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Honeymoon HELL: Bridegroom flies home alone from Cuba after being ordered …

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  • Wesley and Heather Dyson, from Lancashire, were ordered off their airport transfer coach on the last day of their honeymoon in Cuba
  • Mr Dyson, 36, was told he would have to
    pay 10 times the cost value of the TV or the police would not give him his passport back
  • Couple now hope their travel insurance will cover the
    replacement payment

By
Emily Payne


Published:
09:35 EST, 16 June 2014

|
Updated:
10:43 EST, 16 June 2014

It’s the kind of behaviour expected of a rock star, not a honeymooning bridegroom.

But one young couple’s holiday ended in disaster when the groom was forced to fly back alone after being ordered to pay £4,000 to replace a broken television.

Former soldier Wesley Dyson and his bride Heather were on the last day of their holiday in the resort of Holguin at the Paradisus del Rio D’Oro when they were ordered off their airport transfer coach.

Hellish: Wesley and Heather Dyson were on the last day of their holiday when they were told a damaged TV had been found in their hotel room

Hellish: Wesley and Heather Dyson were on the last day of their holiday when they were told a damaged TV had been found in their hotel room

The couple, from Farnworth Lancashire, were told a damaged TV had been found in their hotel room.

Mr Dyson, 36, was told he would have to pay 10 times the cost value of the TV – 6,600 Cuban pesos or about £4,000 – or the police would not give him his passport back.

He had to wave his 31-year-old wife off in a taxi before spending an extra night in a separate Cuban hotel, making arrangements for the cash to be put in place.

Neither of the couple remember damaging the 32-inch television that had been in their room and hotel staff would not allow them back into the room to inspect it.

Idyllic: The pool at the resort of Holguin at the Paradisus del Rio D'Oro, where the couple stayed

Idyllic: The pool at the resort of Holguin at the Paradisus del Rio D’Oro, where the couple stayed

Mr Dyson, who now works as a HGV driver, said they are desperately hoping their travel insurance will cover the replacement payment.

He flew back alone to Gatwick, rather than Manchester, a day later than scheduled on June 3.

Mr Dyson said: ‘The hotel was run by the military and we were advised paying would be in our best interests’.

The newlyweds enjoy the facilities at their hotel in Cuba, before being accused of breaking the television

The newlyweds enjoy the facilities at their hotel in Cuba, before being accused of breaking the television

‘They said, if you don’t pay that within three days then an investigation will start and you will be held.

‘I was in the army for 13 years and have been all over the world but I’ve never been treated like that anywhere.

‘It was horrendous – like a Cuban hell.’

He warned other holidaymakers to be on guard when visiting countries like Cuba and to carry out a personal inventory of the contents of their hotel rooms complete with pictures.

Hotel nightmare: Wesley Dyson, 36, pictured in the second room the couple stayed in after initially being allocated a twin room, despite paying for a honeymoon suite at the Holguin resort

Hotel nightmare: Wesley Dyson, 36, pictured in the second room the couple stayed in after initially being allocated a twin room, despite paying for a honeymoon suite at the Holguin resort

Mr Dyson added: ‘I don’t want anyone else to be waving their new wife off in a taxi in a foreign country on her own. It was terrible.

‘We had been saving for the wedding and a dream honeymoon for months so we just don’t have £4,000 to hand.

‘I had to borrow it off my dad in the end.’

Calm before the storm: HGV driver Wesley Dyson and his wife Heather enjoying two-week holiday in Cuba before being ordered to pay £4000

Calm before the storm: HGV driver Wesley Dyson and his wife Heather enjoying two-week holiday in Cuba before being ordered to pay £4000

The couple booked their holiday through Thomas Cook and Mr Dyson said the reps in Cuba had been helpful but also advised him that paying for the TV would ‘in his best interests’.

Mr Dyson is now waiting to see if his travel insurance policy with ERV will pay out for the bill.

By paying, despite the circumstances, Mr Dyson is concerned it will appear as though he is accepting liability.

Happier times: Mr Dyson was told he would have to pay 10 times the cost value of the TV or the police would not give him his passport back

Happier times: Mr Dyson was told he would have to pay 10 times the cost value of the TV or the police would not give him his passport back

A Thomas Cook UK and Ireland spokesman said: ‘As soon as our highly experienced resort team was made aware of the situation Mr Dyson was in, representatives went to the hotel and offered him every support possible right through until the time he was able to return home.

‘Our customer services team is also in contact with Mr Dyson to see if any further assistance can be provided.’

The management of the Paradisus del Rio D’Oro failed to respond to requests for a comment.
 

 

Comments (155)

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wteague,

Adelphi, United States,

1 day ago

As a long time researcher and visitor to Cuba, I too wonder about the details of this report. Cuban take damaged property seriously since they are a poor country. Their legal system can be slow, but there may be more here than the article suggests.

Those new to Cuba, please reserve judgement. While there is much good reporting, there is also much garbage. Some Cubans are bitter and various US government and political organizations do anything they can to malign Cuban.

Lately I have seen an increase in increase basically hate mail and biased reporting. However, this story could be an example of really bad decisions and management. So, I looked up the management site and left a request for their side of this story. You can Google them: Meliacuba.com contact us

Brzeczyszczykiewicz,

Chrzaszczyrzewoszyce, Poland,

1 day ago

English can’t behave on holidays. I see it regularly , especially during long weekends in Warsaw, Wroclaw, Gdansk.
We should really introduce visas for the English.

David Lebrun,

Montreal, Canada,

1 day ago

I hope the finally of this story gets posted. My thoughts the 12 times I’ve been to Cuba. Btw always a different resort including Paradisus princessa del mer. Cubans treat you as a guest both providing and expecting respect. They take being treated as an unintelligent people as a great insult. Treaty them badly you get treated badly. They in fact are better educated for the most part than a great deal of their guests. I feel this story is poorly reported lacking far too much to be in anyway believable. Was the T.v. broken? I think so! Were these guests over charged? Yes! Was it to tell them don’t come back because you are very uncivilized? I’m thinking that’s the story we need to here. Will the truth come out here? Doubtfully. News medias no longer believe in being credible.

David Lebrun,

Montreal, Canada,

1 day ago

I too find this difficult. I’ve been to Paradisus once and several other hotels in Cuba to a total of 12 times. Cubans are greatly insulted by acting like they are stupid and will not bend one way or another if you act this way. Getting treated poorly is usually the effect of one acting poorly towards them. You are a guest not a supreme race just because you can afford luxuries they can’t. They in fact are usually much better educated than most. Guest implies respect both ways. I have always given respect and received 10 fold. I hope the finally of this is told as blatantly as the one sided portion I’ve just read. I find this story genuinely lacking

Hibiscus,

The Beautiful South, France,

2 days ago

Daddy to the rescue. Yipee!!!!

TrollyDolly,

Cardiff,

2 days ago

36????????

Wes123,

Bolton, United Kingdom,

2 days ago

As the hotel had not recieved any notes about us being on our honeymoon tried booking us into a twin room when eventually got a junior suite the tele remote was broken there was an ant infestation in the bathroom and no curtain in the room hence having to remain packed until they could move us again on the wed. We were there on honeymoon though never recieved the honeymoon package. Belongings being taken from our room which we reported yet never heard anything. Our honeymoon was ruined from start to finish there are a lot more issues but I am unable to make further comments as all this is now a legal matter. My wife and I worked and sacrificed for our dream wedding and honeymoon we just don’t want people finding themselves in this situation.

Wes123,

Bolton, United Kingdom,

2 days ago

It is a difficult time and some words have been taken out of context I never said that we don’t remember damaging the tv I said ” when my wife and I left the room everything was in good order. We had been checked out of the room for well over an hour before the report of the damage was brought to our attention. We have since received statements from witnesses claiming at least three people entered the room after my wife and I had checked out two maids and a man to restock the mini fridge however I will not accuse any of these of causing any damage as they would probably lose their job and the 20 pesos it pays. My wife and I did ask repeatedly to inspect the room and the damage but our requests were ignored. Everything was going on to fast in what little time we had. There are also a number of things adding to these events for example my wife and I having to remain packed for the first three days of our honeymoon

DC,

The rest of the World, United Kingdom,

2 days ago

how charming is the fact that he left his bride behind?

Sid,

Sydney,

2 days ago

Televisions are luxury goods in Cuba – like white goods, other electronics and cars and scarily expensive when you can lay hands on one. The reason is that huge, incredibly wealthy country directly to the north of Cuba and by extension its allies including the UK. In other words – blame Cameron. No – strike that – blame yourself.

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