British man, 40, found dead and woman seriously injured ‘after erotic play went tragically wrong’ at £350 a night luxury Florence hotel
- EXCLUSIVE: Lovers’ ‘bedroom antics’ took a tragic turn when 40-year-old man had a ‘seizure’
- A 43-year-old woman, believed to be his wife, was hospitalized with cuts and bruises
- The £350 a night 4-star hotel is minutes from Florentine attractions
- Police: ‘There is blood in the room and forensic teams are working there’
A British man has been found dead and a woman seriously injured in a swanky Italian hotel after a suspected erotic game went tragically wrong, police believe.
The 40-year-old man, who has not been named, was found dead in his room next to a 43-year-old woman believed to be his wife, covered in cuts and bruises.
Staff at the 4-star Continentale hotel, a stone’s throw from the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge in the Renaissance city of Florence, called the police after the woman asked a chambermaid for help.
Paramedics rushed to the hotel and the woman was taken to the city’s Careggi Hospital, where she is believed to be in a serious but stable condition.
The £350 a night Hotel Continentale (terrace pictured) was the site of the tragic accident
The couple had only arrived at the hotel on Friday evening and the alarm was raised early Saturday morning.
A police source told MailOnline: ‘Those involved are both British and at the moment we are working on two theories about an erotic game gone wrong or some sort of domestic quarrel, but the general direction is that of an erotic game.
The man was found with a series of cuts, bruises and other injuries on his body and so was the woman, although she was more seriously injured and the man appears to have had some sort of seizure.
The man died a stone’s throw from the iconic Ponte Vecchio in Florence on the Arno . River
“There is blood in the room and forensic teams are working there while the woman is taken to hospital for treatment.
“Her current condition is serious, but she is stable and her injuries are not life-threatening. We hope to be able to interrogate her sometime in the next few hours.”
The hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the heart of the city, which is popular with British holidaymakers. Prince Charles and former Prime Minister Tony Blair are regular visitors.
Described in travel guides as ‘playfully chic’, the £350 a night hotel has a rooftop bar and spa and is popular with ‘honeymooners and those looking for a romantic weekend’.
The picturesque Italian city is known for its beautiful bridges and Renaissance architecture
A source said: ‘The woman had raised the alarm after a maid knocked on the door, but several guests had already called reception to report screaming and banging coming from the room.’
TV news footage showed several police cars and an ambulance parked in front of the hotel as forensic teams marched in and out of the foyer, while tourists watched from the nearby Ponte Vecchio bridge.
Local magistrate Ester Nocera has opened an investigation into the tragedy and was also seen walking into the hotel and speaking to forensic teams.