Couple to sue hotel after jewellery stolen from safe

10 September 2008 by
Couple to sue hotel after jewellery stolen from safe

Hotel guests Paolo and Tessa Prinzi have launched a legal battle for compensation after their jewellery was stolen from a hotel safe.

They lost jewellery and other items worth £63,000 during their stay at the four-star Millennium Hotel Knightsbridge in London over the New Year 2008, according to a High Court writ.

Now the Prinzis, who live in Lugano, Switzerland, are suing hotel owners Millennium and Copthorne Hotels for damages.

The couple checked into the Sloane Street hotel on 29 December and put their valuables into a safe in their room, operated by a four digit combination.

Mrs Prinzi selected some jewellery to wear on 2 January, but when she tried to put her jewellery back in the safe that evening she could not open it and realised something was wrong, as she always used the same four digits when travelling.

The Prinzis immediately told the hotel, and when engineers opened the safe the next morning, it contained only their passports and an empty wallet.

They accuse the hotel of negligently failing to keep their property safe, and say they will rely on an e-mailed admission from the hotel's Simon Ridley.

They say the hotel failed to ensure live closed-circuit television was monitored or recorded on 2 January, and failed to prevent intruders from entering their room and opening the safe.

The missing valuables included rings, earrings, a pendant, a necklace, a Cartier watches, a Rolex watch, a Van Cleefs watch, cufflinks, and cash in euros and sterling.

Hotel manager stole from boss after being treated to New York holiday >>

Hotel faces £100,000 payout over visitor's trip on stairs >>

Manager found guilty of using hotel's credit card to gamble online >>

Chef stole more than £10,000 of meat from employer >>

Could include this in that theft story as it's about Millennium >>

By Court reporter

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TagsHotels and Crime
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