The Ibiza hotel where two young Brits tragically fell to their deaths within a fortnight of each other is still selling party tickets, despite previously stating they were suspending future events.
These tragedies have followed two other at the Ibiza Rocks resort, including an unnamed 33-year-old British woman who died on April 30, and an Italian woman, 19, who fell from a balcony three days earlier.
Evan Thomson, from Aberdeen, tragically fell from his balcony at the Ibiza Rocks hotel on Monday July 7. The 26-year-old sadly fell from the sixth floor whilst on holiday, celebrating his birthday.
Just a fortnight later, on Monday, Gary Kelly, 19, from Dundee died after he fell from the third-floor of the hotel just after midnight.
In the wake of these tragic incidents, Ibiza Rocks announced that it would be halting all events. In a statement, the hotel said: “We are deeply shocked and devastated by the recent incidents that have tragically occurred.
“Our priority is to support those affected and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and to fully assist the authorities with their investigations.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests has, and always will remain, our highest priority. Given the seriousness of the situation and out of respect for those involved, we believe it is right to pause our advertised events programme at this time.”
However, tickets for events starting from this Saturday are still available for purchase online, beginning with their weekly LoveJuice Ibiza Day Party.
Ibiza Rocks are charging holidaymakers £17.35 for general admission and £26 for a Daylife pass, which includes a food and drink voucher.
The hotel is hosting an RnB Affair Day Party on Sunday, which promises to be the island’s biggest RnB party, with tickets priced identically to the previous day’s event.
Dizzee Rascal was due to perform at the hotel yesterday as part of the venue’s ’20th birthday celebrations’ but this was postponed. Nevertheless, Rudimental are still scheduled to take the stage on July 30 for the anniversary, with tickets remaining available for purchase online.
Following Evan’s death, his loved ones questioned the hotel’s safety measures, criticising how the party venue managed the situation.
Evan’s friend Blair Robertson condemned the hotel, claiming they worked hard to ‘get things back to normal’ after the death.
He continued: “Security took us away to front desk. Paramedics didn’t arrive for about 30 minutes. Forensic officers didn’t speak English. We were just standing there, not knowing what was going on. Reception gave us false hope.
“We heard the jet washes cleaning the ground where Evan died. That was the worst thing for us”.
Meanwhile, Evan’s sister Teila stated that ‘higher safety precautions’ were needed, adding: “Once it did happen, the hotel’s response was just completely heartbreaking; almost as if it never happened. I pray no other family has to go through this.”
This week, Ibiza Rocks published a safety notice on their social media following the deaths, stating their thoughts ‘remained with the families’ of Evan and Gary. The hotel said in a statement: “The tragic incidents of the past few weeks have deeply affected many. We continue to work closely with the authorities and our thoughts and support remain with everyone impacted.
“Much of the hard work that goes into safety and security in hotels and venues across the world happens behind the scenes. With thousands of guests passing through our doors every summer, it takes a collective effort from our team, security and local partners to maximise safety for all.”
They continued: “In times like these, care matters – but so does action. We have zero tolerance for any behaviour that puts our guests or our team at risk and we are building on the strong work we already do to go even further.
“Out of respect and privacy for the people involved, we don’t usually comment on individual reports posted online, but that certainly doesn’t mean we’re not always listening. We’re committed to working with anyone who raises solid concerns so that we can establish the facts and take the appropriate steps.
“Our hotel remains open and more information on a future events programme will be shared as soon as possible.
“Balcony safety is something we take very seriously, and our hotel meets all the applicable building regulations.
“Alongside that, we’re introducing further safety measures and working to raise more guest awareness to help encourage responsible use and keep everyone safe.”