Gaddafi’s son runs up $390k Italian hotel bill

Gaddafi’s son runs up $390k Italian hotel bill
Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the third son of Muammar Gaddafi, reacts to a question at a news conference in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 7, 2005. (Reuters)
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Updated 12 April 2022
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Gaddafi’s son runs up $390k Italian hotel bill

Gaddafi’s son runs up $390k Italian hotel bill
  • The luxury car Al-Saadi abandoned has been there for 15 years
  • Hotel: ‘Over the last few years we have tried many times to try and get this matter resolved but with no success’

LONDON: A son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has run up a $390,000 debt with an Italian hotel after leaving a luxury car parked on its premises for 15 years.  

In 2007, after a month-long trip, Al-Saadi Gaddafi parked his Cadillac Escalade at the luxury Hotel Excelsior in the town of Rapallo.

At the time, he had been enjoying a playboy lifestyle while playing football for local team Sampdoria.

He was axed from the team and left the country, but ignored repeated attempts by the hotel to make him settle his bill.

Aldo Werdin, director of the Hotel Excelsior, told MailOnline: “We have been waiting 15 years for Mr. Gaddafi to settle his bill. Over the last few years we have tried many times to try and get this matter resolved but with no success. We even contacted the Libyan Embassy in Rome but they were unable to help.  

“He left the car at the front of the hotel and we don’t even have the keys for it. It’s actually become a bit of an attraction with people stopping to take a look at it.

“We have to give it a clean every now and then as having a dirty car outside the hotel wouldn’t be very good for guests and it doesn’t even have an Italian log book so we couldn’t drive it here.

“He was a bit of a character and quite a playboy, he would have women visit him from London and Tripoli and the nights were always very loud and noisy when he was entertaining.

“There was loud music and he even set up a barbecue on the terrace where they would grill lamb at all hours of the day and night.”