Falcon Hills

Very nice staff. And Jo and Jessica need a salary raise. Location was awsome and rooms very comforatable and clean. Activities were reasonable.

To: The General Manager, Hotel Ownership and Senior Management of Falcon Hills Hotel

Subject: URGENT FORMAL COMPLAINT – Alleged Physical Assault, Threats of Violence, Intimidation and Unacceptable Conduct by a Member of Reception Staff

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to lodge an extremely serious formal complaint regarding the disgraceful and deeply disturbing behaviour of a male member of your reception staff during our recent 10-day holiday at Falcon Hills Hotel.

Having visited Egypt regularly for approximately 30 years, I can categorically state that I have never experienced anything remotely comparable to the aggression, intimidation and threatening behaviour that my family and I were subjected to at your establishment.

What should have been an enjoyable and relaxing family holiday ended with an appalling confrontation involving a member of your reception team, which escalated to physical contact, the alleged use of a metal bar or similar object as a threat, and a further attempt to confront me outside the hotel.

I consider this an extremely serious incident, and I expect it to be investigated at the highest level.

1. Initial Complaint – Day Two of Our Holiday

On the second day of our stay, we discovered that a crow had become trapped within the air-conditioning ventilation system of our hotel room.

Naturally concerned about the welfare of the bird, the hygiene implications and the suitability of the room, I approached a male member of reception staff to report the situation and request assistance.

Rather than responding professionally or showing any willingness to help, this individual was dismissive, rude and visibly irritated that I had brought the matter to his attention.

His attitude made me feel as though I was causing an inconvenience simply by reporting a legitimate problem.

This first interaction was so unpleasant that we subsequently avoided approaching reception for the remainder of our holiday.

The issue with the bird in the ventilation system was never resolved, to our knowledge.

Unfortunately, this initial display of poor customer service was insignificant compared with what happened on our departure day.

2. Departure Day – Aggressive Confrontation Over Towel Cards

On day ten of our holiday, we were preparing to depart for the airport for our evening flight back to the United Kingdom.

During checkout, reception staff requested the return of our towel cards.

However, the situation was not straightforward. During our stay, one of our pool towels had gone missing while we were away on an excursion. We can only assume that another guest had mistakenly taken it or that it had been returned to a lifeguard.

Because all four towels could not be accounted for, the lifeguard had retained the towel cards.

We had also arranged a late checkout for one of our rooms and had brought our luggage into the hotel lobby while preparing for our departure.

Rather than calmly listening to the explanation or attempting to establish the facts with the pool staff, the male receptionist became increasingly agitated and confrontational.

He began speaking to my mother in an extremely rude and aggressive manner, insisting that she would be charged 750 Egyptian pounds per towel card.

His behaviour towards my mother was completely unacceptable.

I appreciate that language differences can occasionally lead to misunderstandings, and I initially considered whether this might have contributed to the situation. However, a language barrier cannot excuse aggression, intimidation or physical confrontation.

3. Physical Intimidation and Escalation

Having witnessed the manner in which this receptionist was speaking to my mother, I calmly got up from my chair and approached the man and said that we would not be agreeing to the charges under those circumstances.

At this point, the receptionist became physically confrontational.

He moved directly into my personal space, bringing his face/head to mine that our faces were touching.

I found this behaviour deliberately intimidating and threatening.

I clearly instructed him to step back.

He refused to move.

Feeling physically intimidated by his proximity and refusal to respect my personal space, I pushed him backwards to create distance between us.

The situation then escalated dramatically when the receptionist placed his hands on me.

What followed was an utterly unacceptable confrontation that no paying hotel guest should ever have to experience.

4. Metal Bar, Threats Towards My Mother and Intervention by Staff

The most alarming part of this incident occurred when the receptionist retreated behind the reception counter and picked up what appeared to be a metal or iron bar/stick.

I was shocked and deeply concerned by what appeared to be an attempt to use this object during the confrontation.

He also made a threatening movement towards my mother, which I perceived as an attempt to strike her.

The situation had become so serious that other members of hotel staff were forced to intervene and physically move or restrain this individual, taking him back into the office behind reception.

I cannot overstate how disturbing this was.

How can a hotel employee, entrusted with the safety and wellbeing of international guests, be permitted to behave in such an aggressive and threatening manner?

My mother and I should never have been placed in a position where we felt physically threatened by a member of your own staff.

5. Further Attempted Confrontation Outside the Hotel

In an effort to remove myself from the situation and prevent any further escalation, I left the lobby entirely.

I went outside the hotel grounds to the front entrance area and sat waiting for our airport transfer.

I believed the confrontation had ended.

However, approximately ten minutes later, the same receptionist came storming out of the hotel and approached me again, apparently intending to continue the physical confrontation.

This was particularly disturbing because I had deliberately removed myself from the situation.

There was no legitimate reason whatsoever for this employee to leave his position and pursue a departing guest outside the hotel.

At that stage, this was no longer simply an argument at reception. In my view, it was a sustained pattern of aggressive and threatening conduct.

6. Witnesses, CCTV Evidence and Reputational Damage

This entire incident took place in and around a busy hotel reception area, in the presence of numerous other guests and hotel employees.

Several guests witnessed the confrontation, and I am confident that the events will have caused considerable concern among those present.

I also believe that such an incident has the potential to cause significant reputational damage to Falcon Hills Hotel and undermine guests’ confidence in their personal safety.

I am therefore making a formal request for the immediate preservation of all relevant CCTV footage, including:

• The hotel reception and lobby area during checkout.

• The reception desk and surrounding areas.

• The office entrance behind reception.

• The hotel entrance and external areas where the subsequent confrontation occurred.

• Footage covering the period before, during and after the incident.

This footage must be preserved in its original, unedited form and must not be deleted or overwritten as part of any routine recording cycle.

I request written confirmation that the relevant recordings have been secured, together with details of the procedure for requesting access to the footage or its disclosure to the appropriate authorities.

7. Formal Complaint to the Egyptian Tourism Police

Given the seriousness of what occurred, I intend to report this incident to the Egyptian Tourism Police and request that the allegations of physical aggression, intimidation and threatening behaviour are properly investigated.

I will also consider escalating this complaint to our holiday provider and the relevant Egyptian tourism authorities.

I have visited Egypt for approximately three decades and have always had great affection and respect for the country, its people and its hospitality.

That is precisely why this experience has left me so shocked and disappointed.

The actions of one individual should not be allowed to damage the reputation of an entire hotel or the wider Egyptian tourism industry.

Nevertheless, the conduct we experienced was completely unacceptable and must not be dismissed as a simple disagreement or misunderstanding.

8. Action and Accountability Required

I now require the following from Falcon Hills Hotel management:

1. A full and impartial investigation into the conduct of the receptionist involved.

2. Written confirmation that all relevant CCTV evidence has been preserved.

3. Identification of the staff member involved and confirmation that the matter has been referred to senior management.

4. Statements to be obtained from the hotel employees who witnessed and intervened in the confrontation.

5. A formal written explanation of how an employee was able to obtain a metal object during a confrontation with guests.

6. An explanation of why the employee was subsequently able to leave the hotel building and approach me again after the initial incident.

7. Confirmation of what disciplinary or preventative measures will be considered, subject to the findings of your investigation.

8. A formal written apology to both myself and my mother for the distress and intimidation we experienced.

9. An appropriate proposal for redress and compensation in recognition of the distress caused and the unacceptable circumstances surrounding the end of our holiday.

10. Final Statement

I wish to make it absolutely clear that this complaint is not simply about missing towels, towel cards or a disputed charge of 750 Egyptian pounds.

This complaint concerns the safety of hotel guests, the conduct of a member of your staff, and an incident that I believe could have resulted in serious physical injury.

No guest should ever feel threatened, intimidated or physically unsafe when dealing with hotel reception staff.

No mother should have to experience threatening behaviour while checking out of a hotel.

And no hotel employee should be permitted to pursue a guest outside the building in an apparent attempt to continue a physical confrontation.

After 30 years of travelling to Egypt, I never imagined that I would be writing a complaint of this nature.

I expect Falcon Hills Hotel to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and urgency.

Please acknowledge receipt of this complaint within 48 hours and provide a substantive written response within 14 days.

If the matter is not addressed appropriately, I reserve the right to escalate it further through the relevant authorities, our travel provider and any appropriate formal complaint channels.

I look forward to receiving a prompt and meaningful response.

Yours faithfully,

Luke Whyatt.