NEGRIL, Jamaica — A celebratory trip to Jamaica became a horror story for an Overland, Missouri, couple.
Allyson Henderson traveled to Negril, Jamaica, for her birthday on Saturday with her boyfriend, intending to return home on Wednesday. Less than 24 hours after they arrived, the couple learned that Hurricane Beryl was approaching the town and expected on Wednesday.
"All of our flights got canceled," she said. "We got a notice from Southwest that we might be affected at that point we tried to get on different flights, even with other airlines, but we couldn't get on any flights."
Flights were expected to open back up on Friday, so Allyson contacted Azul Beach Resort Negril by Karisma to make arrangements for an extended stay. She said Azul Resort responded by telling them to pay $239 per person for each additional night they would need to stay.
Allyson said the couple paid $478 believing they would be housed until Friday when they could secure a flight home.
Wednesday
When Wednesday came, the couple was forced to stay in their room from 7 a.m. until Thursday morning, Allyson said.
She said they never received updates about the storm as they were told they would and were never given food during that time.
When the storm approached, Allyson recalls feeling unsettled.
"Our balcony flew off, broke in between our rooms and we could hear that. It was terrifying, so we put chairs on our doors because they were shaking so bad we were scared that the glass was gonna break," Allyson said. "We tried to put chairs to hold them, and we got to a point where water was slipping under our door, so we put pillows in the gap of the door and, like, a nightstand table to keep everything in place. It was terrifying."
According to the Associated Press, the Category 4 storm killed at least seven people and caused significant damage to the southeast Caribbean.
As Allyson panicked watching the strong winds and heavy rain, she said her boyfriend was trying to keep it together.
Azul Resort
Thursday
By Thursday, the storm had passed, so Allyson and her boyfriend ventured out of their room. She said they went down to the pool and returned to their room to find the door locked with their personal belongings inside. When she asked the front desk why she was unable to open her room door, they responded by demanding more money.
"She told us we needed to pay an additional $478 or we need to leave the resort," Allyson said.
Allyson replied by telling the Azul employee that she did not have the money hoping they would accommodate them until they could get a flight home, but the Azul employee was unmoved, Allyson said.
At a loss, she decides to call her mother, Regina Henderson, who is a travel agent in St. Louis.
Her mother spoke to the Azul employee over the phone at 7 p.m. and said, "You're going to put Americans on the street in the middle of the night? That's unacceptable."
"I am familiar with Jamaica. It's dark. You don't know if wires are down, you don't know if there is still water or float spots," Regina recounted the moment she received the call. "You can't leave Negril to even get back to Montego in the dark. My daughter is calling me crying hysterically because they are literally out of their room, and I could hear the security behind them asking what are they going to do."
Allyson said the Azul employee turned to her and asked, "What can you pay?"
"They should be getting a disaster rate," Regina said, but the resort was charging the couple the original rate of the room.
It became clear, Allyson said, that the employees at Azul did not care about their safety, and this was about money.
"Typically, it is up to the resort as to how they are compensating during a catastrophic situation," Regina said.
Allyson said they could pay $239 a night, and after waiting for an hour in the lobby, the Azul employee accepted the amount. The couple agreed to stay for one more night at Azul even though there were no flights available until Sunday.
"It was literally the worst experience ever," Allyson said, "like being threatened to be put out in the middle of the night."
As Allyson and her boyfriend were sorting out the problems with the resort, Regina was searching for a new place in Montego Bay for the couple while they waited for a flight to get them home because flights had now been pushed back to Sunday.
Friday
"I do have direct contacts in Jamaica. I tried to reach them their phone lines were down … so the people, that I know who are in Jamaica, were not able to get my calls to help until (Friday) morning," Regina said.
When Friday arrived, Allyson and her boyfriend set out to make it to Montego Bay. What would normally be an hour-and-a-half drive turned into a three-hour drive due to the devastation caused by the hurricane.
As a mother, Regina said, "I just need to know they are in a property that is at least concerned and caring for them while they are going through this. I just want (Allyson) to be able to relax. The hurricane has happened and she made it through … I just am disgusted with the fact of the hassle that Azul was really trying to gouge them while they were there."
5 On Your Side has received several reports from locals who had similar experiences at other resorts this week in Jamaica.
Regina urged travelers to listen to their travel agents when it comes to natural disasters.
5 On Your Side has attempted to contact Azul Resort for a statement but has not received a response yet.
The Associated Press said that Hurricane Beryl had weakened since Wednesday but was regaining strength as it headed toward Texas.
