A TUI customer has been left fuming after his possessions were allegedly stolen whilst on holiday after thieves drilled through the safe in his hotel room.
Connor Montgomery had been on a swanky £3,500 holiday in Cancun, Mexico last week with girlfriend Alex Held when the pair claimed they were the victims of a crime that took place right beside their bed.
The couple from Newcastle were out on a boat tour last Thursday when they returned to the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort & Spa and claim they noticed their room had been tampered with.
Connor, 26, claims the room’s lights and air conditioning had been turned off, the electricity key card was missing and most importantly – his gold watch and cash had been swiped from their safe.
Car dealer Connor explained that the couple had been out most of the day on the 11-hour boat trip and noticed broken glass strewn across their hotel room floor as soon as they returned.
Upon further inspection, Connor claims he quickly noticed that the safe in the cupboard of their room had been drilled into, and his possessions taken.
Connor alleges that he had made a report to the hotel, with TUI informing him that he would hear back within three days, eventually being told by reception that the drilled hole had been there since before the couple’s arrival.
Connor, who refutes this, claims that the hotel interviewed staff – eventually coming to the conclusion that the staff were too “reliable” to have been thieves.
Connor claims that he has still not had any form of compensation for the loss of property and that the report has since stagnated due to no camera footage of the alleged theft.
Images show the black safe sitting atop a white wooden shelf, appearing to have had a circular hole drilled into its door, to the left of the key code numbers.
A further image shows inexplicable transparent glass covering the floor in front of a bedside table.
Connor took to social media on Monday to air his grievances, writing: “Absolute disgrace from TUI recommending this hotel Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort [sic] room broken into, safe drilled through, money from my wallet and gold watch stolen and apparently there’s no evidence of theft so it is getting dropped.
“Neither the hotel or TUI are doing anything.
“No compensation from either TUI or the hotel, hotel staff have been interviewed but apparently their reliable members of staff have worked there for years and would never do that.
“Ironic how the stuff was stolen on the day of an excursion which was also booked through TUI, knowing we’d be out all day.
“Had to chase both TUI and the hotel staff for an update just for them to say nothing can be done.
“Apparently the hole in the safe has been there since the 30th of May yet both me [sic] and my girlfriend beg to differ as there was no damage to the safe on the day of our arrival.
“After reporting the crime, I was also informed that it’s happened to numerous people, not just myself, shambles of a hotel and staff.
“£3,500 spent on this holiday, wouldn’t expect it anywhere, never mind a 5 star resort. Urge people to stay away from TUI and Grand Sirenis Mexico.”
The post received over 950 likes and more than 1,700 comments as many were quick to share their disgust at the alleged events – with some also claiming they had similar experiences at the same hotel.
Vikki Leigh claimed: “It’s a known thing with that hotel, they’re all in on it and try and cover it up.
“My mate’s son went with his girlfriend for Christmas, found police raiding their room. They arrested them for nothing then wanted money to get them out of jail.
“TUI then wouldn’t let them fly back with them because police had been involved. They had to pay £2,000 to get home and TUI wanted nothing to do with it, neither did grandad reports or the reps.
“Police are all in on it too. Best advice I can give you is to spread far and wide to make sure no one ever goes there.”
Lewie Gable said: “Can’t believe this – disgraceful.”
Nicole Norton commented: “Azul Senatorial Mexico – same has happened to us, as many others too. We didn’t get our money back either.”
Stephen Paul Harrison wrote: “I write the hotel off and smash everything in site simple”
Speaking to Connor today, he said: “We booked a boat trip through TUI, we left the room at 6am and returned at 5pm.
“When we got into the room I noticed the air conditioning and lighting wasn’t on, looked to the left and the key card had been taken.
“When I went over to my side of the bed there was smashed glass.
“I noticed something wasn’t right so I went to check the safe and saw it had been drilled through. I checked inside – I had my English money from inside my wallet stolen and my gold watch was gone too.
“Straight away, I reported it to the hotel and filled in a report of the stuff that went missing and was told I would hear within 24-72 hours of the outcome of everything.
“I also reported to TUI about it and was told I would hear back from them too – I still haven’t heard anything now and this was five days ago.
“After four days, I went to the reception and asked to speak to a manager about everything and she told me that the hole in the safe was there from the 30th of May, but evidently I would’ve noticed and asked for a new safe, there was zero damage on my arrival.
“She told me she had interviewed the members of staff who had access to the room that day but they are apparently reliable members of staff and would never do that.
“She said that there was no evidence of theft regardless of the smashed glass, key card stolen and my personal belongings gone and there was nothing more that could be done on their end.
“Since posting it [on social media], there have been numerous people who said the exact same happened to them and nothing was done.
“It seems there’s a correlation between booking excursions with TUI and being robbed though, as we had been here for just under a week prior to the robbery and nothing was ever taken.
“Seemed a bit of a coincidence that we were robbed on a day that they knew we would be out all day.
“TUI have still not even made contact with me nor offered any form of compensation and I want to take this further as they’re probably deemed as the most trusted holiday provider and they’re still promoting this hotel after many people have filed reports of things stolen.
“On the report I had to fill in, I said I wanted the authorities to be contacted too but because apparently there’s no evidence of theft it’s been dropped.
“ I just don’t expect to spend £3,500 on a holiday to be treated this way. It’s a shambles.”
TUI has been contacted for comment.
