Woman detained at airport over unpaid hotel bill
A woman has been arrested by Spanish police after attempting to leave the country following an 11-night all-inclusive family holiday, where the £2,100 hotel bill was allegedly left unpaid. The foreign tourist was reportedly detained by officers from Spain’s National Police as she tried to board a flight out of the country after hotel bosses reported that a family of two adults and a child had left their resort in San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) without settling their bill. The outstanding amount was allegedly valued at 2,483 euros (£2,125).
Booking and payment issues
Police said the stay had been booked through the resort’s website, with the guests providing a credit card number as a security deposit. However, when hotel staff attempted to process the payment at the end of the holiday, they were reportedly unable to complete the transaction, according to the Mirror. Despite making several attempts to contact the customers, they say no payment was received. Officers were then mobilised to intercept the woman as she attempted to leave Spain.
Arrest and legal proceedings
Footage released by Spain’s national Police shows the unnamed suspect being arrested at Gran Canaria Airport. Following her arrest, the woman was taken to Maspalomas police station for processing before being placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities. The National Police said it remains committed to protecting the Canary Islands’ tourism sector and warned visitors that any attempt to avoid paying for goods or services would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Wider concerns over unpaid bills
The case comes amid wider concerns from hospitality businesses about customers leaving without paying the bill. A 2018 UK survey found that one in 20 people had walked out without paying for a meal. Donna Jones, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, told The Daily Mail that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of “dine and dash” offences in recent years. While some have blamed the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Ms Jones dismissed that suggestion, saying, “They’re driving away in their own cars.” She urged businesses affected by crimes of this kind to “share images online…. And to name and shame those individuals.”
Industry impact
Kate Nicholls, the CEO of industry organisation UKHospitality, told the Guardian that while only a minority of customers behaved in this way, incidents of people avoiding paying for meals could be “a serious matter” for the bars and restaurants involved. “These businesses operate on very tight net-profit margins, less than 4%, and often it can be quite big-spend items that people are going for,” she explained. She also warned that describing offences as “dine and dash” could make them sound less serious than they are. “Let’s call it what it is,” she said. “This is theft and fraud and it should be prosecuted as such. It's not a victimless crime. It is money that is being taken from a business for goods and services consumed, it's exactly the same as shoplifting.”
