A run for her money: Saudi princess flees from $7 million hotel bill

A run for her money: Saudi princess flees from $7 million hotel bill

www.rt.com

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.

(visit the link for the full news article)

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.

www.rt.com

I've heard from my Iranian girlfriend that by Shia law a spouse can take husband into Sharia court if he does not provide her everyday expenses. Maybe Sunni laws are different?


Removed image due to copyright laws.

one of the ways the rich stay rich, I guess!!

why do these people even need diplomatic immunity? I never quite understood that concept.

I read stuff like this, then wish my foot had diplomatic immunity so I could....never mind.

I swear though, why is it that most of the richest people are also to stingiest? You could borrow a dollar off of a homeless crackhead before some of these folks would give you their leftovers..

$7.4 million for a room with a view...that's a little premium!
No wonder why France is boosting the Euro

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

Indeed! Mark "Sugarmountain" Zuckerberg never tipped restaurants while on holiday/honeymoon I read! Damn global elite!

7 million in hotel fees? Zowie!

ETA And the hotel view photo of the EIffel Tower looks seriously shopped!

reply to post by phantom150


whole hotel floor and 60 people. makes me wonder who's the bigger problem: those that cannot pay...

...or those that cannot read.

reply to post by jedi_hamster


I read the article and knew it was the floor, still very premium for what it is.
Don't they run credit checks or even google her name.

If other hotels had the same issues they would be fools to keeping letting her stay even despite her "diplomatic status".

reply to post by bokonon2010

I've heard from my Iranian girlfriend that by Shia law a spouse can take husband into Sharia court if he does not provide her everyday expenses.

Maybe Sunni laws in that matter are different? Or not applicable to her husband - the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia.

Originally posted by LightSpeedDriver
reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

 

Indeed! Mark "Sugarmountain" Zuckerberg never tipped restaurants while on holiday/honeymoon I read! Damn global elite!

7 million in hotel fees?

Zowie!

ETA And the hotel view photo of the EIffel Tower looks seriously shopped!

edit on 7/6/12 by LightSpeedDriver because: ETA

I bet he has eaten more spit than even he realizes!

And as far as the Eiffel tower??? For 7 million I better have that damned thing sitting next to my bed with a clap on/clap off device attached.

reply to post by worldwatcher

why do these people even need diplomatic immunity? I never quite understood that concept.

The Saudis need diplomatic immunity in case anything nasty goes down.

This pisses me off beyond belief!!

What a spoiled rotten BRAT!

Must be nice to claim immunity and skip out on multiple bills all over Europe!

No wonder the rich stay rich, laws are in place to protect them. She should be arrested and held til she pays her bills....we all know she can afford it!

Anyone else would be behind bars by now and there is no way they would let a "normal" person stay that long without paying up front!

Originally posted by phantom150
$7.4 million for a room with a view...that's a little premium!
No wonder why France is boosting the Euro

She had been staying there since December and rented an entire floor with 41 rooms.

The simple way to solve this is to treat them like anyone else. How do you do that? Make them pay upfront. If they cannot pay they cannot stay.

It sickens me to think that people like this can get away with doing what ever they want. If I were the next place she wanted to stay at it would either be payment upfront (not a paper saying payment to follow) or go some place else.


On a side note. Is anyone but me bothered by the fact that the photo was removed because of copyright laws? It seems things are more screwed up daily. If not for the posting of the link they would have less readers. It is not like the photo is being stolen.


Raist

Saw it on daily mail bout a week ago. Yep, she lives like a princess while her people starve. Nice hotel bill you racked up their your highenss. Do you want the 1658 Chateau for your dog and Caviar for your bird please. Please please sit down in all our luxurious rooms...what a slut..

if she shames the family, does she get killed ?

Why is it, too, that she doesn't have to wear hijab when other SA women are pretty much forced to?

The previous time she stiffed folks for 23 million?

And....

Why is she broke?

It looks like she beat a servant up in the US: news.bbc.co.uk...

US said if not on a diplomatic mission, you have no diplomatic immunity. Hmmm. Maybe not a bad idea?

reply to post by hadriana


Because she is a hypocrite and not a true follower. I guarantee you she was partying her ass off up in that hotel.

Or just beating up her servants. I edited my post to show a previous arrest: news.bbc.co.uk...

She is the ex wife of the saudi royal, who is in the hospital right now or something.
She's being a pain in his royal patooty.

Originally posted by hadriana
She is the ex wife of the saudi royal, who is in the hospital right now or something.

She is Maha Bint Mohammed Bin Ahmed Al Sudairy, the wife of Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who is the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia.

Could not find any verifiable sources that she is "ex". Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org... has been edited to divorce her linking to the OP article.