Alleged attacker Edmundo Helder Rodrigues Fonseca, 44, and Ms Chessell’s ex-boyfriend Claudio Gouveia, 34, both from Madeira, face trial for attempted murder in Portugal.
Prosecutors claim the attack on May 6 last year in the Algarve resort of Alvor near Portimao was Gouveia’s revenge after she left him two months earlier.
Ms Chessell, 29, has been treated for post-traumatic stress since returning home to Newport on the Isle of Wight.
She told police: “I still remember what the man who attacked me said before he threw the liquid at me.
“He used the Portuguese word for sorry.
“To this day I still hear the word countless times.”
Dr Ana Ferreira, head of the burns unit at Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon where Ms Chessell spent a month, told police she was worried about the safety of her and staff and asked for photos of the suspects to inform hospital security.
Ms Chessell, who earned £825 a month with tour firm TUI, believed she was going on a date with an entrepreneur called Diogo when she was attacked near the four-star hotel where she worked.
Prosecutors allege Gouveia had tricked her using the online dating site Tinder after discovering she had left Madeira for the Algarve.
Her compensation claim lodged with the court includes £140.95 for clothes. She said: “I was wearing some of my best clothes.
“I had a career with TUI that I enjoyed and fully expected to continue in this role, anticipating promotion.
“For the foreseeable future this has now been put on hold.”
Gouveia, who was arrested at home in Madeira last May, remains in custody.
He has denied assaulting Ms Chessell during their two-year relationship.
He is expected to plead not guilty to her attempted murder and claim an imposter sent death threats before the attack.
One dated April 3, titled “I Will Find You”, read: “I’m going to find you and I will take your head off.
“You are a **** and you are going to die.”
The trial is delayed while Portuguese authorities extradite Fonseca, who was arrested in Uganda with 14lb of heroin.
Portuguese police were alerted to his arrest by a British Interpol agent.