Three Women Found Dead in SP Hotel Room

The results of postmortem examinations and a police investigation are expected to reveal how three tourists tragically died in their San Pedro hotel room late last week. The women had checked into the resort for an unspecified stay on the island. They were last seen alive on Thursday night after returning from a private tour. On Saturday, resort staff found their bodies in their first-floor room. News Five’s Marion Ali went to San Pedro on Sunday to bring us this report.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

The bodies of three friends—twenty-three-year-old Kaoutar Naqqad, twenty-four-year-old Imane Mallah, and twenty-six-year-old Wafae El-Arar, all originally from Morocco but now U.S. nationals—were found in their suite at the Royal Kahal Beach Resort on Coconut Drive in San Pedro just before noon on Saturday. They were last seen alive around seven PM on Thursday night, heading to their ground-floor room after a full day of touring the island. Bert Novak, the General Manager of the resort, told News Five that there were no signs that anything was wrong.

 

Marion Ali

”Can you say when they checked in if there was, it was only three of them or somebody else with them, if there was any forced entry in their room, anything like that?”

 

Bert Novak, General Manager, Royal Kahal Beach Resort

“ No, nothing at all. They came back from a tour, and they went back to the room, didn’t leave the room and then we checked that evening. That’s when we found them.”

 

Marion Ali

“So they went on a tour on what? Saturday?”

 

Bert Novak

“No, on Thursday.  Thursday and Friday is when we went and checked on them on Saturday.”

 

Marion Ali

“They were supposed to check out?”

 

Bert Novak

“No, no. They’re supposed to check out on the 19th.”

 

Housekeeping staff at the resort grew worried on Saturday morning after getting no response to their repeated attempts to enter the room on both Friday and Saturday. Using a master key, they opened the room around 11:30 AM on Saturday and made a grim discovery. One woman was found in bed, while the other two were in different parts of the room. They reportedly had froth around their mouths, leading to suspicions of a possible drug overdose. However, General Manager Bert Novak couldn’t confirm this.

 

Bert Novak

“That’s what I heard as well, but until we get the autopsy report, we can’t say something official.”

 

Inside the suite, police discovered gummy bear candies, snacks, drinks, vapes, and electronic devices. Although the sight of three bodies being removed from the resort could have alarmed tourists and hurt business in the area, Katherine Hubbard, a local condo owner, praised the authorities for their efficient handling of the situation.

 

Katherine Hubbard, Neighbour

“We hardly didn’t even know what was going on because they were, they were so professional in how they handled it.”

 

Marion Ali

“You mean the police or the management?”

 

Katherine Hubbard

“Everybody was. We knew something was going on because we saw the ambulances, we saw the police, you know, but I think how everybody handled it was very professional. They kept it very confidential. I still don’t know exactly, you know, what’s going on.”

According to Novak, the incident hasn’t hurt business at the beach resort. However, management has provided counseling for the staff to help them cope.

 

Bert Novak

“Of course, everybody’s traumatized and I’m making arrangements for my staff to see somebody as a trauma person so they can talk to them because it’s unfortunate. It affects everybody.”

 

While the staff of the resort are distressed by the incident, Hubbard expressed sympathy for the families of the three women.

 

Katherine Hubbard

“I just pray for the families.”

 

Marion Ali for News Five.