At least four hotels in the Dominican Republic have been forced to close after Hurricane Fiona left a trail of destruction.
Amongst the worst hit were the Hilton La Romana, the Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziv and Sanctuary Cap Cana.
TUI confirmed that it had moved guests from the Hilton La Romana to the Palladium Bavaro Hotel yesterday.
The tour operator had earlier issued a statement saying none of its hotels in the Dominican Republic had been affected by the category three storm. The tourist board had also said most of the damage caused in resorts was to ‘landscaping’.
However, TUI customers had posted messages on social media claiming the Hilton La Romana had been badly damage and they’d been given just hours to evacuate.
In a statement today, TUI told Travel Gossip: “We’re really sorry for the inconvenience caused to TUI customers staying at the Hilton La Romana in the Dominican Republic, which had to close due to damage caused by Hurricane Fiona.
“Our TUI reps worked as quickly as possible to secure alternative accommodation for all impacted customers and supported them with the move to Palladium Bavaro Hotel yesterday. Our other hotels in the area continue to operate as normal.
“Customer health and safety is always our number one priority and we thank them for their patience and understanding.”
It did not specify what is happening to guests due to stay at the hotel in the coming days. However, it said all affected customers are being contacted pre-travel by its Holiday Change Team and will be prioritised by departure date.
“The team will discuss all available options with the customers,” added a TUI spokesperson.
Playa Hotels & Resorts said in an online statement that all four hotels – Hilton La Romana, Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana and Sanctuary Cap Cana – will remain closed until 30 September.
The hotel company said guests with direct bookings can re-book at original rates up to 23 December, while those due to arrive before 30 September can switch to any other Playa property at existing rates.
