Riviera Maya, Q.R. — A local tour company has announced its decision to cut ties with the Hard Rock Hotel and its branches for failing to provide safety to guests and employees.
The January 3 announcement by Riviera Maya Tours (travel agency) was posted on its social media account. The travel agency reported that for the safety of its customers, it has decided not to to continue making reservations for the Hard Rock.
In their “urgent communication”, the company said “the decision to cut relations with Hard Rock Riviera Maya and other branches is because of themes that arose over time with our guests, and the latest events…which were what broke the camel’s back. We take the safety of guests and employees seriously, and we are empathetic and supportive of what happened.
It is up to us as a business to decide which hotels we make reservations with or with which we do not…”
The announcement came after the discovery of the body of a 21-year-old female who worked as a security guard for the hotel, which is located near Puerto Aventuras. The body of Ana Gómez was found on the property of the hotel December 28. On December 30, a man identified as Carlos G, was arrested in her murder. Carlos G was also a security guard at the hotel. This is allegedly the second incident of its kind since 2017.
In April of 2017, then-21-year-old Elizabeth del Rocío Ricalde Barrera, who was an employee of the Hard Rock Hotel, disappeared. Her family stated “Elizabeth Ricalde also worked at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya hotel and mysteriously disappeared in 2017 without a trace.”
Since the discovery of the body of Ana Gómez and the arrest of her coworker Carlos G, the family of Ricalde has filed a formal missing person’s complaint with the Attorney General’s Office (FGE). An alert has since been generated and circulated by authorities in search of the now 24-year-old missing woman.
