Prime Minister Keir Starmer lounged at luxurious resort in Valencia whereas Donald Trump threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran over Easter weekend
Sir Keir Starmer lounged at a four-star boutique hotel in Valencia as Donald Trump threatened to ‘obliterate’ Iran, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The Prime Minister spent four days at the £200-a-night Valentia Cabillers hotel – complete with rooftop bar and swimming pool – as Trump delivered an extraordinary ultimatum warning he would ‘hit and obliterate’ Iran’s power plants if the Strait of Hormuz was not opened.
Sir Keir’s sun-soaked getaway came five years after he accused then-PM Boris Johnson of ‘appalling complacency’ for going on holiday as Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, declaring: ‘You cannot coordinate an international response from the beach.’
But as Trump’s threats grew increasingly explosive on Saturday, Starmer made no move to cut short his Easter break.
Even as the US president told Tehran on Easter Sunday ‘You’ll be living in Hell. There’ll be nothing like it,’ the PM remained in Valencia.
French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile spent the weekend on the phone to both Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urging an end to hostilities, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a series of emergency calls with European partners.
Despite dressing down in Adidas trainers, jeans and a light jacket, Sir Keir failed to keep a low profile – with locals quickly spotting him thanks to the team of armed police and bodyguards flanking him throughout.
One waiter said he served the PM ‘café con leche’ as he sat at a sun-drenched table in the Lope de Vega cobblestone square.
Sir Keir Starmer in Valencia on Monday where he spent four days at the £200-a-night Valentia Cabillers hotel
The swimming pool at the Valentina Cabillers Hotel in Valencia where Sir Keir Starmer stayed
A street view of Valencia where Sir Keir Starmer had his Easter break. Despite trying to keep a low profile, the Prime Minister was quickly spotted by locals thanks to the team of armed police and bodyguards flanking him throughout
‘Everyone was talking about him being the British Prime Minister,’ the waiter added, ‘even though the police tried to keep it quiet.’
The 21-room Valentia Cabillers is tucked down a quiet side street yards from the iconic Plaza de la Reina, overlooked by the 13th century Valencia Cathedral and a short walk from the city’s famous Central Market and Santa Catalina church.
The hotel describes itself as ‘completely renovated, with a sober and contemporary interior design’ in an ‘unbeatable location in the heart of the city.’
One hotel worker confirmed Starmer and his family were there, saying staff felt ‘a lot of excitement’ during the visit.
Maria Jose Aranda Martinez, who sells leather goods from a market stall in the Plaza de la Reina, said: ‘We had a lot of police around in the square for two or more days.
‘Someone who works on the market asked them and they said it was because a very important person was in the area, but they refused to say who it was because it was a secret.’
Another stallholder said: ‘There were lots of police here. I am sure he would have had a nice time looking around, but it is a little strange that he came on holiday at a time of such crisis in the world.’
A Downing Street source said the Prime Minister was focused on acting in the national interest throughout the crisis, protecting British people and interests in the region.
