Shangri-La Hotel in Paris (AFP Photo / Eric Piermont) |
Princess
Maha al-Sudairi was caught trying to sneak out of a luxury Paris hotel in the
dead of night – leaving her entourage of 60 people and an unpaid bill of US$7.4
million behind.
Police were
called to the scene, and the Saudi Arabian embassy was also contacted in the
incident. As the former wife of the man second in line to the throne, the
cash-strapped princess – who has been occupying an entire hotel floor since
Christmas – enjoys diplomatic immunity.
This means
there is practically no way of forcing her to fork over the funds, and the
five-star Shangri-La hotel is facing a battle royale. The director of the
establishment has already tried to quash the rumors, saying there are no
problems with any of the hotel clients and “no unpaid bills at the moment” –
which is technically true, as the princess was prevented from skipping out on
hers.
It is
understandable why the hotel would do everything to protect their patrons, even
the ones who appear to be a financially-challenged flight risk. But having this
particular royal in your customer list seems to be as useful as having monopoly
money, as it is not the first time she has suffered cash flow issues.
Just a few
years ago, while staying at a different five-star hotel in Paris, al-Sudairi
spent money like it was going out of style. She was accompanied by a
representative of her entourage, who would present store managers with an
official “payment to follow” document. Unfortunately, it never did.
The
princess became a royal pain in the neck for international luxury brands like
Dior and Chaumet, and exclusive Parisian boutiques like O Caprices De Lili,
owing over US$15 million to 30 stores. But al-Sudairi’s diplomatic status meant
there was nothing anyone could do. As a royal aide told reporters: "I'm
afraid we can't go around settling bills for the Princess's knickers."
She
certainly seems to have got them in a twist again this time. It is unclear
whether the Shangri-La hotel chain will seek to pursue the matter in court, but
judging by past experiences, it will simply join the company of the Hotel
Crillion and the George V – both of which are still waiting for payment to
follow.
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