THE MANAGER of one of Newquay's most prestigious hotels believes a guest and his wife were the victims of a professional job after they were robbed of £9,000 worth of belongings – and their car.
London businessman Gordon Randall, a director at accountancy firm KPMG, and his wife Lisa were staying at the Headland Hotel when thieves struck on July 28.
The key card for the couple's £200-a-night room was taken while they enjoyed an afternoon swim in the hotel's new indoor pool, shortly after they arrived with pet dog Saffie.
Mr Randall, who lives in Surrey, claims there were no lockers in the area, meaning he had to leave the card on top of his T-shirt at the poolside.
Mr Randall, 38, told the Cornish Guardian: "This has left a bitter taste in our mouths. My wife and I met in Newquay and were thinking of booking the hotel for our tenth wedding anniversary. We certainly won't be now."
But the hotel's general manager defended the four-star establishment, saying it takes security very seriously and had been the victim of a "cleverly-masterminded" burglary.
Both sides now have insurance companies and lawyers involved to try to reach a resolution.
Two thieves, described as a slim man and a large woman, used the key card to access Mr Randall's room, clearing out £2,000 of items including a phone, iPad, wallet, designer sunglasses and keys to Mr Randall's Toyota RAV4.
They then escaped in the vehicle, which contained a £3,000 bike and a Mac computer, among other belongings.
Mr Randall said: "There should be lockers in the pool area; if there had been this could have been avoided. There are lockers in the spa area nearby but you can't use them because you need to swipe your card to get through to the pool. There wasn't anyone on the spa desk for me to leave my card with either.
"As far as I'm concerned they haven't fulfilled their duty of care here and are now burying their heads in the sand."
He also said CCTV coverage was inadequate and had not picked out the thieves leaving the hotel – just the car being driven away.
However, general manager Darryl Reburn said the hotel was working with police and had provided CCTV images.
Key cards did not have room numbers printed on them, meaning the theft must have been carefully planned, he said. Guests could leave valuables in strong-boxes in their rooms and hand key cards to receptionists, or keep them in their robes in the pool area.
"We feel we fulfilled all of the expectations of us," he said. "It's an unfortunate situation and is something that has never happened at this hotel before. It seems to have been very cleverly masterminded."
He said the hotel prided itself on quality of service.
Two years ago, owners John and Carolyn Armstrong embarked on a seven-year, £15 million project to upgrade the hotel and secure a five-star rating. The indoor spa and pool developments are part of the project. Police have not made any arrests in connection with the burglary.
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