A 54-year-old man has been jailed for one year after staying at a hotel in Spain for weeks and leaving without paying a bill totaling thousands of euros.
The Provincial Court of Castellón found him guilty of aggravated fraud following his stay at Hotel L'Ermita Casa Ripo in La Vall d'Alba, near the Hermitage of San Cristóbal.
Details of the stay
The man checked into the hotel on December 22, 2023, and stayed on a full-board basis until January 15, 2024. During his visit, he received accommodation, meals, and cleaning services, accumulating a debt of €2,283.40.
The court ruled that he obtained the booking by "projecting an appearance of solvency" despite being "aware from the outset that he would not pay for any of the expenses incurred."
Criminal history and sentencing
The defendant had five prior final convictions for fraud, with sentences issued by courts in Barcelona, Salamanca, Tortosa, and Santiago de Compostela between 2018 and 2024. The court noted that his persistent offending revealed a pattern of creating a false impression of financial capacity to secure services without paying.
In addition to the 12-month custodial sentence, the court imposed a €1,080 fine, payable at a daily rate of €6 over six months. Non-payment could result in one day of imprisonment for every two unpaid instalments.
Repayment and legal costs
The accused was also ordered to reimburse the hotel's owner, Sociedad L'Ermita Casa Ripo S.L., the €2,283.40 owed, with statutory interest, and to cover legal expenses.
The judgment, reference 244/2026, was issued by the First Section of the Provincial Court of Castellón and is final, with no appeal possible.
