Holidaymakers Left 'Absolutely Horrified' By Hotel Staff's Dead Son Tribute

TUI have refunded a holiday after hotel staff created a bizarre tribute to the deceased son of two guests.

Karen Baker had tipped staff at a five-star resort in Jamaica and asked them to dress a room for her friends Faye and Andrew Stephens.

The Stephens' son, Alex, died in 2014 when he was 22-years-old. Every year since, the Stephens, from London, have celebrated their son's birthday.

While on their most recent celebratory trip, Ms Baker, who was Alex's godmother, asked staff at the Royalton Jamaica Resort to prepare the Stephens' room with flowers and cake.

However, staff took it upon themselves to create an effigy of Alex, using clothes from the Stephens' wardrobe. The effigy was completed with a smiling faces with tears on its cheeks and a can of lager in its hand.

Karen Baker

Ms Baker, from Hertfordshire, said she was left 'sweating and shaking' upon discovering the effigy.

According to the BBC, she said: "When I walked into the bedroom, all I can describe is a dummy body on the bed," she said.

"Staff had gone through my friend's wardrobe and stuffed the clothes with towels to make it look like a body on the bed. They even put tears down the face and a can of lager in his hand.

"I was absolutely horrified - as you can imagine I was sweating and shaking. We just didn't want our friends to see it.

"I have truly never seen anything like it. I still look at the photographs now and can't believe somebody thought to do that."

TUI have since offered a full refund of £1,300 per person and have apologised for the 'misunderstanding'.

A TUI UK spokesman said: "We offer our sincere apologies to the Baker party for their holiday experience in Jamaica.

"We're following up with the hotel and believe it was a misunderstanding with no intention to cause upset."

Topics: UK News, News, travel

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey