British widow sues Marrakech hotel over husband's death in spa fire

The widow of a British man who died in a fire at the spa of a Marrakech's five-star hotel has filed a lawsuit in the UK High Court seeking more than £500,000 in damages, according to The Independent.

Anthony Barnes, 48, from Cambridgeshire, died in March 2023 while on a business trip to Morocco after a fire broke out in the hotel's spa, also killing a hotel employee. Court documents filed by his widow, Rachel Barnes, allege that the blaze resulted from the hotel's negligence and accuse the operator of failing to install or maintain adequate fire and smoke alarms, evacuation lighting, working CCTV cameras and sufficient firefighting equipment. The claim also alleges that the spa was built using materials that were not sufficiently fire-resistant and that emergency services were not alerted promptly.

The lawsuit follows a UK inquest that concluded in October 2025 that Barnes' death was accidental after the spa filled with thick, acrid smoke that severely reduced visibility and hampered rescue efforts.

The hotel operator denies any negligence, arguing that the fire originated in the spa's sauna, that staff raised the alarm, attempted to extinguish the blaze and evacuated guests. It also maintains that the facility complied with Moroccan regulations, had an appropriate alarm system, emergency lighting, functioning CCTV in access areas and multiple working fire extinguishers. A hearing date has yet to be set.