I want to thank you for getting in touch with me regarding the incident with the KELLETT'S family. I am going to try as best I can to give you a clear explanation about this sad incident.
On the evening of JULY 12th 2006 between 6:30Pm and 10:30Pm, room 107 and 108(the children's rooms) were broken into.
I got a phone call at 10:30Pm from the security guard advising me of what had happened. I immediately asked him to put the guest on the line to find out what had happened. Before I even had the chance to tell MR. Kellet that I was calling the gendarmes (french police) right away, he screamed at me saying, and he quoted: “I’m gonna crucify you on the internet”. I then got a hold of the gendarmes and they told me that the guests have to go to the station to make a deposition first thing in the morning at 8Am. The guest asked me why the gendarmes would not come, I explained to them that unfortunately the gendarmes as they quote: “DO NOT COME UNLESS THERE IS BLOOD”. As I told them this, I then told the security guard to roll down the hurricane shutters of room 107 and 108 since unfortunately they didn't do so unlike their parents’ room 112. After that, I spoke to MR. Kellet to let him know how sorry I was this happened to his family and I would be there in the morning to help him. The following morning, I got to the hotel at 9Am; the guests had not gone to the gendarmes as yet. I went to the rooms with them to look at the damages. Both locks of the sliding doors were untouched but the security chains were cut. When the guests asked me to refund the stolen cash and jewellery I told them it was not possible because the US$ 2000 cash and the US$2000 worth of jewellery stolen WERE NOT IN THE SAFES. Now, Sir, just like any other hotel in the world, we decline all responsibility for any valuable items that the guests do not put in their safety box! Therefore we are not responsible and the insurance will not unfortunately cover this loss. I understand the KELLETS frustration; I then personally called TRAVELOCITY to make sure that they will refund the guest their entire stay for the 3 rooms: a total amount of US$3000, EVENTHOUGH THEY ACCUSED MY STAFF OF BEING INVOLVED IN THE ROBBERY. Please note that EVERYONE HERE WAS NICE AND HELPFULL TO THEM DURING THEIR STAY. Again, I understand they are upset and I did the best as I could to help them, I even offered them to stay for free but they choose to leave which I understand. Now you must know that the front desk agent gave each room a safety box keys. They said only the parents room (rm112) got a key for the safe, if this is the case why didn't rooms 107 and 108 asked for a key to the safety box??? At L'HOSTE HOTEL EVERY ROOM HAS A SAFE AVAILABLE FOR THE GUESTS. I understand there are quite a lot of bad reviews about L'HOSTE Hotel regarding this unfortunate incident. I am choked to see how bad the truth got distorted. Not only I am the general manager but I am also the owner's oldest daughter. I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO SABOTAGE MY Family’s business. And everyone who works here is from here (ST MARTIN)and would never do anything as such to tarnish our beautifull and friendly island image.
I am confident that L'HOSTE hotel will continue to be successful as it has been for the past 14 years.

THANK YOU,

Judith MOUIAL
General Manager

I'm glad your that confident because nobody else is !!! you forgot to mention the sleeping guard ? and with security on the premises how this could have happened ? why wouldn't you have just given thesafe keys to the safe when you gave them their room keys ? they have to ask for this ? And you didn't even come untill the next day yourself? And it seems Sandy Molley has a different version.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2006 08:44PM by .Bruce.

I would like to thank you for your side of this incident and truthfully, the only ones to really know what happened are you and the Kellet family. I am sure that they will offer their story as well.

I do have a question though...why didn't you or any part of MANAGEMENT go to the rooms in question as soon as it was known that a robbery took place? And the security guard who happened to be sleeping at the time is NOT considered management. If you say that the gendarme only come when there is blood, is that also the philosophy of management to do the same? Wouldn't it have been an absolutely appropriate gesture to make the effort for management to go to the people immediately and make them feel assured of L'Hoste's concerns as well as making arrangements for a more secure room for the night?

If it were us at the place we stay, both security AND the late night management would have been up to the room within minutes of our call without us asking. They would have tried their best to keep us calm and assure us that they were as upset about the incident as we were.

Regarding their stolen property, I agree this would not be your responsibility and the guests should have realized this.

In my opinion, I believe that it was NOT only the robbery that caused this incident but the fact that management would only discuss this over the phone. That is NOT how to run a business, let alone a family run business because if this had happened to your family, you would have made every effort to go to them immediately, without a second thought.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2006 08:49PM by John.

Everyone mentions the sleeping guard. Yet from posts on "the other board" say they woke the guard at 10:30. That does not mean that the guard was sleeping when the robbery took place. You've drwan faulty conclusions.

How could it happen with security on the premises? You are actually going to tell me that no other place in the world with security has been robbed? Or are you just on a high horse because it happened to a member or the TTOL family?

So Sandy has a different story. Who do you think she got her information from and then ask yourself why she would have a different version. Sandy's statement holds no water in this incident. She wasn't there. She doesn't know what happened.

John's response has a lot more rationality to it. I agree that it seems that the biggest mistake was in a poor decision for management not to go there that night. Maybe they will learn from this, but I am not yet convinced that L'Hoste is at fault here. It's more a case of mass hysteria on the other forum that is the culprit.

Hotels that have rooms broken into and items stolen have inadequate security on the face of it. Most hotels fall in that category. I look forward to reading the Kellett's comments....

Jeff Berger

I agree that there are two sides to the story. However, I don't agree with distinguishing between a sleeping guard before or during the theft. The fact that the guard was sleeping anytime while working is neglect of his duty. I wouldn't feel anymore confident in his abilities than of a pilot who dozed off but was awake when the plane had a near collision with another aircraft.

Wow, can I get a job there and get paid to SLEEP!!! It is unfortunate that this happened to the family.
Thankgoodness they didn't have to pay for their stay there, it's the LEAST the hotel could do for them.

Inside job. Maids knew the stuff was out, guard didn't see nuttin'. Management has some responsibility, but there's really no need for them to have to put up with these people's demand for a pound o' flesh and verbal abuse.



Edited to add: However, I find using, and being allowed to use, an internet board (TTOL) for revenge and one sided "gang ups" as offensive as the break-in.


Ed



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2006 04:49AM by Ed (nine510).

John,
All the facts were not released.....ie: the locks to the sliders were cut from the INSIDE!! Hmmmmm.....sure smells like a rat to me! There's much more that will be told by the Kelletts. Chas doesn't know what he's talking about. If he was robbed you can bet your bottom $$$$ that he'd air his anger on the internet..loud and clear!
Contessa

Contessa,

I am not sure why you addressed me but as I stated, the only people that know what transpired are the Kellets and the daughter of the owners. One stated their side and when the Kellets do post, which I'm sure they will when they have returned, then we will hear the other side. I am not a judge or jury but interested to hear the story as I would while reading it in a newspaper.

Unfortunately, it is a documented fact that humans tend to intensify and even warp events after even several hours of an event occurring, no matter how kind and decent they may be... Human nature and nothing we can do about this. That is why police normally want to interview witnesses immediately after an event of great magnitude. I do hope they stick to the facts and not allow their anger to warp their report.

Also as I clearly stated, it wasn't so much the robbery as the way Management handled the initial call. I also find it uncalled for that Management did not go to the rooms in question until 9:00 AM when they thought that Kellet's would have been at the police station. To me this was another convenience for management and not an act of true concern.

John,

It seems we share a common view on this incident. You're very much on the money regarding how people's memory of events get tainted under stress.

And don't mind Tessa, she tends to get emotional at times.

Thanks Chas but I wouldn't classify her so much as emotional but rather as a highly passionate person. We should all be passionate to some extent. Nothing wrong with that, but again, unless a person were there in person you would have to rely on the what you have heard from the witnesses and at that point, as a person of some intelligence, must to take what you hear/read and throw out what sounds like opinion and rather concentrate on absolute and undeniable facts. I have only stated my opinion on 2 facts that were actually admitted by the party being condemned and I know that you have seen that and agree. Thank you.

When the Kellets post their report you will see the whole story!
No I was not there but I was on the phone with Janet who was in their room and I could hear Judith screaming at Jim at their door.

I read both reports of what happened many times. I struggle with one thing - the safe keys. I believe the kids were given safe keys and didn't use them. It's easier getting mad on the internet about the hotel management then your own kids and maybe more plausible to collect insurance.

Here is my reasoning. There was an indication of a policy of not handing them out - "I questioned Judy why they weren’t given safe keys and she said people lose them and then she has to replace all the safe locks and if they wanted them they should have requested them". If that is the case why then were 4 out of 6 sets of keys with safe keys. Remember, this was a second room assignment - the first 3 sets had safe keys.

In the discussion between Judith and Jim, it was said that no insurance could be filed as the safes were not used. I would expect a response of "how could we, we didn't have keys". This would have just given Jim more of an argument to get compensated directly from L'Hoste than his own insurance company - L'Hoste would then have been neglectful. Maybe Jim's insurance company wouldn't cover it either if the safes weren't used - so no key given gives hiim a claim.

Inside job - who knows. It is just too bad that it happened. Someone probably could see in the room that things were left around, word got out, et al. I truely don't believe L'Hoste is entirely responsible for this

I have friends in their 60's who go to St. Martin every year. Last Dec. 12th or thereabouts, they stayed at L'Hoste....they had $1000 in cash and it was stolen out of their safe....it MUST have been an inside job.....no break-in visible...

What upset my friends the most about the whole incident was the management's attitude. They implied that my friends were lying about the robbery....they were questioning the integrity of their guests...my friends. My friends have been going to St. Martin for 15 years and had gone to L'Hoste since it opened. They will NEVER go back there again....not because they were robbed....that can happen at any hotel...but because management was impolying that they were lying.

After reading about the Kellett's experience, it sounds like a pattern of L'Hoste to me.