Hotel

A seasoned traveller from Birmingham is sharing her checklist of the five things everyone staying in a hotel should do immediately upon arrival to ensure a safe and comfortable stay

A veteran traveller has revealed a checklist of all the tasks travellers should complete before settling into their hotel room. While you may be tempted to dive into bed after a long travel day or race to unpack, there’s one critical thing you should do before anything else.

An experienced traveller hailing from Birmingham, Dimple Chudasama-Adams, shares tested travel advice with her extensive Instagram following. On her account, @escape_the_ordinary_by_dimple, Dimple shared a list of tasks to ensure a safe and comfortable hotel stay.

“What’s the first thing seasoned travellers do when they enter a hotel room?” Dimple writes in the caption. “Not admire the view. Not unpack. They check for hidden issues before settling in.”

READ MORE: Horrifying bed bug hack reveals creepy crawlies hiding in plain sight

The first item on her five-bullet checklist is to check for bedbugs. To do this she says you should pull back sheets and inspect mattress corners. While a pain, this can help prevent an infestation in your own home.

The second item on her checklist is to wipe down high-touch surfaces, including remotes, light switches and door handles. These surfaces can often be overlooked by cleaning staff despite being used by every guest.

Dimple’s third tip focuses on ensuring your safety and is particularly important if you are travelling solo. She advises her followers to ensure the door lock and safe are functional.

The penultimate item on her checklist is to “check the minibar and take photos”. While this may seem like an odd measure to some, she explains that it can help combat “surprise charges” that could appear on your bill.

Dimple’s fifth and final travel tip is another safety-focused measure. She advised travellers – especially solo travellers – to block their hotel door with a wedge or lock.

This provides an extra layer of protection beyond the simple chain lock on most hotel doors. If you don’t have a door wedge or lock, there are other common items you can use to make your hotel room safer, including a wash cloth .

Dimple’s advice was met with mixed reviews in the comment section, particularly her security tips. While some users shared their own safety hacks and advice, others said that Dimple was “paranoid”.

One commenter wrote: “Paranoid much?” while another added: “Maybe umm, don’t travel? Geez.” Contrastingly, one user shared an important addition to the checklist: “Perhaps check the fire exit routes first.”

Ensuring your safety in a hotel begins even before you enter your hotel room according to one security expert. The team at ADT security alarms warned hotel guests of a common check-in mistake that could ultimately make it easier for thieves to target victims.

They explained: “When checking into your hotel, ask the receptionist to write down your room number instead of telling you out loud. This stops nearby guests from knowing which room you are staying in. It is also a good idea to check your surroundings when entering and leaving your room, to ensure that no one knows which room you are staying in.”

Jo and Martin were given a stern warning by their resort hotel

A holidaying couple were left furious at a hotel’s ‘unfair rules’ when it comes to sunbeds. Jo and Martin travelled to the resort town of Salou, near Barcelona, Spain, for one week.

But while staying at the four-star, £140-per-night H10 Salauris Palace, the couple were hit with ‘stern warning cards’. After leaving their sunbeds for 30 minutes, they came back to find a warning card left on their towels.

Jo said, “When you leave your sunbed for 30 minutes, yet others leave theirs for two plus hours and nothing gets done to them.”

She added: “Two-tier sunbed policing at the H10 Salauris Palace, Salou.”

The clip went viral on TikTok with 235,000 views and dozens of comments. One local said, “Thirty minutes? Hardly time to go for lunch before you need to come back.”

“At least somewhere with rules with sunbeds though, but probably should be after one hour,” added another. Jess joked: “I would place it on someone else’s.”

Jo, who jetted from Belfast International Airport, near where they live, also shared a video of the hotel’s sunbeds appearing to be fully reserved early in the morning.

She advised others: “Unless you get down to the pool at 6 am, you won’t get a good location for your lounger.” One follower said: “We are in a five-star in Lanzarote and despite rules saying no allocating sun loungers, most have towels on by 8 am.”

Pete suggested: “Just move them.” Regina added: “Go somewhere a bit nicer than Salou, then problem solved.”

Jo, known as ‘Grump’ online, also complained about holidaymakers using large pegs to pin down their towel on a windy day. She fumed: “What is it with these giant pegs on sunbeds that annoyed me so much?

“We survived without these for years before!”

However, many of her followers disagreed. One follower said: “Nahhh, they’re amazing. Best fiver I ever spent. Mine are watermelons.”

Camille added: “They are actually quite handy, loved mine, didn’t have to keep fixing the towel!” Andie remarked, “I have watermelon and flamingo ones, which makes your sunbed look quite pretty.”

The H10 Salauris Palace has been approached for comment.

Miami attracts visitors travelling for business and pleasure alike, so it can be expensive to book accommodation. One man chose to try one of the city’s cheaper hotels and shared his verdict

Choosing your accommodation is an important part of planning any trip, whether it’s for a holiday or business. Some travellers prefer the luxury of high-end hotels, while others on a budget might opt for self-catering flats or hostels.

A man wanting to save money during his trip to South Beach, Miami, chose a one-star hotel to show you don’t need to spend big for a good stay. Simon Wilson, a travel vlogger best known for his YouTube videos, posted a TikTok video giving a tour of the hotel – but what caught people’s attention the most was the cost. After arriving at the check-in desk, Simon, originally from the UK, was told that a room would cost him $149 (£109.78) for one night, plus $35.86 (£26.42) tax and a $50 (£36.84) refundable deposit.

He asked the receptionist if the hotel offered any amenities or services – such as a sauna or swimming pool, breakfast in the morning, or even coffee – but he was told no.

However, Simon was glad to discover there was air conditioning in his room, given the “very hot” weather. After settling his bill, the travel content creator made his way down the hallway to find his room.

“I have got no idea what to expect here,” he said as he approached the door. Simon then entered the room and offered his initial reaction. “This isn’t too bad,” he said.

He proceeded to give a tour, showing off a “lovely dining table with one chair,” a double bed flanked by two bedside cabinets, a TV mounted on the wall, and an empty fridge that was switched off.

Simon mused: “I need to inspect the bed but what’s the view out of this window?” Observing the scenery, he commented: “Got a lovely car park down there then I’m guessing this is another hotel and they’re the rooms there. I’ve had a lot worse views than that.”

He went on to check the wardrobe, finding an extra blanket, safe, and iron, and noted that based on his observations, the harsh reviews about the hotel didn’t hold up.

Then, in the bathroom, he spotted “two clean towels,” along with a shower, a “fairly clean” bath, a sink complete with soap, and a toilet, later finding several more towels.

The Brit remarked: “So far, I’ve seen nothing wrong with this and it was $185, so that is a lot for a one star.”

However, there was one feature that Simon really wanted to ensure the hotel got right. “The main thing, and the most important thing, though, is the bed.”

On inspection, he was pleased to discover pillows that appeared “ok” and a clean bed sheet.

Sharing his final verdict, Simon asserted that price really was the most important feature. He said: “I think we might have just had a bargain in South Beach, Miami.”

Known for its stunning beach, the area is popular with tourists looking for lively nights out, luxury accommodation, and exquisite dining by celebrated chefs.

A flight attendant has shared the unexpected hotel appliance you should always check before using it – and you’ll probably never look at it the same way again

Checking into a hotel room often brings the joy of unwinding, but a seasoned flight attendant has shared a word of caution about a common hotel item. Barbara Bacilieri, from Argentina, is no stranger to hotel stays thanks to her flying career, yet she confessed there’s one thing you might not consider when brewing up a cuppa in your room.

Revealing all to her TikTok followers, Barbara insists you should ALWAYS peek inside the kettle to confirm it’s clean before use. She warned: “Always take a look inside the coffee pot. Before boiling water for making tea or coffee, think it through.”

The Argentinian air hostess shocked viewers with claims that guests have used the kettle for bizarre purposes, from rinsing underwear and cooking sausages to cleaning menstrual cups!

So, the next time you settle into your travel abode, make it a point to boil the kettle once and give it a good rinse prior to enjoying your brew. Barbara added: “You weren’t expecting this one, right? Just imagine how many other things guests do and we don’t know.”

But that’s not all Barbara suggests scrutinising – she also points out the importance of inspecting the bed. While it may appear spotless, certainty is elusive. She advises: “Before getting into bed, lift the sheets. Check for bugs or socks that other guests may have left behind.”

The flight attendant expressed her astonishment at the lengths some guests go to pilfer items from hotel rooms, and we’re not just talking about the complimentary mini toiletries.

“Some people believe that everything in the room is up for grabs, or they feel entitled because they’ve paid a hefty sum,” she remarked.

“Items like the batteries from the remote control or even worse, the light bulbs.”

However, she clarified in the video that while tea, coffee and sugar are free to use and take, mugs and pillows certainly aren’t. “You wouldn’t believe how many guests nick the hotel pillows.”

And as for hotel towels?

“Loads of people have them at home.”

Barbara ended on a humorous note, suggesting you should always check the hotel safe – you might just get lucky if “the previous guest forgot their millions.”

Emma Hickey and her partner Stephen Brougham took their two kids to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain when the 42-year-old mum fell badly ill, prompting a trip to hospital

A mum is fighting for her life after plummeting down hotel stairs and hitting her head.

Emma Hickey and her partner Stephen Brougham took their two kids to Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain, on June 13 for a sun-soaked 12-day getaway. Just 10 days into the trip, the mum-of-two woke up with a ‘really bad case’ of mosquito bites, so went to hospital and was prescribed injections

Despite feeling unwell for the next few days, the 42-year-old carer ‘soldiered through the holiday‘ for the sake of her kids. But as they walked down the hotel staircase on their way to a pharmacy on June 23, Emma complained of feeling dizzy before suddenly collapsing and falling head-first onto a concrete step.

Stephen, 44, says it was ‘horrific’ to watch his partner convulsing on the concrete steps after passing out. She was immediately rushed to hospital. A hospital CT scan revealed the mum-of-two had a brain bleed and neck fractures, so she was put in an induced coma.

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A friend of the family has set up a GoFundMe page to support plasterer Stephen and his two kids, while they are stranded in Tenerife waiting for Emma to recover. The dad-of-two says it could be ‘a very long time’ until his partner is well enough to fly home and he is unsure if the travel insurance will cover the soaring medical costs.

Stephen, from Dublin, Ireland, said: “We came away for a lovely family holiday and it’s been a living nightmare. She woke up with a really bad case of mosquito bites so we went to the local doctor and the doctors didn’t know what it was so they sent her to hospital

“The doctor there said they’d never seen a case of this mosquito bite in Spain before. She got a prescription and sent her away. For the next few days she wasn’t feeling well but was soldiering through the holiday for the sake of the kids trying to do what she could but she wasn’t herself.

Stephen said that his wife went for a nap on the 23rd, leaving him to take the kids out to lunch.

“She was up having a good sleep and she looked and seemed a lot better. She said she wouldn’t go to the hospital but would walk out to a pharmacy and see what they thought,” he continued.

“We walked out the back entrance of the hotel as there’s a shop and a pharmacy there. Street level is probably about four or five storeys up. She was feeling a bit dizzy and she collapsed and fell from the second last step of the upper staircase down below onto the other set of stairs head-first without raising her arm to protect herself.

“She passed out on the steps and started convulsing, she was in a terrible state. It’s been horrific because I actually witnessed the fall and how bad the fall was. That’s a mental scar that I’ll never forget. Words can’t describe how bad it is.”

Stephen called an ambulance, which rushed his partner to hospital. A CT scan showed she had suffered a brain bleed and needed an operation. Doctors discovered some fractures in her neck. She was then put in an induced coma and will remain in intensive care until she wakes up.

Stephen said: “They did an operation and there were blood clots on the brain that had been putting some pressure on the brain. They’re not saying what impact the pressure on the brain of the blood clot will have after she comes round. “There could be secondary issues there so in the meantime she’s just been on the machine. She hasn’t felt well all week so we can only presume that the mosquito bites, the medication, the heat and the fact she tried to soldier through the holiday just for the sake of the kids [caused it].

“They were draining the life out of her and they’re all over her body, dozens and dozens. They looked uncomfortable and you could see that they were sore. They turned into bruises. I can only connect the two.”

Stephen, who is self-employed, and is searching for alternative accommodation for him and children Sophie Hickey, 13, and Bobby Hickey, 7, while they wait for Emma to recover. He is hoping the travel insurance will help the rising medical costs after reviewing her medical records.

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“We know that hospital is $1,400 (£1,022) a day so we’re going to have a significant medical bill. The hotel we’re staying in at the moment is an expensive hotel. Then just feeding the kids and keeping them occupied. I’m not working now because I’m over here,” he said.

He’s now encouraging others to ensure they get travel insurance and to be aware of the dangers of insects abroad.

Influencer Liver King says he still has his sights on Joe Rogan, even after he was arrested in Texas earlier this week for making online threats toward the popular podcaster.

The 47-year-old social media personality known for his carnivorous and “primitive” lifestyle was released from Travis County Jail Wednesday afternoon on $20,000 bail, officials confirmed to The Times. He was arrested Tuesday in Austin on suspicion of one count of misdemeanor terroristic threat. Court records show that the influencer — born Brian Johnson — must stay at least 200 yards away from and must not contact Rogan and his family. Johnson is also prohibited from possessing firearms and must undergo a mental health evaluation within a week of his release.

Johnson addressed his release and its terms in a video posted Thursday to his Instagram and Facebook pages. Standing on a vibrating exercise plate, Johnson seemingly hints at plans to confront Rogan — namedropping a Hollywood star to sidestep mentioning the podcaster’s name — while respecting the terms of his restraining order.

“If anybody knows where Seth Rogen is — the other version of him that rhymes with ‘blow’… where his family’s gonna be today, if you can let my team know so that we can stay away from them,” he said, before immediately walking back his request.

“Don’t do anything to their family,” Johnson continues, before contradicting himself and asking fans again to alert him and his team if they are near anyone with “the last name Rogan.” He pans the camera down to display his ankle monitor and rambles about his plans to appear at the state capitol building.

He adds, naming the wrong celebrity: “I’m picking a fight. Who’s it with? Seth Rogen. It’s with Seth Rogen. What’s it for? Family.”

Neither representatives for Johnson nor Rogan immediately responded to The Times’ request for comment on Friday.

Liver King booking image.

(Austin Police Department)

A spokesperson for the Austin Police Department told The Times on Wednesday that detectives learned Tuesday morning that Johnson, 47, had “made threats against the “Joe Rogan Experience” host on his Instagram profile.” Detectives reviewed the posts and saw that Johnson was en route to Austin, where Rogan lives, “while continuing to make threatening statements,” the spokesperson said.

Detectives contacted the podcaster who claimed he never interacted with Johnson and felt threatened by Liver King’s online posts. The spokesperson said officials obtained an arrest warrant for Johnson and detained the social media star at an Austin hotel.

Johnson on Monday posted an Instagram video of himself bear-crawling as he calls out Rogan: “I challenge you man-to-man to a fight.” Johnson rambled in his video about his weight, the stakes of this would-be battle and the “real tension” he has with Rogan. Johnson continued to post Instagram videos — some still name-dropping Rogan and some filmed while he’s in a shower — throughout the day, even after he arrived at the hotel in Austin.

Johnson’s Instagram account also posted several lengthy videos documenting the moments prior to his arrest Tuesday. In one clip, Johnson can be seen getting dressed in a burgundy sweatsuit, including a hoodie featuring a design that essentially pits his brand logo against that of the “Joe Rogan Experience.” Videos also see Johnson haphazardly picking up dishes and various items — including a screwdriver and a multi-tool — as he instructs someone off-camera to keep recording.

A second video shows Johnson huddling and praying with his family in the hotel room before officers escort him down a hallway and into an elevator. In another video posted to Johnson’s account, the person off-screen explains to the influencer’s wife that her husband will be “in and out” and will “need to see a judge before he is dismissed.” They exit the hotel and approach the law enforcement vehicle, where officers are seen securing Johnson into the back seat.

In court documents reviewed by The Times on Friday, a detective noted that Johnson’s social media posts featured “long rants that didn’t appear to make much sense.”

“Affiant knows that behavior such as that can indicate some sort of mental health episode, indicating that Brian Johnson could be a danger to himself and others,” the detective wrote before detailing other videos from Johnson that raised concern.

The detective also wrote of their correspondences with Rogan, who spoke of Johnson’s alleged “significant drug issue” and said he feels “Johnson appears to be significantly unstable and seems like he needs help,” according to the court filing.

Brits heading abroad this summer are being urged to inspect hotel beds before unpacking, as bedbug infestations and scabies cases continue to surge across the UK with August and September being peak months

Holidaymakers heading abroad this summer are being urged to carry out a quick check before unpacking, as cases of bedbugs and scabies are rising across the UK.

Alarmingly, councils have reported a 35 per cent increase in bedbug infestations since 2022, while the NHS saw a 74 per cent rise in diagnosed scabies cases in hospitals last year.

August and September have been recorded as the peak months for bedbugs, a time when many travel lovers will be jetting off overseas. With this in mind, Brits are being told to stay alert or risk bringing home more than a suitcase of laundry.

Check the bed

Martin Seeley, Senior Sleep Expert at MattressNextDay, is warning that pests like bedbugs and scabies can easily travel back with you from a hotel, no matter how fancy it seems.

“Check mattress seams, bed frames, and behind headboards for signs of bedbugs before settling in and unpacking your belongings. Make sure to never place your bags directly on the hotel bed,” he advises.

Putting your suitcase on your bed could be all it takes to bring an infestation home.

What to look for

Bedbugs are small, reddish-brown insects that live in fabric and bedding. “If you suspect bed bugs, act quickly. Check for tell-tale signs like small reddish-brown spots on your sheets, moulted skins, or clusters of tiny bites on your skin, often in a line or zig-zag pattern. You’ll usually find bed bugs in the seams and folds of your mattress if they have decided to take residence,” says Seeley.

Scabies, meanwhile, are caused by mites that burrow into your skin and spread through contact, including bedding. “Scabies infections cause intense itching due to being burrowed under the skin, which becomes particularly noticeable at night and can make it very difficult to sleep.”

He adds: “Common signs that you might be infected when trying to sleep include persistent itching (especially between your fingers, or around your wrists, elbows, waist, and genitals) and small red bumps or track-like burrows on your skin.”

How to stay protected

“When staying in hotels or holiday rentals, a quick inspection can go a long way,” Seeley says. “Check mattress seams, bed frames, and behind headboards… Instead, keep your bags elevated on a chair or stool, and if you’re worried your hotel room isn’t as clean as you’d like, then only take out what you need and leave the rest of your clothes in your bag.”

If you do return home with bedbugs or scabies, fast action is essential. “When attempting to eradicate bedbugs, begin by vacuuming thoroughly and remember to dispose of the collected dirt immediately in an outside bin. Wash and dry all bedding or clothes… and consider steam cleaning your sofa in case they’ve transferred there too.”

Scabies also requires deep cleaning: “Wash all bedding, towels, and clothing in hot water (at least 60°C)… Any items that can’t be washed should be sealed in a plastic bag for at least 72 hours… You should also make sure that anyone in your household who may have been exposed is treated at the same time to prevent re-infestation.”

Tips for sleeping better while treating symptoms

“Reactions to bedbug bites include itchiness, swelling and welts… The best course of action to relieve itching and discomfort… is taking an antihistamine and keeping the room cool.”

“To get better sleep while treating scabies, apply a prescribed topical treatment at bedtime… Itching can sometimes continue for weeks after being successfully treated, so… keeping the room cool and your bedding lightweight can help to ease irritation… trimming your nails can prevent you from scratching too hard in your sleep and causing an infection.”

Prevention is key

The expert says: “Investing in a high-quality mattress protector is also a wise move… You should remove and wash your mattress protector regularly, hoover your bed frame, wipe down your headboard, and dust any areas around your bed frequently.”

Susan Edwards said her holiday was ‘horrendous’ from the minute she arrived at the Greek island of Corfu with her daughter and three other family members

A fuming mum has vowed never to book with TUI again following a “nightmare” all-inclusive trip to Corfu, where she claims there was “no English food” or hotel entertainment.

Susan Edwards embarked on a seven-night holiday to the Greek island on 12 May. She stayed at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel with her cousins, aged 77 and 78, her daughter, 30, and second cousin, 50.

However, Susan, 69, from Westerhope, described the holiday as “horrendous from the minute [they] got there.”

The holidaymaker explained: “It was all-inclusive, £750 each we paid and there was no food we could eat and we couldn’t have anything to drink.

“I have to be careful because I have ulcerative colitis so there’s certain things I can’t eat. The all inclusive drinks were wine, lager, ouzo, or brandy. Yes, there were soft drinks, but we had to pay €1.50 for water.”

Susan and her party arrived at the hillside hotel around 2pm on 12 May, ready to enjoy some food and refreshments after their long journey.

After climbing a large ramp to reach the hotel reception, Susan said she was told that pool-side food would be served at 5pm for guests, which she claims was a “one-inch square of baklava”.

Her dissatisfaction only got worse the next day when she discovered there was “no English food” available at the hotel. Describing the grub on offer, Susan said: “On a morning you could have toast, a hard boiled egg, or something in sauce,” Chronicle Live reports.

“There was no bacon. For breakfast there was mozzarella and sliced tomatoes. There was no hot bacon or sausage.

“We got chips one day. One day out of the whole lot. There was fish, sardines and rice – I was sick to death of looking at rice. There was pasta and salads, none of this was marked (labelled). One night there was a Greek night and they had kebabs, I couldn’t eat that. It’s the worst holiday I’ve ever been on.”

The mum says she couldn’t enjoy her preferred drink during her holiday because she doesn’t fancy ouzo and doesn’t drink brandy. She explained that she would normally have bottled lager or one Bacardi and Coke, which she said would have cost her €9 and would have been a different brand.

“By the time we paid £750 for the holiday, €70 tourist tax for me and my daughter and an extra £450 for both of our meals, I could have been to the Caribbean on that”, Susan fumed.

TUI’s website describes holidays at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel as being “all about the laidback life” where “ping pong and pool are the liveliest activities on the agenda”, aside from the occasional live music and Greek night. It also says the four-star hotel has its own private patch of beach “just steps away”.

However, Susan claimed there was no entertainment at the hotel which is “stuck there in the middle of nowhere”. She added: “There was a private beach but it was so steep we couldn’t get down to it and it was 150 yards from the hotel.”

“There’s a ramp at the side of the hotel that you have to try and pull your case up when you arrive. My daughter was up and down, up and down, trying to pull everyone’s case up for them.”

She also expressed her frustration over not being able to get a second key for the room she shared with her daughter. Susan explained: “I asked for a second key for my daughter because sometimes I get tired in the afternoon and rather than lying in the sun and getting burned.

“But if I went up to have a sleep, my daughter wouldn’t be able to get into the room. She would have to wake me up to get in. I asked for a second key but I was told ‘no, too expensive’.”

Susan said she usually holidays in Spain with her cousins and would always fly with TUI as she felt comfortable knowing “there’s a big company behind you if anything goes wrong.”

However, this time, her confidence in TUI has been shaken due to what she perceives as an inadequate response from the travel firm.

She has been offered £100 in holiday vouchers by TUI, but she claims that other guests she met at the hotel have been offered more after complaining. Susan has declined TUI’s final £100 voucher offer.

“In the past I’ve paid more to get on a TUI flight because if anything happened I’ve always thought you’ve got a big company behind you if anything goes wrong. Not anymore. This holiday was a nightmare,” Susan said.

A spokesperson for TUI UK said: “Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Mrs Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Mrs Edwards to come to a resolution.”

We checked in to this popular central London hotel to see why it’s so popular – with celebrities and ‘regular’ travellers alike – and discovered spacious rooms and amazing views

First impressions when you enter London Hilton on Park Lane, on the edge of Hyde Park, are certainly grand ones, with a glitzy lobby filled with velvet sofas and human-sized bouquets of fresh flowers to greet you.

Despite this clearly being a big corporate hotel (there was at least one conference going on when we stayed), the service is super friendly and personal, from the welcome at reception to the cute note from housekeeping on our pillow with the turn down. Lots of guests were obviously repeat visitors, and staff greeted them – and first-timers like us – like old friends. We’re told Academy Award-winning actor Susan Sarandon recently stayed here, as did Maura Higgins to get ready before this year’s TV BAFTAs.

READ MORE: ‘I found a stylish five-star London hotel next to The Ritz but a fraction of the price’

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The rooms at London Hilton on Park Lane

We were lucky enough to be put in the recently refurbished Executive Park Lane Suite, a huge space on the 25th floor featuring a lounge area, separate bedroom and dressing room, and incredible views out over Hyde Park, with the Serpentine twinkling in the middle. We were particularly taken by the window seat and super-comfy bed, and the large marble bathroom with two sinks, separate bath and shower, and Molton Brown toiletries. If your budget stretches to it, it’s a real luxury to have so much space in the city centre, and feels like London’s version of a luxury apartment in New York City, overlooking Central Park.

One big perk for those staying in an Executive Room or any of the 56 suites is access to the hotel’s Executive Lounge, where breakfast is served in the mornings, and drinks and snacks between 5pm-7pm in the evenings – and there’s a wide selection, with no limits on the wines, beers, soft drinks and snacks. You could basically dine out here if you so wished.

The food atLondon Hilton on Park Lane

Instead, however, we headed downstairs for dinner at the hotel’s Park Corner Brasserie, a modern British eatery serving elevated classics. Although not a huge number of options for vegetarians, we loved our cabbage and sweetcorn frittata, and there were loads of grill dishes to choose from. Our personal highlight came at the end of the meal with a trio of creme brulées, each one more delicious than the last.

How much does it cost to stay atLondon Hilton on Park Lane?

Rooms at London Hilton on Park Lane start from £459 for a Twin Guest Room.

For a stay that costs a little less, take a look at Citizen M’s four London hotels, which start from £208.80 per night, or browse hundreds of other options on Booking.com.

Antler Discovery backpack

Durable, lightweight and surprisingly spacious, this combines the ease of carrying of a backpack with the capacity of a cabin case.

It’s a favourite with our editorial commercial content director Michelle Darlow, who packed it on a recent Ryanair flight to Italy to save money on luggage fees.

Kipling Art M multi-use medium tote with trolley sleeve

£107

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Kipling

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Another tested-and-tested favourite with our shopping team, this is a good choice if you’re after something a bit softer and less structured. It’s available in a huge number of colours and a handy trolley sleeve if you are travelling with a larger case.

Amazon underseat foldable travel duffel bag

£15.99

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For value, nothing much beats this duffle bag from Amazon, which also looks smart and timeless. Available in 28 colours, it measures 40 x 19 x 25cm and fits perfectly under the plane seats, it complies with Ryanair’s strict travel luggage rules which allows you to take a free cabin bag measuring 40 x 20 x 25cm.

NEW YORK — New York City on Tuesday closed the arrival center for immigrants it had established at the Roosevelt Hotel, a once-grand Manhattan hotel that had become an emblem of the city’s fraught efforts to manage the flood of new migrants when it opened two years ago.

The midtown hotel, located blocks from Grand Central Terminal, served as the first stop for tens of thousands of immigrants arriving in the city seeking free shelter and services, with migrant families lining up and sometimes even sleeping on the street outside the hotel waiting for a bed.

Monday was the center’s last full day in operation, and the hotel was vacant as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Mayor Eric Adams’ office. Services provided at the Roosevelt, including registration, legal assistance and medical care, are now being offered to immigrants at other shelter locations, the office said.

Adams announced the city was winding down its operation at the Roosevelt and other migrant shelters in February as the surge of immigration from the U.S. border with Mexico waned.

The city is currently housing more than 37,000 migrants across 170 sites, down from a peak of nearly 70,000 last January, officials said Tuesday. During the height of the migrant wave, New York saw an average of 4,000 arrivals a week. That’s now down to less than 100 new immigrants in the week that ended June 22, according to Adams’ office.

The number of new immigrants has steadily dropped in large part to stricter immigration measures imposed during the end of former President Biden’s administration as well as a broader immigration crackdown since President Trump took office in January.

The Adams administration also placed limits on how long immigrants could remain in shelters run by the city, which is legally obligated to provide temporary housing to anyone who asks.

More than 237,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York since April 2022, with more than 173,000 of them registered at the Roosevelt, city officials have said.

In recent months, the hotel became a prime target for the Trump administration, which claimed the Roosevelt was a hotbed for gang activity. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, citing those concerns, clawed back $80 million meant to reimburse the city for costs related to housing immigrants.

The future of the storied hotel, which the city had leased from its longtime owners, Pakistan’s government-owned airline, remains unclear. Representatives for the property didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday.

The Roosevelt opened in 1924 and has more than 1,000 rooms. In its heyday, the hotel was known for its in-house band, which was led by jazz great Guy Lombardo. It also served as New York Gov. Thomas Dewey’s election-night headquarters during his failed 1948 presidential campaign.

Marcelo writes for the Associated Press.

Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel, a popular family resort in Chongqing, has become a huge viral hit in China thanks to its red panda wake-up service, that is now attracting heat

A Chinese hotel has been told it must stop waking guests up with red pandas.

Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel, a popular family resort in Chongqing, currently offers guests the chance to be awakened by the russet-tinted mammals. Many guests are attracted to the hotel solely for its red panda wake-up experience, which involves one of the fluffy animals being led into a guest’s bedroom in the morning.

The animal is then allowed to walk around the room freely and climb onto the duvet-covered bed if it wishes. The service has become a hit online, earning the title “the world’s cutest wake-up service.”

One British couple, Reanne and Ben, documented the experience on their YouTube channel On Tour With Dridgers. In their video, the red panda can be seen wandering along the hotel corridor with a staff member, entering the room, chomping a chunk of apple, and then climbing onto the couple’s bed.

The seemingly friendly and relaxed panda allows the duo to stroke it while eating apple from their hands.

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Now, the Chongqing Forestry Bureau has asked the hotel to stop all activities that allow contact between guests and red pandas. It has sent a team to the hotel to conduct an on-site investigation and said it will release the results of this visit soon.

While the nature of the Forestry Bureau’s concerns is not currently clear, the attraction has long attracted criticism online from those who warn it could lead to injury of both animal and human, as well as the transmission of diseases. The general welfare of the pandas is also a concern.

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The hotel said that the red pandas are borrowed from a zoo, have been vaccinated, and are cared for by dedicated staff. They told China Newsweek that four red pandas are kept on-site and are on a rota for guest visits.

Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the World Animal Protection organisation, told the Global Times that red pandas are a nationally protected wild species. Sun said that they should not be kept as pets or used for tourism-related entertainment, warning that their sensitive natures could lead them to become stressed in such an environment.

Dawn Morwood, co-director of Cheap Deals Away, has laid out all of the many reasons why she refuses to use complimentary toiletries when she is staying in hotels

A hotel insider has explained why she never used complimentary toiletries when travelling.

While hotel toiletries might seem like a convenient perk, Dawn Morwood, co-director of Cheap Deals Away, warns that what’s inside those bottles isn’t always what it appears to be. “Travellers often assume hotel toiletries are safe and fresh, but the reality can be quite different,” she explained.

Dawn says that when it comes to hotel amenities, it pays to be cautious. One of the biggest concerns is bottles that have been tampered with or refilled with cheaper alternatives.

“I’ve heard from travellers who’ve found bottles with broken seals or products that smell completely different from what the label suggests. Some hotels cut costs by refilling branded bottles with generic products, or worse, bottles that haven’t been properly cleaned between uses,” Dawn said.

The practice of refilling luxury-branded bottles with cheaper alternatives is more common than many travellers realise, particularly in budget accommodations looking to present an upscale image. Dawn claims that some hotels reuse containers without adequate cleaning. Dawn has encountered reports of bottles containing residue from previous guests’ use.

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“You might think you’re getting fresh product, but some hotels simply top up bottles rather than replacing them entirely. This creates a hygiene nightmare,” she added.

Hotels sometimes prioritise appearance over actual product quality, focusing on making the product look expensive and luxurious. “In some cases, the actual product will separate or change consistency, suggesting it’s been sitting there far longer than it should have,” Dawn said.

Dawn shares the red flags that should make you avoid hotel toiletries entirely:

1. Broken or missing seals: Check pump dispensers and bottle caps for signs of tampering. “If the seal looks damaged or there’s residue around the cap, don’t use it,” Dawn advises.

2. Unusual consistency or colour: Products that appear watery, lumpy, or discoloured are major warning signs. “Shampoo shouldn’t look like water, and lotion shouldn’t have chunks floating in it,” she says.

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3. Strange smells: “Trust your nose. If something smells off, chemical-like, or completely different from what you’d expect, step away.”

4. Sticky or grimy bottle exteriors: “Clean hotels maintain clean toiletry containers. If the outside of the bottle feels sticky or looks grimy, imagine what’s inside,” Dawn warns.

5. Generic or handwritten labels: Professionally branded products should have proper labelling. Handwritten labels or generic stickers are immediate red flags.

Dawn added: The safest approach is always to bring your own toiletries. Personal care products are exactly that – personal. Your skin and hair are used to specific formulations, so switching to unknown products can cause reactions even when they’re legitimate. But beyond that, you have complete control over quality and hygiene when you pack your own.

“I know the concern is always luggage weight, but there are smart ways around this. Invest in a set of travel-sized containers that meet airline regulations – usually 100ml or less. Decant your regular products into these before you travel.

“Alternatively, a lot of brands now offer travel miniatures of their full-size products. You can also look for solid alternatives like shampoo bars, which don’t count toward your liquid allowance and often last longer than you’d expect. The peace of mind is worth the small extra effort in packing.”

Holidays are all about relaxation, staying in a welcoming hotel and spending days by the pool, but for one traveller their getaway was far from what they expected

Many of us meticulously plan our summer holidays, tracking down the best flights and checking an endless list of hotel reviews to ensure we’re getting the most for our money. But sometimes, even with careful preparation, our holiday can be ruined, and we’re being told to pack our bags as staff tell us the hotel has gone bust, mid-stay!

This happened to one unlucky holidaymaker in the middle of their trip to Turkey. They were asked to relocate the hotel or pay for their stay again, but this was just the start of the bizarre ordeal.

The traveller took to Reddit to share their experience under a post asking for people’s “worst holidays”. The user shared earlier this month: “Went to Turkey years ago and bang in the middle of the holiday, our holiday company went bust.

“The hotel called a meeting and told us all to pack our bags or else pay the bill again. We paid again, thinking that anything was better than being on the streets in a strange land. Our fellow holidaymakers objected, and the staff and guests all fell out. Things were getting heated, so we decided to bail out and return later on in the evening.”

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They continued: “Fast forward four hours, we landed back to a practically deserted hotel. We were personally welcomed by the manager, who was all over us like a rash from then on. He must have thought we were millionaires, because it turned out that we were the only guests to have paid again.

“We also learned that some of the guests and staff had been arrested for throwing punches and were taken off the premises. The remaining guests were nowhere to be seen, but I read on TripAdvisor afterwards that they had left their luggage in the hotel temporarily until they managed to change their return flights.

“Apparently, when they opened their luggage back at home, they found that it was full of Mars bars, wrappers removed, that had melted in through their clothes. Fun times.”

One user commented on the post with: “That was a wild ride.” Others shared their own holiday from hell stories, including one who was accused of cheating while away with his wife.

They revealed: “Husband and myself went to an all inclusive 3 star in Majorca (this was our big mistake). The hotel was like an episode of Benidorm. On the 1st night we went to the evening entertainment and an English lady asked if she could sit beside us. The place was packed!

“Had a friendly chat for about 20 mins until her coked-up Brock Lesnar look-alike partner stormed in and accused my husband of having an affair with her. He smashed all the drinks off the table and started flipping chairs. Utter chaos! Security was called and some lad managed to calm this roided up psycho down with the offer of a joint. We avoided them like the plaque for the next 7 days although I doubt they remembered who we were!”

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Well, we could just cancel baseball.

And, to be safe, every doughnut shop in Los Angeles should be closed pending investigation.

Some Dodgers fans might be undocumented, which could explain why federal agents were camped near Dodger Stadium on Thursday but denied entry.

Or there could be another reason.

Roughly a quarter of the players in Major League Baseball are from outside the country. Those foreigners have visas, as I understand it, but these days, the Trump administration has made clear that temporary protected legal status is no guarantee against ejection. Not from a game, but from the country.

Has anybody checked Shohei Ohtani’s papers lately? Or those of Teoscar Hernández, Kim Hye-seong or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

And what about the doughnuts?

It’s no secret in Los Angeles that a lot of doughnut shops are run by immigrants. So it can’t be a coincidence that, on Wednesday, agents arrested several men at a bus stop near a Winchell’s Donut House in Pasadena.

State Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) posted comments and video on social media.

“As you can see, these ICE agents are pointing guns at innocent individuals, no warrants, no explanations, just fear and intimidation,” Chu wrote, adding that agents “masked and armed like a militia” constitute an “absolutely vile” abuse of power.

This country is under threat like never before. Immigrants playing baseball, making doughnuts, hustling construction jobs at day laborer sites, changing the diapers of seniors with physical and cognitive disabilities.

But for all of that, it can be a little difficult at times to follow the Trump administration’s thinking.

One day we were told the plan is to make 3,000 arrests a day.

Then Trump quickly reversed course, saying raids on farms, hotels and restaurants would be curtailed because he learned in a shocking revelation from employers that “our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace.”

Then, almost immediately, the administration is back to going after everyone.

I have a hunch as to why that is.

First of all, it’s worth noting that consistency has long been an issue for the president, so much so that he should be wearing flip-flops at all times. To the Oval Office, to the golf course, to bed. Everywhere.

And yet, although we’re used to him saying one thing and doing another, I think something else is at play here.

Trump has kept some campaign promises, but struck out on key vows, and he’s not a guy who handles defeat well.

Grocery prices were supposed to drop on Day 1, and a new age of American prosperity was about to begin.

How’s that going, folks?

He was going to end the war in Ukraine before he even took office, and then put an end to the war in the Middle East.

Hmmmmmmmm.

He was going to usher in a new era of budget accountability with his buddy Elon Musk leading the way.

Well, that was a quick and ugly divorce, and Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” adds $3 trillion to the national debt.

We know Trump loves to watch television, so we can only assume that after he threw himself a birthday party with a military parade on Saturday, he had to have caught news clips of millions of Americans marching at “No Kings Day” rallies across the country, including in red states.

Ouch.

I’m wondering if Trump saw the same sign I saw at the El Segundo demonstration, which was about a certain wife who hasn’t spent much time in the White House: “If Melania doesn’t have to live with him, America shouldn’t have to either.”

Weak men, under duress, flex their muscles.

Trump can deport, and so he will. It could ruin the economy, but that won’t stop him.

Catch a Dodgers game while you can, and stock up on doughnuts.

[email protected]

The men provided financial assistance to al-Shabab fighters who attacked the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi, killing 21 people.

A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 30 years in prison for aiding al-Shabab fighters who were behind a deadly attack in Nairobi that left 21 people dead in 2019.

On Thursday, Judge Diana Kavedza Mochache ruled that Hussein Mohammed Abdile and Mohamed Abdi Ali played a critical role by helping two of the attackers escape from a refugee camp using fake identity cards. The pair also provided financial assistance to the group.

“Without financiers, facilitators and sympathisers, terrorists cannot actualise their activities,” the judge said during sentencing, stressing that their support made the attack possible.

“The convicts may not have physically wielded the weapons that caused harm to the victims, but their facilitation directly enabled attackers who were heavily armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests,” Kavedza said.

“This was not a crime with isolated harm; 21 lives were lost,” she added, acknowledging statements from survivors about their ongoing psychological struggles.

“The emotional scars of the attack run deep,” she said.

Abdile and Ali were convicted last month for facilitating and conspiring to commit a “terrorist” act. Both men denied the charges and now have 14 days to appeal.

Background to attacks

The assault on the upmarket DusitD2 complex in the Kenyan capital began on January 15, 2019, when gunmen stormed the compound and opened fire.

Security forces launched an operation that lasted more than 12 hours. The government later announced that all the attackers had been killed.

Al-Shabab, an armed group linked to al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility, saying the assault was in retaliation for then-United States President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The siege was the first major attack in Nairobi since the 2013 Westgate mall massacre, which killed 67. In 2015, al-Shabab also attacked Garissa University, killing 148 people.

Since Westgate, high-end venues in the capital have ramped up security, including vehicle and pedestrian checks.

The DusitD2 complex, like Westgate, catered to wealthy Kenyans and foreign nationals, groups often targeted by al-Shabab.

The Somalia-based group has repeatedly struck inside Kenya, aiming to force the withdrawal of Kenyan troops from Somalia, where they are part of a regional force battling the rebellion.

At Pasadena’s AC Hotel earlier this month, dozens of protesters gathered in an effort to confront federal agents who had arrived in town amid demonstrations against the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo was among those present on June 7 as demonstrators holding signs with “ICE out of Pasadena” and other messages chased federal vehicles out of the luxury hotel’s parking garage, cheering and recording it all on their cellphones.

The mayor said the protest forced the agents to leave the place they were using for local accommodations during their L.A. operations, which involved protecting federal buildings downtown.

“Word got out that there were Homeland Security vehicles parked at the hotel,” Gordo told The Times. “People wanted to express their 1st Amendment rights and they did so in a lawful, nonviolent and respectful manner.”

After hours of noisy rallying, the hotel staff asked the feds to pack up their things and go, according to Gordo. By sunset, uniformed agents from the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, were seen walking out of the hotel with their bags stacked on a luggage cart in a video of the incident that went viral online. Their vehicles were escorted out of the garage by local police as protesters trailed behind.

Hotels have emerged as hot spots for confrontations between community members and immigration agents. Federal agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sometimes rent blocks of rooms in places where agents are dispatched for major operations.

Hotels have emerged as hot spots for confrontations between community members and immigration agents.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The showdown in Pasadena was one of several recent instances of protesters coming together at hotels across the Los Angeles region to put pressure on their proprietors to offer no quarter to federal personnel during the Trump administration’s crackdown. The businesses, which rely on immigrant workers for cleaning and maintenance, have been cast into an awkward position — one that requires balancing politics with protecting their employees.

From Whittier to Hawaiian Gardens to Brea, concerned citizens have repeatedly taken to social media and whisper networks to share locations where they have spotted who they believe are federal agents. And people have followed up on such information by staging protests outside hotels in communities including Long Beach, Downey and Glendale.

Employees at the AC Hotel Pasadena referred inquiries to a spokeswoman, who did not immediately provide a comment. It was back to business as usual Tuesday afternoon at the Marriott property, which opened earlier this year. A man on a plush couch worked on his laptop, a woman sipped a beer at the bar and staff milled about.

Gordo said he had confirmed that there are no longer any Homeland Security agents staying at the property.

The Homeland Security press office did not immediately provide comment, and agencies under the department’s umbrella, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, did not respond to inquires.

Protesters have been arrested this month for allegedly interfering with federal officers, and federal agencies have expressed concerns about the repercussions of people “doxxing” agents by sharing their locations and other personal information online.

“People are out there taking photos of the names, their faces and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves,” Reuters reported acting ICE chief Todd Lyons said last week.

Pasadena police block the entrance to the Hotel Dena in Pasadena last week.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd-sourced effort to spread information about where federal agents are holed up plays out mostly online.

In some instances, the unverified reports come from people who work at the hotels. Other times, hotel guests or area residents see suspected agents outside or in the lobby, or walk through parking lots in search of federal vehicles.

During the first days after the L.A. enforcement effort began, it was fairly easy to tell where agents were staying by looking for vehicles with agency logos. But it appears that they have caught on to the surveillance tactics of those who would like to see them go home.

On Monday, a Times reporter visited 13 hotels in three Southland counties — from Westchester to Garden Grove to Ontario — where federal immigration agents recently had been rumored to be staying, according to social media posts and alerts on apps and websites dedicated to tracking ICE activity. No vehicles in any of the hotels’ parking lots bore clear visual indications that they were federal agents’ cars, vans or trucks.

At five hotels, employees approached by The Times declined to comment. At three, employees agreed to speak but declined to give their names, citing corporate policies. Two of them said in brief interviews that they were not sure whether agents were staying on the premises. A third, who works at a chain hotel in Anaheim, said he had seen who he believed were ICE agents at the property last week, but they were no longer staying there.

Workers at the Hilton Pasadena show support for community members taking part in a June 12 protest.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

“They didn’t bother anyone,” said the man, who declined to provide his name out of fear of reprisal from his employer or immigration authorities. “There were maybe, like, a dozen of them. It was a little concerning.”

Workers such as him have been subjected to political whiplash in recent days. Last week, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them.” That same day, a senior ICE official sent guidance to regional ICE officials directing them to avoid raiding farms, hotels and restaurants and instead emphasize other targets.

The development gave hotel employees hope that they were out of the crosshairs. But the Trump administration quickly reversed course, saying this week that there is now no reprieve for hotel workers and others who Trump had praised just days earlier.

Andrew Mark, a pastor at Pasadena Covenant Church, also addressed the crowd at the June 7 rally outside the AC Hotel. He said in an interview that he was impressed — but not surprised — that the community came together and forced change.

“There’s a deep pride in Pasadena. So I think that for agents to be staying in a hotel here, you feel … a sense that we don’t want this to be a place where they can stage and go out and target people,” he said. “The fact that they were based in a hotel in our community was unsettling.”

On Tuesday, Manuel Vicente sat behind his makeshift desk in a soundproof room at the Pasadena Community Job Center, which helps connect day laborers with employment opportunities. As director of Radio Jornalera, he creates audio and video content to help migrant workers, including content that informs them of the rights they have during encounters with immigration enforcement agents.

Vicente said he believes the successful protest at the AC Hotel Pasadena is an example of a saying he likes to quote, “Pueblo salva el pueblo,” or “Only the people save the people.”

“When they were kicked out of the hotel, everybody was excited,” he said. “It was a small victory, but our efforts made a difference. We need to be together to protect our community, to protect our workers.”

When two young men broke into a British family’s hotel room in Benidorm, a mum-of-two had a totally fearless reaction to the terrifying situation – and she has issued an urgent warning to holidaymakers

When a British mum was faced with a terrifying situation on holiday in Benidorm – her reaction was totally fearless.

As her family prepared to say goodbye to their holiday in the sunshine and return home to Eastleigh, Hampshire – they were warned about the potential for power cuts in the hotel.

So Becca Farley, 27, decided to stroll back to her hotel room to make sure that the family’s phones were charged up ahead of their flight home the following day, but things quickly took a terrifying turn.

Becca was staying at the Magical Tropical Splash in Benidorm, and was sharing a family-sized room – that set them back £2500 for the week – with her partner and two children, ages six and 11.

But the mum-of-two was on her own as she made her way back to the room. “As I got in the lift these two teenagers got in the lift with me and just pressed my floor level,” she explained.

“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.”

As she arrived on her floor, things got a little bit weird. The two young men walked straight into her room, the door of which was ajar, with a shoe being used as a wedge.

“I thought oh s**t 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,” she said. “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 criminals began raising their voice at Becca, speaking in Spanish, but the incredible mum-of-two stood her ground, screaming “Get the f*** out, get the f*** out, get the f*** out.”

Eventually, given Becca’s screaming, the pair cut their losses and scarpered – giving her the opportunity to slam the door shut and lock it, but the ordeal wasn’t over. The intruders returned and began banging repeatedly on her door – leaving the mum-of-two “petrified” inside.

She said: “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.”

The incident massively impacted the holidaymaker, and she admitted “That night I did not sleep because I was flinching at every noise,” and added that, “If it had happened earlier on in the week we would have flown home.”

She reported the incident to the security at the hotel, and she was told that similar incidents had occurred recently – with one family having all their valuables stolen, including their passports.

Becca urged all holidaymakers to stay on high alert whilst they are away, and don’t let the relaxing nature of a break in the sunshine make you “naive”.

“I would advise just to be alert,” she said. “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 naive to these situations.”

She advised that people buy some padlocks and keep their valuables locked away in their suitcases whilst on holiday. “Obviously keep your valuables safe.

“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.”

The mum-of-two added that she will be thinking twice after the scary incident and being extra careful the next time she goes abroad. “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,” she added.

Magical Tropical Splash Hotel has been contacted for comment.