the room more than I used to do normally."

He also criticised the response from the tour operator TUI and its holiday reps for their handling of the emergency, alleging they attempted to buy off another couple in their group with a text message offering just £350 compensation, before aggressively telling them, ‘See you in court’ when he refused.

“TUI was useless. After the incident they just wanted to brush it under the carpet and offered a quick payment to get it over with, but we had to agree to their terms. That's how blasé they were.

“The reason I thought you went with a tour operator was because you assumed that all these checks had taken place. That they had done what they need to do to keep their customers safe.”

Mr Brewer decided to pursue legal action and with the help of Slater and Gordon’s specialist lawyers he secured compensation.

“TUI played the game, tried to stall and ride it out. The process is the punishment, and they hope you will give up.”

He is now using his experience to urge others to educate other travellers to understand their rights and educate them about package holiday regulations, which legally protect British consumers when things go wrong abroad.

“Dealing with the lawyers was much easier than I expected. l felt fully supported and they did exactly what they said they were going to do. One thing I wish was highlighted more was that even if it provides legal cover, it’s very common that most travel insurance doesn’t cover you against the tour operators. I didn’t know that and I’m sure a lot of people don’t. So, it’s important to know that you can still mount a separate legal claim anyway.”

Many holidaymakers wrongly assume there is little recourse if something goes wrong abroad but where safety standards fall short on package holidays, travellers may be entitled to bring claims in the UK.

Stephen Goodman, a practice development leader specialising in travel cases, said: “This case highlighted the potentially devastating consequences when appropriate safety measures are not in place and a shocking failure of basic duty of care. Many people assume that when they travel abroad, they have little or no legal protection if something goes wrong. However, it is important they know their rights and when consumers book a package holiday with an established brand, they are legally protected under UK law if the accommodation fails to meet safety standards and may be able to bring a claim in the UK if they suffer injury or are affected by serious safety failings overseas. Tour operators cannot simply brush these incidents under the carpet or stall claimants in the hope they will give up.

“We are pleased to have secured justice for Mr Brewer. I encourage anyone who has suffered an injury or affected by a serious incident while on a package holiday to gather evidence immediately and seek specialist, independent legal advice as soon as possible.”

Reflecting on the experience, Mr Brewer said the emotional impact was just as significant as the physical one and hopes sharing his story will help others avoid a similar ordeal by giving them the confidence to act if they need to.

“The natural emotion was anger. I felt robbed. You work hard to go on holiday, and I couldn’t relax. So, it is important people know they’re not on their own and they don’t have to just accept what happens to them.”