also interesting to note both the article and the OP fail to publish the hotel chain response so this seems just an attempt to promote one side of the story
The public relations firm hired by Iberostar Hotels and Resorts sent the following reply to an email requesting an interview:
“As a preliminary matter, we must emphasize that no tainted or adulterated alcohol has been found at any of the Iberostar properties in Mexico. The Mexican consumer and health authorities, Profeco and Cofepris, recently inspected forty-three bars and restaurants at five of the Iberostar-flagged hotels in Mexico and found that none of the alcohol on the premises was in any manner tainted or adulterated.
We are aware that certain individuals have made claims of tainted alcohol being served at various resorts in Mexico. If there were bottles of tainted or adulterated alcohol being served, the effects of that would have been felt by many people at the same time. Yet, the claims of tainted alcohol are isolated and unsubstantiated. On the rare occasions when we have been made aware of such allegations at Iberostar, we have investigated and have found no evidence of tainted or adulterated alcohol to corroborate the claims.
To reiterate, no tainted or adulterated alcohol has been found anywhere on the premises of any of the Iberostar-flagged properties in Mexico, as confirmed by Mexico authorities last month.
In Mexico, Iberostar-flagged properties welcome more than half a million guests per year. The high quality of products and services is the crucial element that has attracted so many guests to our resorts and guest satisfaction has always been the Iberostar brand’s primary objective. In providing services to our guests:
We always work with top-of-the-line partners and providers whose services we submit to routine and thorough controls, as well as yearly audits.
The entire supply of alcoholic beverages offered at Iberostar-flagged hotels in Mexico is obtained from reputable and licensed distributors. All alcoholic beverages are delivered in sealed containers and pursuant to appropriate licenses to guarantee quality and optimal conditions for consumption.
The external audits done at our hotels certify our diligent and responsible handling of all sanitary and hygienic measures, following federal legislation, local regulations, and the standards of the FTO – Health & Safety Technical Guide, Codex Alimentarius, and HACCP system.
We have been deeply saddened by the death of Ms. Conner while she was a guest at the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar. Our hearts go out to her family and friends. Following her death, we conducted a comprehensive and thorough investigation. As you can well understand, due to threats of litigation in the matter, we are constrained in our ability to respond to your allegations. However, we can state unequivocally that there is no evidence whatsoever that Ms. Conner consumed tainted alcohol, and there is no evidence whatsoever that her death was the result of any action on the part of the hotel’s personnel. To the contrary, the hotel staff worked diligently to try to save Ms. Conner and her brother.
We note that no other person at the hotel reported any complaints regarding the consumption of alcohol around the time of Ms. Conner’s death, and there were more than 1,400 adult guests at the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar at that time and more than 6,000 adult guests at all of the Iberostar-flagged Riviera Maya hotels.”