More details are being learned about the Mexican resort hotel where an American couple was mysteriously found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning and reportedly runs a bizarre “wellness” program that encourages guests to get drunk.
Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were found unconscious in their hotel room at the $780-a-night five-star Rancho Pescadero hotel near Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday.
Heathco had a health supplement website – and is described as one ‘wellness junkie’ – while girlfriend Lutz worked as a nanny.
Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the Pacific Ocean village of El Pescadero on the Baja California Peninsula.
The boutique hotel features a “cornerstone” program in which guests participate, the “Mayan Hangover Cure.”
More details are being learned about the Mexican resort hotel where an American couple was mysteriously found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning and reportedly runs a bizarre ‘wellness’ program that encourages guests to get drunk
Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were found unconscious in their hotel room at the five-star, $780-a-night Hotel Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas
It’s unclear whether Heathco and Lutz participated in the tradition, in which guests work together to prepare their meal for the next day, according to Bloomberg.
The catch is that the meal will be the supposed ‘hangover cure’ for them after they spend their time preparing the meal drinking various exotic liquors to the point of intoxication.
Lisa Harper, the hotel’s founder, presented the experience in an interview last year as a cure for whatever’s bothering you.
“The bartender is like our hotel doctor, they know exactly what to serve to make you feel better, not worse,” she said.
The guests will then not be awakened until after 09:00 the next morning.
“Of course we plan to wrap it all up with more booze,” Harper added.
“The idea is that you’re doing rituals,” says Harper. “We want people to feel alive, but also participate in something that carries a historical legacy and, for lack of a better word, feels authentic.”
While getting drunk is “baked into the premise,” it’s more of an extreme version of a team-building exercise, as Harper puts it.
Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the Pacific Ocean village of El Pescadero on the Baja California Peninsula.
The boutique hotel features a ‘cornerstone’ program in which guests participate, the ‘Mayan Hangover Cure’
During the cure, guests work together to prepare their meal for the next day, which will be their ‘hangover cure’ after spending the prep time drinking
The guests will then not be awakened until after 09:00 the next morning
While getting drunk is “baked into the premise,” it’s more of an extreme version of a team-building exercise
“You form a community with new people, learn about drinks and food you may not have heard of, and are cared for in a completely different way.”
It was revealed that Heathco and Lutz had been hospitalized with what they thought was food poisoning days before their deaths.
Hyatt-owned Rancho Pescadero disputed suggestions that there may have been a gas leak, saying in a statement it “does not believe the cause of death is related to problems with the hotel’s infrastructure or facilities, including carbon monoxide or a gas of any kind.” also.’
Paramedic Fernando Valencia and his partner, who was his sister, told ABC they were among the first to enter the couple’s room where Heathco was found in the shower and Lutz in bed.
‘My partner and I started to feel dizzy and got out. We left the room as quickly as possible and I was afraid for my partner because my first thought was, are we going to die?’ Fernando told ABC’s Good Morning America.
He and his sister were so concerned that they sought medical help themselves.
“It was one of the worst experiences I’ve felt,” he said.
Heathco and Lutz had been dead for about 10 or 11 hours and when they were found and there were no signs that they had fought.
Heathco and Lutz were hospitalized days before their deaths with what they thought was food poisoning
It is unclear whether Heathco and Lutz participated in the “Mayan hangover cure” tradition
The Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Thursday that the cause of death was “substance intoxication TBD.”
Lutz’s family says she texted her father the day before she was found dead, claiming she was feeling ill and had visited a hospital.
“She had texted her dad and told him the same thing, that she felt sick and went to the hospital, stayed on an IV overnight and felt so much better,” her stepmother told ABC.
“She texted him Monday night to say goodnight, love you, and then we hadn’t heard from her,” she added.
Her stepsister, Gabby Slate, said the family now wants answers: “We want to know exactly what happened and we don’t know that yet.”
Hotel Rancho Pescadero is located in the Pacific Ocean village of El Pescadero on the Baja California Peninsula.
Lutz’s family have said they now want answers to the question of what led to their deaths at the hotel. The manager of the hotel has said he does not believe there was a gas leak, but the AG’s office said an unidentified intoxicant was involved
Abby, 28, with her younger brother, who paid tribute to her on Thursday
In a statement, her sister told DailyMail.com: “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved Abby. Abby had an adventurous spirit and a wonderfully good heart.
“She loved to travel, discover new places and share her joy of life with those around her. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family during this very difficult time.
“In lieu of flowers, we ask for donations GoFundMe to help us put Abby to rest.”
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
They can often be described as “flu-like,” according to the CDC. However, people who sleep can die from carbon monoxide poisoning before showing symptoms.