Holiday nightmare for a family of Stoneham

Kathryne Lamontagne

Monday, 4 September 2017, 00:00

UPDATE
Monday, 4 September 2017, 00:00

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A dream vacation turned into a nightmare for a family of Stoneham, who was accused of having started a fire in the bedroom of their hotel cuban.

“We had the dog not being able to leave the country “, lance still in shock Karine Ainsley, who has breathed a sigh of relief when she set foot in Canada, after a painful trip to Cuba.

She and her family were flown on July 21, last, to spend a dozen days at the Playa Cayo Santa Maria. But as soon as they arrive, things go bad : the equipment room is faulty and food is bothering the children, who fall ill. Ms. Ainsley tries to change hotel, to no avail.

The fire

On 30 July, to 20 h, after a day without electricity, an employee of the hotel speaks in the hall and informed them that the fire is taken in their room.

“He told us that we had left a hair dryer running. But the dryer, it is necessary to maintain a button for it to work. If you stop, it stops, ” explains, incredulous, Ms. Ainsley.

Panicked, the mother of the family runs to the room. The fire department had extinguished the blaze, leaving behind the foam and soot. Of the personal effects of all of them are damaged.

Flight ?

In one of the bathrooms, the most affected, nothing remains of cosmetics, jewelry and drugs of Karen Ainsley. “At the beginning, I thought that it had been burned. Everything had gone ! But eventually, I realized that in the background, I had to make me fly. There was no ash ! ” she says.

Ms. Ainsley also noticed on a table two bottles of rum, which were not there when she and her family have left the room to go have dinner. This element suggests that individuals have entered the room before the fire to take.

In the morning, Ms. Ainsley makes contact with the canadian embassy to inform them of the situation. Then she fills out a deposition, which takes knowledge to be the director of the hotel.

“She accuses me of having made a false declaration. She told me that it is we who have set fire to it, that it is because of the dryer. It threatens us with immigration, says that the consequences, in their country, this may be the prison, ” recalls Ms. Ainsley.

Bleached

In shock, she reminds us of the consulate, and then the police, who investigated. In the evening, the hotel will hold them ultimately more responsible for the fire, the origin of which could possibly be electrical. The establishment request, however, to sign a release.

“There was a list of all of our effects, saying that everything was intact, whereas this was not true, she summarizes. But they would not let us leave if we do not sign “. She resigns herself to sign, stating on the document that she was forced to do so.

Little hope of being compensated

Dissatisfied with her experience in Cuba, where she has been held responsible for having set fire to his hotel room, Karine Ainsley has filed a complaint and requested compensation for his agency, Discount Travel.

Without being able to comment on the outcome of the process, the head of the service to the customer has assured the Newspaper that he would follow up with the Playa Cayo Santa Maria and the wholesaler CaribeSol. The times are 8 to 10 weeks.

The Ainsley, however, are not sure to win. Despite the “seriousness” of the complaint, Discount Travel says it is “very unlikely” that the compensations reach the amount of the trip.

To add to the misfortune, the family has not been able to touch a penny of his travel insurance, the damage has not been caused during transportation.

Chronology of events

► July 21 : Karine Ainsley and his family arrive at the hotel Playa Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba.

► July 23 : not happy with the facilities, Ms. Ainsley addresses the wholesaler CaribeSol to change hotel. In vain.

► July 30 : A blackout cripples the hotel at 11 a.m. in the morning. In the evening, the house of Ainsley takes fire. The family is held responsible for the fire.

► July 31 : Karen Ainsley sign a statement to narrate the facts of the previous day. The hotel is still responsible for the fire. Suspicions fall finally in the evening.

► August 1 : The hotel sum Karine Ainsley to sign a release which contains false information about the events. It runs reluctantly.

► Return : The family Ainsley brings a complaint to your travel agency, discount Travel, which ensures that she will follow-up with the wholesaler CaribeSol and from the hotel.