Buffalo, NY (WBEN) After three Americans died and another is recovering after mysteriously falling ill at Sandals in the Bahamas, travel experts are weighing in on what to look for with regard to health when choosing a resort.
Chuck Teal of Teal Travel says all-inclusive resorts keep high standards on health and safety. "They monitor their own standards. And the better the resource, generally speaking, the, the better quality," says Teal, who notes he has never received a complaint from customers about health or safety issues.
Similar sentiments are echoed by the Travel Team's Ron Luczak. "They really keep a very tight handle on safety regulations and cleanliness and food preparation, because the majority of their customers are from the United States," says Luczak.
Luczak says he'll recommend any resort that gets the recommendation of American Express. He says his office is an American Express representative office. "They thoroughly investigate these resorts, they send people to inspect them, and if they approve it, the Travel Team is very comfortable in recommending it to any of our clients," says Luczak. He says American Express looks at if there are any complaints within the health department of the country or the island, they look into how many times the beds are changed per day. "if you have a longer stay, we always recommend that you stay at a resort that changes, towels and bedding on a daily basis," recommends Luczak. He also says American Express sends out professionals to look at their their culinary areas to make sure that they have safety precautions and that all the food that they're serving is of the highest standard.
Teal says he recommends resorts based on a couple of factors. "Either personal experience or customer feedback," says Teal. "We get a comfort factor with places we've been to, seen it, ate there. Customers come back from a trip and we get, 'this was good, this was bad'." While he says reviews are helpful, they can be tainted depending on different circumstances. He recommends any 4 or 5 star resort. "You can do your homework and if you've got a travel agent that you're comfortable with, a lot of times that's the people you want to speak to," adds Teal.
If a resort trip is in your future, and you're worried about this issue, Luczak says don't cancel just yet. "I would give it some time and see what the reports come back before they go ahead and cancel," says Luczak. He says if a resort hasn't been closed, you could face cancellation penalties.
