'Our Spain holiday turned into a nightmare after what happened in hotel room'
With the summer holiday season almost here, thousands of Irish tourists are preparing to jet off to sunny Spanish resorts - and Benidorm remains one of the most popular spots.
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.
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