A hotel in Italy has been slammed for having a bikini-clad model covered in chocolate in the centre of a table at a family buffet.
Voi Hotels in Golfo Aranci on the island of Sardinia has come under fire for the “disturbing” incident that has left diners in shock after they turned up for the afternoon spread that included sandwiches, cakes and canapes.
Federico Mazzieri, a HR manager from Milan, was with his teenage daughter when the duo were stunned to find the semi-naked woman laying across the poolside buffet.
He shared a lengthy post on LinkedIn about his experience with the hotel quick to issue a grovelling apology.
“I was speechless looking at this scene: a dessert buffet by the pool, on a table a girl ‘in costume’ covered in chocolate, spread out in the middle of the (pastries),” he wrote in Italian, per translation.
Mr Mazzieri said he was with his 14-year-old daughter and they were both left “shocked” by what they saw.
“Her comment was: Dad, it sucks, this is not a country where you can realise yourself’.
Mr Mazzieri claimed that when he expressed his dissatisfaction at the hotel they said it was a “chocolate statue”.
“How can corporate values such as tradition and innovation be published on one’s own website and allow these behaviours to exist in one’s own structures, where the body of a woman – of a worker – is equated to that of a crockery to indulge someone’s mischievous eye?”
“What on earth were the hotel management thinking of?
“It was simply objectifying the female figure.”
Following his post — which has received more than 400 comments over 1,100 ‘likes’ — the hotel apologised to the father and fellow guests.
“We have read with great attention the post you published about the unfortunate episode that occurred at our resort VOI Colonna Village, during the evening of August 15th,” the response began.
“First of all, we would like to offer you, your family and in particular your daughter, as well as our customers, the most sincere apologies on behalf of all VOIhotels management.
“We would like to strongly underline that every day we are committed to practising the declared values, among which, as a priority, respect for our collaborators and guests.”
It continued that it “deeply regrets” the incident and it never had any intention of representing values “other than those we embrace with determination and which are the same as those of the Alpitour World group of which we are a part”.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that situations like these do not happen again in the future, pursuing the utmost commitment in form and substance,” the post continued.
“We are taking immediate action to address this incident constructively and to ensure that no customer needs to feel offended in any way in the future”.
Cristian Solinas, regional governor for Sardinia, also weighed in by expressing his dismay. “This is an episode that offends everyone and has also left me embarrassed,” he said.
“This is a scene which we should never have seen and it goes completely against the welcoming image of Sardinia.”
Paolo Manca, of Italy’s Federation of Hotels, said that while she agreed it is an “unforgivable” act and “in very poor taste”, she doesn’t think it’s the modus operandi of the chain.