Ontario couple finds peephole in Mexican hotel suite bathroom
Company agrees to reimburse vacationers
CBC News
Posted: Jan 24, 2013 9:09 AM ET
Last Updated: Jan 24, 2013 7:27 PM ET
David Traccitto and his wife, Sarah Edwards, booked a vacation to Mexico to celebrate their first anniversary of marriage. (Courtesy Sarah Edwards)An Ontario couple who found a peephole in the bathroom of their luxury hotel suite in Mexico say Transat Holidays has now offered to reimburse them for the cost of their vacation.
Sarah Edwards and her husband, David Traccitto, discovered the peephole in the bathroom of their room at the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya resort near Playa del Carmen.
The Bradford, Ont., residents travelled to Mexico to celebrate their anniversary and felt something was amiss shortly after checking in.
“I just felt like someone was around me,” Edwards told CBC News. “I heard what sounded like a latch opening, a door opening, and then moments later, a door shutting."
This photo shows the hole from the maintenance room side of a wall adjacent to the shower in the couple's suite at a Mexican hotel. (Courtesy Sarah Edwards)Traccitto discovered a maintenance room that shared a wall with the bathroom of the suite. A hole concealed behind the glazed glass shower console allowed a clear view of the bathroom. Video taken by the couple and provided to CBC News shows paint on the glazed glass appears to have been chipped away.
Couple moved to another room
After making the discovery, Traccitto and his wife made a hasty retreat.
“He storms into the room and he's like, 'Oh, my God! Pack everything, pack everything up now!'" said Edwards.
“You're not just seeing part of the shower wall and some blue glaze,” said Edwards. "You're seeing right through the glass, right through the blue glaze, right to genital level ... right in that shower. If the person is not in the shower, you can see directly into the king-size bed, the whole bed!"
Edwards said she's worried someone was watching them, and whether they took pictures or video.
The couple stayed at the Mexican Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort near Playa del Carmen. (Courtesy Sarah Edwards)“I thought, ‘My life is ruined.’ My personal life, my professional life, everything I’ve worked for in my life is gone."
The couple complained to the hotel, and moved to another room.
As compensation, the couple received additional benefits, including free spa treatments.
In a letter to the couple, tour operator Transat Holidays said the hotel had made a "goodwill attempt to resolve the issues" and said they considered the matter closed.
Transat Holidays has agreed to reimburse them for the cost of the vacation, but the couple told CBC News they have not yet decided whether to accept the offer.
With files from Natalie KalataShare Tools
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