Paul Jenkins, owner of the hotel in Llanelli said the woman spent three nights under a corporate name between 10-13 June. He said staff had been left ‘gutted’ after claiming she disappeared without a trace without paying her £800 bill.
On her first night, she allegedly drank at the bar, conversed with other customers, and had lavishly dined. She is also reported to have splashed out on meals on the second and third nights.
After her three-night stay, she allegedly left without paying. Mr Jenkins stated that he had been unable to contact the woman, and her card was declined when the hotel attempted to take payment.
Mr Jenkins later posted on social media to try to identify her saying:
“The reception staff would have treated her like any other person checking in… she didn’t seem any different to anybody else.
“It’s unlikely we’re going to get any money [back]. My basic concern is that this goes out so nobody suffers the same thing. We don’t get it often but it is a revenue loss for the hotel… every day is important for us.
“It’s a family-run hotel and outgoings are quite a lot. We work hard as a family and our staff work hard.”
Frustrated about the whole affair Mr Jenkins would add “Just pay the bill.”
Another hotel in the area, the Castle Hotel, revealed a similar incident happened to them recently. They commented on social media:
“Sorry to hear this has happened to you. This happened to us at The Castle Hotel. Around 20000 people viewed our post, if you ask people to share this I hope that eventually someone out there will recognise her.”
A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said:
“Police received a call on Monday afternoon, 17th June, reporting a woman had stayed at the Diplomat Hotel, Llanelli, and left without paying.
“The woman had stayed at the hotel on Monday 10th, Tuesday 11th, and Wednesday 12th June 2024. Enquiries are being made to identify the woman.”
Police have asked anyone with information to report it either online at https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk, or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, you can text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908.
Alternatively, police say you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org. When making a report, quote reference DP-20240617-251.
[Lead image: The Diplomat Hotel]
