What was meant to be a relaxing getaway in Cape Verde turned into a harrowing ordeal for Ryan Mendelson, a 33-year-old from Manchester, after a staff member at the Hotel RIU Touareg kneed him in the back of the leg during his two-week Tui package holiday. The incident, which Mendelson describes as an "unprovoked assault," left him with a torn ligament, ongoing pain, and a lengthy recovery that continues to impact his daily life nearly a year later.
Mendelson was on holiday with his mother in January 2025, enjoying the poolside bar area and chatting with fellow guests when, without warning, a member of the hotel’s entertainment team approached him from behind. "I was standing at the bar-pool area talking to two girls I'd met and, all of a sudden and completely out of nowhere, he came behind me and kneed me in the back of the knee," Mendelson told Manchester Evening News. "I felt my knee click, twist and go out of place, and I fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I was in a state of shock and couldn't move."
Other guests rushed to help, pouring water on Mendelson to keep him cool as he lay in the hot sun for about 30 minutes, waiting for a wheelchair to arrive. There were no first-aiders around the pool, and his mother was left distraught by the lack of immediate assistance from hotel staff. When the wheelchair finally arrived, it lacked a raise-up bar for his injured leg, and the staff member responsible for the injury was the one tasked with taking Mendelson to reception. "He wasn't a friend of mine. I didn't have any 'banter' with him," Mendelson emphasized. "I just don't know why he did it, other than being over-familiar and thinking he was just having a laugh. But the way I see it is that it was an unprovoked assault."
The ordeal did not end at the poolside. Mendelson was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he underwent an X-ray and received an injection in his knee. The family was charged 860 Euros for the ambulance and hospital treatment. To make matters worse, hotel staff initially insisted the Mendelsons pay for an extra night’s stay due to the delayed return, only relenting after Mendelson’s mother threatened to contact the media. "They eventually settled that bill – as Mum said we'd contact every newspaper in the world to tell them what had happened – even if it meant us sitting on the steps of the hotel all night," Mendelson recalled in his statement to BBC News.
The injury forced Mendelson to postpone his flight home, requiring him to book two additional seats on the return journey to accommodate his leg brace. "Missing the flight was soul-destroying," Mendelson said. Upon returning to the UK, an MRI scan revealed he had torn his medial patellofemoral ligament—a significant knee injury that required surgery. Despite the operation, Mendelson reports that his knee is "still not 100 percent," and he continues to experience pain, particularly in cold weather. He now attends weekly therapy sessions to help cope with the mental toll of the experience.
The legal case was handled by Hudgell Solicitors, with accident abroad specialist Paul Rimmer describing the situation as "an extraordinary case that was tantamount to a physical assault from an employee working at a world-renowned hotel chain." Rimmer did not mince words regarding the hotel’s handling of the aftermath. "Put simply, Ryan was mistreated from the outset. It was, frankly, a disgrace that the hotel asked the Mendelsons to pay for another night when they were stranded because of the actions of one of their staff members." Rimmer also criticized Tui’s response as "scatty, arrogant and dismissive," highlighting a broader trend of inadequate customer care from major tourism companies when things go wrong. "We have, sadly, noticed a growing trend of blue-chip tourism groups not offering the care and support their customers deserve when a holiday abroad turns into a nightmare. Ryan's situation was unique, but shoddy customer service has become all too common. Holidaymakers are therefore recommended to seek expert legal advice if they feel entitled to make a compensation claim following an accident abroad," Rimmer told Manchester Evening News.
For Mendelson, the incident has left lasting physical and psychological scars. "My knee's still not 100 percent," he reiterated. "I still suffer the odd pain after surgery – often in cold weather. I deal with it the best I can, and I also see a therapist once a week, which helps from a mental side of things." He hopes his case will serve as a warning for hotels and travel companies to respect guests' boundaries and improve their response to emergencies. "Animation teams are always over-friendly. I've seen before how close they can get, but this was something completely different and totally unacceptable."
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for RIU Hotels and Resorts offered an apology and an explanation, stating: "We are very sorry for the injury sustained by Mr Mendelson during his holiday. The incident stemmed from a misguided attempt at a playful interaction by a member of the hotel's entertainment team and was never intended to cause harm. We recognise the pain and distress this caused and sincerely regret what happened. The matter has been fully investigated, and has now been settled with the customer. At RIU we are fully committed with the safety and wellbeing of our guests and make a daily effort to prevent incidents like this from happening." Tui, the tour operator through which the holiday was booked, was also contacted for comment.
Mendelson was ultimately awarded £18,000 in compensation. The settlement brings some closure, but the experience has left him wary of the risks that can lurk behind even the most carefully planned holidays. As travel resumes in earnest and tourists flock to resorts worldwide, Mendelson’s story is a sobering reminder of the importance of guest safety, responsive customer service, and the need for hotels and operators to take responsibility when things go wrong.
For now, Mendelson continues his recovery, determined to move forward but keen to ensure that others don’t suffer a similar fate. His case stands as a testament to the power of persistence—and the importance of holding companies accountable when the unexpected turns a dream vacation into a nightmare.
