A Spanish court has ordered Meliá Hotels to pay Latin music icon Daddy Yankee and his wife $908,950 as compensation for a jewellery theft that occurred in one of its hotels in 2020, Reuters reported.
The court documents, seen by the news agency, revealed the details of the incident and the subsequent ruling.
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Daddy Yankee, his wife, and their entourage were guests at the Meliá hotel in Valencia in August 2020, where they stayed for a music festival in Gandia.
The singer, as part of his artistic image, travels with a large amount of jewellery during concerts. This jewellery was kept in a room provided by the hotel, The Olive Press noted.
On 6 August 2020, more than $1m worth of jewellery was stolen from the artist’s hotel room safe. These included two watches, three chains, and four bracelets.
The court scrutinised the thief’s modus operandi and Meliá’s accountability in the incident.
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By GlobalDataIt said that the theft would not have been possible if the hotel staff had not provided a copy of the room key to the perpetrator without making necessary identification checks.
The court also stated that the perpetrator could not have accessed the rooms and safe deposit box without the ‘ignored collaboration’ of Meliá staff, thereby underscoring the hotel’s indirect involvement.
Meliá Hotels plans to lodge an appeal with the Valencian Supreme Court.
This case serves as a stringent reminder to the hotel industry of the critical need to safeguard guest possessions and adhere to stringent identification protocols, BNN Breaking reported.
Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez, is a key figure in Latin music, known for his 2004 single ‘Gasolina’ and the 2017 hit ‘Despacito’ with Luis Fonsi.
His contributions have earned him numerous Latin Grammy and Billboard awards.
