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- A Tripadvisor reviewer gave a Marriott resort a one-star rating after a crocodile attacked a guest.
- The reviewer said that her friends had to save the guest, and were left “traumatized.”
- The hotel apologized for the “unpleasant experience” and said it reviewed safety plans regularly.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
A guest wrote a scathing one-star TripAdvisor review of a Marriott resort in Mexico after witnessing a crocodile drag a fellow guest into the ocean.
The reviewer praised the food and the staff at the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa, before describing how her “traumatized” friends had to save their fellow guest from the crocodile. She also criticized the hotel for its response to the attack.
The hotel later apologized for the “unpleasant experience,” The Daily Beast first reported. Staff were trained in “safety matters” and it reviewed its safety plan regularly, it said.
Marriott confirmed the incident, and said the appropriate signs and night patrols were in place at the time.
Natalie, who uses the TripAdvisor username “nataliea135,” and whose surname is unknown, started the review with feedback on her room and the dining options.
“The room was clean, although had a bit of a moldy smell,” she wrote. “The food and staff were absolutely excellent, although I wish there were more dinner options available on site. Based on those items alone I would’ve highly recommended this hotel.
“However and this is a HUGE however, the only deterring factor for my not recommending to others is the fact that my group of friends RESCUED a young girl from a 12 ft+ CROCODILE,” she wrote.
18 year old dragged into the ocean
Kiana Hummel, an 18 year old from the Bay Area, told ABC7 News on Tuesday that she was sitting on the sand with a friend at the hotel’s private beach, about to take a midnight swim, when she felt a crocodile bite her leg and drag her towards the ocean. She hit the crocodile, causing it to let go – but it then latched onto her other ankle, she said.
Natalie wrote in the review that “had my group not been sitting on the patio near the beach that poor girl would’ve DIED.”
She said her group “pulled this girl and her friend from the crocodile’s mouth” as it dragged the girl into the water.
Hummel didn’t say in her ABC7 News interview whether her friend was also attacked.
Natalie said her friends “were spearheading the trauma to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet and demanding an ambulance.” Staff were slower to respond than she wanted, she said.
“My group is TRAUMATIZED by this experience.”
Natalie said that the hotel had crocodile warning sides, and that staff patrolled the beach, but that they weren’t there during the attack.
“That crocodile is a monster and will be back on your beaches until he gets what he wants, do something about it before you kill one of your guests.”
A Marriott spokesperson confirmed the incident to ABC7 News and said that “appropriate signage, as well as night patrolling and red flags, were and are properly in place.”
Marriott did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on Natalie’s claims.
Fred Ruiz, a member of staff at the hotel, responded to Natalie’s review on TripAdvisor.
“While we are pleased to learn that our food and services were excellent, we apologize for the unpleasant experience you had during your stay with us,” he said. “We are greatly concerned about this situation, and we review our plans and procedures often and work closely with the appropriate authorities on an ongoing basis.”
“Our staff is trained in how to respond to safety matters appropriately,” they said. “We encourage all guests to be vigilant for their safety.”