Waikiki hotel housekeeper alleges a member of a Saudi Arabian royal entourage grabbed, threatened her
Honolulu police are investigating the allegations.
WAIKIKI, HAWAII (HawaiiNewsNow) - An incident at a Waikiki hotel involving a member of Saudi Arabia’s royal entourage is now under investigation by the Honolulu Police Department.
Royal Hawaiian Hotel housekeeper Jackelyn Bautista says that an entourage member grabbed her arm when she couldn’t open a locked door to an adjoining room.
She says she then hid in a closet for about 20 minutes until a maintenance crew arrived.
On Tuesday, she discussed the incident with the media, recalling feeling threatened when the alleged suspect grabbed a hanger.
“The guest holds a clip hanger and a wire hanger ... staring at me. I don’t know what he’s going to do with the hanger. He’s twisting like this. So I’m scared,” Bautista said as she recreated the man’s actions.
Bautista says that once she escaped to the hallway, she and another housekeeper saw the same guest bending hangers and looking at them.
The Royal Hawaiian Hotel issued a statement Tuesday:
“The safety and security of our employees is always a top priority. We are aware of the incident that was reported and alerted the Honolulu Police Department immediately. Because of confidentiality issues, we are unable to discuss the details of the incident. However, we can confirm that we have safety measures in place, including providing our Royal Hawaiian Hotel housekeepers with an electronic panic alert system. And we have policies and procedures in place to assist our employees and thoroughly investigate and respond to any such incident.”
Bautista is a member of the Local 5 union, which is currently threatening a strike against select hotels nationwide.
Part of their claim is that not enough is being done to protect workers. They are also fighting for improved pay and stronger contracts.
This story may be updated.
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