I've waited until I'm off the island to report this, but it's true: This past Thursday night, one of my best Negril friends had checked into Xtabi with a girlfriend earlier in the day only to discover someone had taken all their money and electronics and valuables from the room as he and his girlfriend lay sleeping, and the intruder had brought everything downstairs to go through it all.

He had made a couple of trips and was spotted carrying a lap top and other items out the door when my friend awoke and chased him down, only to discover it was the Xtabi security guard, he swears.

A major police investigation ensued, and my friend got back some items but never his digital camera, his girl's smartphone, and, believe it or not, a bagel sandwich they had brought with them on the flight, among a few other things still missing.

He checked out of Xtabi early instead of staying longer, of course, and, ridiculously, Xtabi only granted him a 10 dollar credit for the all the trouble; it is unclear if the security guard was arrested or even if he still working there.

I was shocked. I love Xtabi. Let's hope and pray this was an isolated incident!

That is messed up in so many ways. Hope they follow through on it and if it was security deal with it. $10.00 does not cut it. Why don't they post what happened somewhere?

wow...that's really to bad. A 10 dollar credit is hilarious... At least is was enough to cover the sandwich they took.... what a joke.

Oh wow.
That is a shame.

A few years back someone else had an incident there
Who remembers?
Was it JaBailey?
It was something really crazy (not a theft) but it was very badly managed.

I wondered if they had changed management.

How sad.
I love that property so much.

Your "friends" should have (and still can) contact the owner to make this right. If what you say is true, then the security guard got caught red-handed?

Did your friends take care to secure their valuables? I mean, its worth mentioning, its terrible what happened but its worth repeating - NEVER leave valuables out in plain sight in your hotel room. EVER.

That said, Gerry, I remember you posting something on this board about another unfortunate incident regarding $500 in cash being stolen from another "friend's" room - was that on your last trip, or the one before?

I wish you'd post some positive stuff here - seems like you returned from a trip recently? Would love to hear about the GOOD stuff over here too

You got to have a room with an inside lock.

A dead bolt will keep folks out while you are asleep.

The Coral seas Garden Hotel has a inside chain and an inside dead bolt lock that can only be locked from the inside. (along with the usual key)

I guess if you leave, then the security can get in with a key.

So sad.

Folks that get caught/thieves can lose their lives in Jamaica, not just go to jail.

I was really surprised the security guard chose this guy to rip off. The dude is a big guy who surely could pummel him if he chose.

Sorry to hear this! I never bring items like that to JA and proudly proclaim to all who may be listening that I am bruk pocket person.

On another note Gerry, your pic on other board with passport and cash in hand makes me frightened for you. Folks could memorize your face or print that out and carry it in hopes of running into you on the island, thinking you're carrying all that cash. I know you're grown, but just sayin'....life is cheap in JA, very cheap.

I am just curious why someone would say to never leave your valuable out is plain sight.
They were in bed, in the room they paid for, expecting at the very least to be safe and have their items safe. I can understand that if they left all those items out when they went out of the room, now that would be very foolish.

Xtabi should make a HUGE effort to compensate them for their loss, $10 is a joke.

This will scare away some future guests.

The detectives showed up the next morning and took a report with the owners being involved, as well. The security guard was gone, but the cops went and brought him back.

My friend ID'd the doo-rag the security guard was wearing that he tried to put in his pocket. A computer chord was found in the garden. There was no one else on the property, so there were no other suspects.

At first the cops asked if the items were insured and suggested my friend was trying to gain financially. But he said no, they were not insured, and no, he did not want a thing other than to leave and check in elsewhere. He let the police know where he would be staying, and they said they would be in contact, but so far nothing after five days or so.

He never asked the hotel for a refund. The 10-dollar reimbursement was the hotel's idea, incredibly. My friend never even got a report number, though I told him he should. His girlfriend, this was her first night in Jamaica, so she was very shaken (her i-phone, too). My friend, about this nicest man you could ever meet BTW, was mainly focused on the girlfriend and making sure she is OK, and I can understand that.

They're with another couple, too, the four having split two rooms at Xtabi. At first, the guard would not let my friend into the room of his other friend, and the guard also told him not to call the police, that the police would do nothing, and that my friend could not leave the premises cause it was "locked." But my friend called the cops immediately with the other friend's phone.