'Our Spain holiday turned into a nightmare after what happened in hotel room'
But now, a young mum has shared a chilling warning after her family's dream holiday turned into a nightmare in a matter of seconds.
Becca Farley, 27, from Eastleigh in Hampshire, had been enjoying the final night of her trip to the Magical Tropical Splash resort in Benidorm with her partner and two children when a terrifying incident changed everything.
The mum, who was away with her six-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, had gone back to her room to charge her phone amid warnings about a potential power cut - but was left "absolutely petrified" when she caught strangers ransacking her room.
"As I got in the lift, these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level," Becca said. "I honestly didn't think anything of it because there's five rooms per floor so I just assumed they were going to one of them."
When the lift stopped, the teens walked out ahead of her and went straight into a hotel room - hers.
She said: "I thought oh I have obviously got off on the wrong floor, what a palaver I'm going to have to wait for the lift again. But it was the right floor. It happened all quite quickly and they just strolled straight into my room. I then followed in after them, which in hindsight, I shouldn't have because you hear horror stories and I think it could have gone sour. But I just didn't really think and went straight into the room and shouted 'what are you doing in my room?'"
One of the intruders began shouting at her in Spanish and Becca screamed: "Get the f*** out, get the f*** out, get the f*** out," until they ran off.
But moments later, the ordeal escalated even further. They returned minutes later and banged on the door while she stayed locked inside. "I was absolutely petrified," she said.
Becca added: "I know it sounds silly and people have said you should have done this, you should have locked them in the room, you should have decked them but at that moment I think it was just that invasion of privacy. This is supposed to be your safe place when you are away, you're away from home, we don't travel all that often so we were really shaken. Then that night I did not sleep because I was flinching at every noise. If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home."
Becca immediately reported the incident to hotel security and alleged that she was shocked to learn another family staying there had experienced a similar break-in, during which their passports, watches and valuables were stolen.
Now she's urging fellow holidaymakers heading to Spain to be alert, especially lone women. Becca said: "I would advise just to be alert. A lot of people have said we were scaremongering people not to go away, not at all. We will certainly go on holiday again, it's not a case of us never going abroad again but I think it's just having that awareness that if you are a lone woman, please be careful. I'm very lucky that I'm OK but I think it's just a case of having your wits about you a bit more. When you go on holiday you tend to relax and become a little bit naïve to these situations."
She also recommends locking valuables in suitcases with padlocks. "Obviously keep your valuables safe," she said. "I know some people say don't use the safes, we personally lock all of ours and padlock them in our suitcases. I think it's just a case of having your wits about you and knowing not to get comfortable in somewhere you've never been before."
Becca said she'll still travel, but she's changing how she does it. The mum added: "I'm considering getting a webcam that you can put in your room next time we go away. I will carry on locking my stuff away. I would never take the kids away on my own. I certainly wouldn't have cleaners in my room ever again, not to say it definitely was them but they have access to your room. I don't know if I would feel comfortable going up to a room on my own again."
Mirror UK has contacted Magical Tropical Splash Hotel for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
The Spanish party town with 87p shots that's ‘better than Benidorm' & BEGGING Brits to return after anti-tourist demos
IT'S midnight and Boozers Fest Bar is packed to the rafters with a host of 18 to twentysomethings, all jostling to play a wild new drinking game. This Dutch-run party bar charges £17.50 to take part in 'Snappy', where ten shots are placed around a crocodile toy for punters to down if its mouth shuts when they press its teeth. 18 One party bar charges £17.50 to take part in 'Snappy', where ten shots are placed around a crocodile toy for punters to down if its mouth shuts when they press its teeth Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Teens point to a drinks sign showing unbelievably cheap booze outside a bar in Lloret de Mar Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 With its 100-plus bars and clubs, Lloret de Mar was once branded the 'party capital of Spain' Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Four youngsters on a night out in Lloret de Mar Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Pub owners and party organisers here are pleading with high-spending Brits to return Credit: Darren Fletcher As they drink, the crowd whoops and hollers and the room, no doubt, starts to spin. Kim, 21, falls foul of the snap, and tells me: 'It's like being a kid again, but with an extra hit. 'We love it here — fun and alcohol, what more could you want?' So far, so typical of a Spanish holiday for British youngsters, many on their first sunshine break without mum and dad cramping their style. But while this bar is bursting, the same cannot be said for other venues in the Spanish resort town of With 100-plus bars and clubs, it was once branded the country's 'party capital' but now many of the venues sit partially empty or closed — an unwelcome result of the nationwide As a result, the pub owners and party organisers here are pleading with high-spending Brits to return. Currently, the town is besieged by Dutch and German tours of under age teens, who barely spend any money and demand that prices stay low or they won't come. Drinks prices on this section of the Locals are now yearning for its early-Noughties heyday when it was a Club 18-30 destination for Brits. Anti-tourist protesters blast holidaymakers with water guns & block hotels Local shop owner Mohan, 45, told The Sun: 'Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. "We love English tourists here because they spend the most. 'Yes, some get a bit drunk and loud, but that's not the end of the world. 'The protests in 'We want tourists to know they are welcome. I've lived in Lloret since 1999 and everyone here wants more Brits — Without tourists there would be nothing here in Lloret de Mar. We love English tourists here because they spend the most Mohan, Local shop owner Last year 18.4million of us headed to Spain, contributing £20billion to the country's economy, according to the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. But over-tourism has been blamed for inflating Lloret is not immune to the housing concerns of places such as Ibiza and Tenerife, but instead of Officials have responded by cracking down on unlicensed accommodation, which last week saw cops raid 23 illegal tourist flats and slap the owners with fines of up to £20,000. Restaurant Pinocchio owner Claudio La Face, 37, explained: 'Unlicensed holiday flats are a problem because people are concerned about renting to locals as if there is a problem, such as not paying rent, there is little they can do. "On top of that, many prefer to rent to tourists because they can make a lot of money, despite the risk of big fines.' 'Better than Benidorm' 18 Young tourists in I Heart Lloret de Mar shirts head for a night out in the party town Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Protesters hold up signs in Barcelona in June claiming tourism is killing the city Credit: Getty 18 British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret Credit: Darren Fletcher Italian Claudio, who has lived in Lloret for 12 years, said he struggles to understand the anti- tourist protests happening in other parts of Spain. 'It has affected our numbers here, especially this year,' he said. 'But we need tourists in Lloret, we love them. Most of Spain needs tourists too, so protesting against them doesn't help anyone. "Tourists should come to Lloret for the good weather, the beautiful beaches, and amazing food options. Plus there are lots of cultural places around here to visit, such as One of the biggest draws to the town is its party district, home to one of the world's best clubs, Tropics. The main strip, Avenue Just Marles Vilarrodona, is full of venues that can hold thousands of revellers, and the winding side streets boast a seemingly unending array of cocktail bars offering outrageous drinking games. Don't Let The Duck Out sees players put on a swim cap and snorkelling goggles to try to grab a bottle of alcohol from a large water bowl. Essentially it's boozy apple bobbing. British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret. Lucy said: 'My sister recommended it, and it's crazy here. We have no regrets booking it. It's fun.' Other Brits out on the lash include Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, who booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website. For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool Ollie Bott They've flown out with six mates, who they have managed to lose by the time they bump into The Sun. Ollie said: 'For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. A lot of bars are giving us drinks for half price because we're British, which is cool.' Newlyweds Rachel, 37, and Phillip, 41, from Leeds, are here for their honeymoon. 'It wasn't quite what we expected for our honeymoon, but we love how lively it is,' courier Phillip said. 'I'd certainly come back here with the lads, or let my sons have their first drinking holiday here as it feels really safe. There's nice food and the booze is cheap. 'Plus everyone here has been really friendly compared to other holidays we've been on.' Couple Paul Willmot and Janette Machin, both 57, from Bridlington, Yorks, reckon it could even start to rival Brit favourite Benidorm. Janette said: 'It's been really great so far. It has potential and reminds me of Beni and Sunny Beach before they got super-popular. We didn't let the 18 Newlyweds Rachel, 37, and Phillip, 41, from Leeds, admitted the resort wasn't quite what they were expecting Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Crowds of youngsters head to the party strip while a bus promotes the popular Tropics nightclub Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 One of the resort's beaches is near empty with locals fear is due to Spanish protests deterring tourists Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Local businessman Igor Peyman is keen to see more British holidaymakers pitch up in Lloret Credit: Darren Fletcher Standing in doorways and draped over pavements are revellers debating which bar to move to next. Some are being shepherded by tour operators. 'A little rowdy' Back on the main street are Disco Londoner and Touch Down Sports bar, both owned by Marcus Faraji. He told The Sun: 'Ninety per cent of the industry here is based around tourism, even if it's not directly. 'More needs to be done to educate locals that their livelihoods and comforts come from tourists being welcome here. This is getting lost because many people are so worried about the housing issues. 'The drinking tourism we get upsets some, and they complain that people don't come here to visit cultural places, but the truth is we don't have the infrastructure for that. "Many of the tourists that come here are in groups organised by tour operators, who take up bulk bookings at hotels. English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all Igor Peyman 'It means we have to keep drinks cheap, because if we raise our prices they threaten to not come. 'But some of the people they bring are as young as 16, so we won't serve them anyway, and they don't have a lot of money to spend, which harms the economy. 'English people don't travel in the same way. We would like more of them because they spend a huge amount on both restaurants and on alcohol.' Bars caught serving booze to someone under age risk a fine of £2,600 for each case — and the drinker can be handed a £850 fine. Local businessman Igor Peyman, 54, is also keen to see more British holidaymakers pitch up in Lloret. He said: 'English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. 'They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all. There is so much for people to enjoy here so we hope they aren't put off by the protests in other parts of Spain.' 'Spanish Blackpool' But not everyone is a fan of Lloret. Holidaymaker Amanda, from Stratford-upon-Avon, She added: 'You do have to look for the nicer places to go as the centre is very young and aimed at a younger crowd.' Her pal Michele agreed, but added: 'Everyone has been really friendly, and you don't get hassled to go to restaurants or shops. Parts of the town are quite dated and need investment.' We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets Tattoo shop worker Jose Tattoo shop worker Jose, 30, is keen for Lloret to only welcome tourists who will be respectful. He said: 'We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets. 'Tourists who want to have fun but appreciate we live here are always welcome, even if they're a little rowdy. 'Lloret is a poor town, and most of us have to earn our living for the year in the space of six weeks. "We love tourists and we always want them to come here.' 18 One less impressed visitor dubbed the town Spain's Blackpool Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Budget boozers sell cocktails and shots for 1 euro Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Josh, 30, and Saffron, 27, from Hull enjoyed the cheap drinks at the bars Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Sun reporter Thea Jacobs takes part in one of the outrageous drinking games Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Thea samples the local cocktails Credit: Darren Fletcher What is overtourism? Overtourism is where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity. The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues. As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals. Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources. In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism. These include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Donegal and Kerry showcase football's Wild Atlantic Way
Eleven years ago, the same year both Donegal and Kerry previously contested an All-Ireland final, the Wild Atlantic Way route was launched. On a comparatively shoestring budget, Fáilte Ireland had to come up with an initiative to rebrand the splendour of the west coast in the hope of boosting a tourism industry still reeling from the economic crisis. Then chief executive Shaun Quinn went back to his homeplace in Raphoe in Donegal and conjured up the phrase. The wave-shaped acronym that became the logo followed and after that it was a case of agreeing on the route. Launched in April 2014, it was initially deemed gimmicky. The rusty stop signs were maligned as eyesores and the new road signs dismissed as the proverbial lick of paint. By the time Donegal and Kerry faced off that September, the sneering and cynicism was on the wane. Hotels in counties like Donegal were reporting bookings up by as much as 40%. Last year, it was revealed the Wild Atlantic Way has led to a 58% increase in revenue, which now totals €3 billion per annum. Not bad for giving a new name to something that was already there. Finn MacDonnell, owner of the famous Dick Mack's pub in Dingle, told this newspaper last year its creator should 'be given a trophy'. Aisling Arnold-Kelly, owner of Arnolds Hotel in Dunfanaghy reported the promotion was transformational for her business. 'We were opening on St Patrick's Day and closing after Halloween,' she told the Irish Times. 'As a result of the Wild Atlantic Way, we are now open six months full-time and five days a week in the off-season, from November to February…' A lot of what the Football Review Committee (FRC) started 10 years on from Fáilte Ireland's great marketing campaign can be likened to the Wild Atlantic Way. The product is still the product, football remains football as FRC chairman Jim Gavin had intended, but the packaging is a damn sight better. In almost every GAA field in the country, the FRC's lick of paint has amounted to two partly-elliptical arcs and a dotted halfway line. The skill of a long-range point has been flagged literally and figuratively. The quick free is quicker in the form of the solo-and-go. If the 2,500km route from Kinsale to Malin Head fuels nostalgia for ex-pats and second and third generation Irish about the old sod, the four back, three up restrictions is a nod to how the game used to be played. Like the paintings of Paul Henry and postcards of John Hinde that sold the idea of Ireland as a destination in the early half of the 20th century, there is romance to the rules. The allure of empty space as portrayed by those artists is what the FRC have advertised to footballers. Gavin may be a self-proclaimed fan of 'east coast football' but within the parameters he and his group have set, the west are this year's winners. The tropes about Donegal being too wedded to their running game because of their geography and their management's allegiance to it has been disproven by their progress under these new game conditions because they have excellent kickers. To a lesser extent, Kerry's presence in this final is notable when they seemed for a large part of the season to be slower than most to catch the hang of two-pointers, a point Jim McGuinness referenced after Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final. Both have moved with the times. The aggregate 27 points, the 2-21, the pair accumulated between themselves in the 2014 All-Ireland final could be matched or surpassed by half-time on Sunday. It's inflation but, unlike what those holidaying in Ireland are experiencing, it's the good kind. Just as the ruggedness of the west has been re-imagined, the GAA have realised that when you rebrand it, they will come. Novelty or not, attendances were up 21% for this year's group stages compared to last. Crowds for the 13 knock-out matches will exceed 430,000 and could be as much as 23% higher than 2024. That's not to say the fare from the preliminary quarter-finals has been great. It's been pretty underwhelming, in fact, after some electric group matches. The average winning margin has been 7.8 points compared to the group stages where the average gap was 5.6. Consequently, there is some pressure on Sunday's final to showcase all the good that the FRC has brought to the game before the permanency of the rules are voted on in early October, but finals are often fraught affairs and it's been six years since a stone-cold classic was delivered on this stage. But it doesn't need to be wonderful to establish that the tweaks have been a success. As those living in the Donegal and Kerry beauty spots on the Wild Atlantic Way can testify, a shower is never too far away.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Getting to Ireland's UNESCO treasure Skellig Michael was like a Star Wars saga
There's a case to be made that Maureen Sweeney was the most important Irish person in history. If you don't know, Maureen was the Kerry weather woman who won the war. Her innate west of Ireland grasp of isobars and wind directions saved the D-Day landings from being one of history's most spectacular military catastrophes. Without Maureen's weather forecast from Blacksod Bay in Co Mayo in June 1944, the invasion and liberation of Europe would have crashed and burned and, as the gag goes, we'd all be speaking German. If we were, we would probably be speaking a lot about 'Das Wetter' appropriately enough - or the Weather if you prefer. It's our one true national conversation. And recently it has become my mild obsession and the reason I found myself sitting in a Killarney hotel room earlier this month channelling my inner Maureen Sweeney. In recent weeks I had become a citizen forecaster, looking up wind speeds, 'falling slowly' pressure systems and high tides. The madness is fuelled by another slight obsession. In the morning I'm due to embark on my fourth attempt to set foot on Ireland's mystical national treasure island, Skellig Michael. The Skelligs have long held an allure. The two islands form the jagged edge of Europe and are among the most breathtaking landscapes on earth. Skellig Michael also has a rich human story dating back over a thousand years to a group of mad monks who somehow decided it was the perfect place to build one of the most unlikely settlements in human history. A modern equivalent might be setting up home on Pluto. The islands also provide a sanctuary for 80,000 gannets and a haven for one of nature's rock stars, the Puffin. A puffin guards its nest on Skellig Michael (Image: Irish Mirror) For centuries their mystique has captured the imagination of poets, artists, storytellers and moviemakers. Most recently as a location in the Star Wars saga. But if the monks found it hard to get there in the 6th century, my own pilgrimage has honoured their perseverance - not to mention the islands' recent movie heritage. Episode I: In 2017 a first attempt fell foul of a ticket sellout. Just 180 people can land on Skellig a day from May to September. Episode II: Last summer we stayed for three days in the village of Portmagee, the gateway to the Skelligs, our landing tickets secured well in advance. But on the morning of our departure a two-metre Atlantic swell made docking on the small island jetty treacherous. We headed out in hope but by the time we crossed the 12 kilometres to Skellig Michael the OPW had closed the island. Episode III: Having booked again this summer I opened my email inbox one morning to see I had been snared in the phantom menace of a High Court injunction. My boat operator was one of two that had been refused a licence for the season, sparking a legal battle which stopped all access for several weeks. Episode IV: Not to be deterred, I rebooked with a company that did have a licence. The court injunction eventually lifted like an Atlantic front. And so now here I was sitting in a Killarney hotel room ready to embark in a few hours. Then another email landed. It darkly warned of a high tide that meant the OPW was leaving any decision on opening the island until 10am tomorrow.. Following a restless night's sleep I awoke to grey skies and sheets of west Kerry rain. I drove the 75 minutes to Portmagee but about 10 minutes out another e-mail dropped: 'Unfortunately today's landing tour has been cancelled by the OPW as conditions at the island are not good enough for visitors.' Skellig Michael (Image: PA Photo/Nick McAvaney) With a mood as black as the rain I parked and strolled down to the harbour to look uselessly at the boats. By chance, or fate, the boatman from my cancelled crossing was also there. He looked disconsolate too. If cancelled crossings are frustrating to tourists, they can be existential to those whose livelihoods depend on them. But when he discovered I was a 'party of one' he brightened and said, 'I've one spare seat tomorrow and looking at the forecast we will 100 percent be going, do you want it?' One hundred percent eh? By now I had learned that was no such thing when playing poker with the Atlantic. A quick conflab back to my Killarney HQ confirms the other half has no problem spending another day in the spa or around the town. So I book again for the next day. Episode V. Later that evening I've got mail again: 'Tomorrow's landing tour is… GOING AHEAD AS PLANNED (I added the Trumpian all caps). The following morning I am back on the road to Portmagee, casting anxious looks at the sky and the clock as I drive. Then, rounding a Ring of Kerry bend outside Caherciveen, the traffic suddenly grinds to a halt. Garda checkpoint. I run through a quick panicked checklist to remind myself I'm not wanted by the law and haven't had a drink in about 12 hours. Irish island made famous by Star Wars is under attack by drones The bored Garda stares quizzically at the windscreen. 'Your tax?' 'Yeah?' 'It's two months out of date.' Now, to anyone who knows my approach to the 'to do' list, this is akin to Noddy Holder forgetting 'It's Christmas'. But somehow he's right. No tax. I laugh ruefully thinking he is going to impound me here 10 miles from my destiny. He must see the uncomprehending look on my face. In the manner of Obi Wan Kenobi, my air seems to persuade him I am not the lawbreaker he is looking for today. I'm sent on my way with the instruction to get it sorted. A short while later I'm back on the pier in Portmagee where the atmosphere has transformed since yesterday. Boatmen are busy checking equipment and tickets. Excited tourists from all across the globe are realising their numbers have come up in this little Skellig lottery. It is the first sailing in five days. And one of few at all so far this troubled season. We set out from the harbour and within minutes are past the shelter offered by the rugged Iveragh peninsula. After around 40 minutes the jagged beauty of the Small Skellig lies before us. OPW reveal its most popular tourist attractions in Ireland The sky is dark with swooping gannets and furiously flapping puffins. It's an opera of natural sound that confirms you are now far from what Samuel Beckett called the 'fatuous clamour' of the world. A few minutes later our boat is bobbing in front of Skellig Michael itself -a shock of green vegetation on sheer cliffs after the blackness of its little sibling. Then, after several years and five attempts, just like that we are docked and ashore. We begin the pilgrims' climb up the 600 feet and 618 steps to the monastery which sits in the shelter of one of the island's two towering peaks. There is a climb of 618 steps to the monastery at the top of Skellig Michael (Image: Irish Mirror) Despite warnings, I've no difficulty with the arduousness of the climb. Mostly as it's impossible not to stop every three steps to take in the 360-degree beauty around you. There is also the distracting sense that the hills are literally alive. Inches from your face on the plunging slopes there are nesting puffins everywhere. And hidden beneath the defiant foliage that clings to the rock are their constantly cooing chicks. There are so many that the island surface literally seems to breathe and murmur. This stairway to the heavens that follows in the footsteps of the monks is not for the faint of heart. You will need your head for heights. At the dizziest spots there are some chain rails. But the steps most of the way are open on one side and the walls of the cliffs plunge away to the sea just feet away from where you step. I feel an unusual sensation, gratitude to the OPW for closing the island during yesterday's heavy rain. At the top, the first sight of the iconic beehive huts made famous by monks and movies appear as only the supporting cast to the extraordinary vista of the Atlantic, Small Skellig, the Blasket islands and Kerry beyond. Neil Leslie at Skellig Michael (Image: Irish Mirror) It's not hard to let your imagination conjure what those sixth century holy men might have felt. They surely thought here was a place close to the heavens. To their west was the edge of the known world, the horizon of God's own country. There are wild places and wonders that often disappoint some visitors. I've heard them at the Cliffs of Moher or the Giant's Causeway complaining: 'Is that it?' My own philosophy is that you sometimes need to sprinkle a little of the magic dust of your own imagination. To help the majesty of it all along with an inner sense of awe. But Skellig Michael does all the work itself. If you're not impressed by the sculpted beauty, or the epic ingenuity of its human story, or the wildlife…you may need to check yourself for a pulse. Later on the return to Portmagee I watch the rocky pyramid perfectly framed from the back of the boat like the end credit sequence in a movie. I feel no need for another episode. Once you visit somewhere like Skellig it stays visited. Like the monks who left their bones layered on top of the 385 million year old sandstone, you leave a little something of yourself behind too. And in exchange you take away a small part of that allure that brought you there. Something 'of the silence of which the universe is made' to quote that man Beckett again. The only sequel required now is a pint of Ireland's other UNESCO treasure at the Moorings Bar in Portmagee. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here
