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Nov 03, 2024

Shocking act by hotel cleaner caught on camera in British family's 5-star Greek hotel room - Mirror Online

A British family were left horrified after they caught a cleaner rummaging through their belongings and drinking from a bottle in their five-star hotel room in Greece. The shocking moment was captured

A British family were left horrified after they caught a cleaner rummaging through their belongings and drinking from a bottle in their five-star hotel room in Greece.

The shocking moment was captured on camera and left dad-of-one Tommy Hudson, from Durham, feeling unsafe as he and his family tried to enjoy their Jet2 holiday to the Elios Hill hotel in Crete.

After forking out almost £5,000 on the trip, Mr Hudson managed to catch staff poking around his family's possessions. He was staying at the newly opened hotel with wife Joanne and their two-year-old daughter Elsie in early August, and said the ordeal ruined what was supposed to be a relaxing break for the trio.

The 42-year-old said: “It took over what should have been a nice family holiday. Instead, we were talking about it every day and checking cameras in case something else had happened.”

One video captured a male cleaner rummaging through a WHSmith bag that was left in the room and going through possessions on the shelves. In seperate footage, a cleaner was caught taking a sip from the family's bottle of Sprite before putting it back. He then appeared to take a key card to the room.

Jet2 said the hotel has since dealt with the member of staff and apologised to Mr Hudson saying they would provide an "appropriate gesture of goodwill". But the dad says their £320 cash compensation won't recover the damage done, and is now set to escalate his complaint to Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

"They've come back to us offering £320. It doesn't seem like they have taken it very seriously at all", he said. "On the second to last day, he was drinking out of our water bottle and took our key card. We had to go and get our keys changed in case he tried to come back into the room. The camera wasn't even hidden, it was just in the corner of the room.

"We spoke to the hotel manager and they said the staff had been relieved from their duties. We felt unsafe in the room, we were having to check it on the camera every day."

Mr Hudson said he brought his camera after reading a review from a traveller who claimed items had gone missing from their room. The family were offered a trip to a beach club with the costs for transport, food and drink covered, as well as a late checkout on their last day, but the cleaner was later caught drinking their Sprite on, causing him to involve Jet2.

"We don't know if he has spat back into the bottle. It turns my stomach to think my daughter could have drank it as his saliva could be inside and around the edge. I was told by them that due to it being our last day in the resort they couldn't really do anything for us.

"The slogan they have on the side of their aeroplanes is 'package holidays you can trust'. When something like this happens you can't really trust them any more.

"It's really put us off booking another holiday through Jet2. It saddens me as our last eight holidays have been with Jet2 and have all been fantastic. I just want people to be aware this happens."

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “We would like to offer our sincere apologies to Mr Hudson for this experience. We understand that the hotel has investigated fully and taken appropriate action with the staff in question. We have been in contact with Mr Hudson to apologise, and to provide an appropriate gesture of goodwill.'

The Elios Hill Hotel has been approached for comment.

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