Several persons suddenly fell ill last weekend while at a popular resort in western Jamaica THE STAR understands.

Information reaching THE STAR is that a number of guests started vomiting and experienced bouts of diarrhoea shortly after consuming food at the resort on Friday evening.

"I had chicken with fish, potatoes and vegetables," said one of the 'victims', when asked what she had to eat at the resort.

According to the woman, she was part of a group of persons who went to the resort as part of an annual retreat. For some, their intentions of having a fun-filled weekend were however, cut short.

"We went down to the hotel on Friday, and most persons came down with vomiting and diarrhoea," she explained before adding that one of the persons had to go to the hospital.

THE STAR also learnt that several persons from another group that were also on retreat fell ill during the same time period. Those persons are employees of a commercial bank.

For the simple reason that the affected persons fell ill shortly after arriving at the resort, the conclusion was passed that it had to do with the food they ate.

This claim was, however, not well received by management personnel at the resort, THE STAR was told.

The affected guests, as a result, thought the hotel was trying to distance itself from the situation.

"But you guys look quite okay," was allegedly one of the responses given when the matter was brought to management's attention.

The sick guests were also told it must have been food from elsewhere that had them feeling ill.

"It could not have been food from elsewhere. Everybody had food from different places before arriving at the hotel, and everybody was fine until eating the food from there," THE STAR was told.

Even up to yesterday, persons were still feeling ill.

Efforts to get a comment from the resort were unsuccessful up to press time last night, as those who could comment on the incident were said to be out of office.