Hotel rooms should have internal lock?

Just roll up a towel and put it at the bottom of the door like a draft excluder. Makes the door very hard to open.

Bit late to the conversation and I've not read the whole thread, but if no-one else has said it.....always take a door stop with you when going on holiday. Best way of securing a door from inside, kick it under and no-one can get in even if they have a key.

Nice bit of deflection there

Bingo!

Most hotels also have an internal lock

Stopped reading at “has just went” and references to ‘Asian’. Ignorant and racist.

I can understand your DD being upset by this and you being worried. YANBU.

I also stayed in a hotel in Rome last year which sounds identical to this one, and we were woken at 7.30am by a male staff member barging into our room. Luckily I was with DH, who shouted, and we heard the guy literally run away up the corridor!

We called reception who were unapologetic and told us he was "probably cleaning". No sign of any cleaning supplies or other rooms being cleaned at that early hour, plus he was the first hotel room cleaner ever not to knock and announce himself.

The whole thing felt off and it shook me up a bit. And I'm a middle aged woman who has travelled all over without any problems.

If they don't feel safe with their bags/furniture etc wedged against the door then I'd probably fork out for a different hotel for peace of mind.

I think the door lock issue is how doors with electronic key cards are now, have been to two hotels in last year Prague and Germany neither had locks on I side

But they do speak it.
That's my point.

Can't they just buy a door stop?

That’s what I’m saying. This was a physical lock on the inside that you turned, and it made a satisfying physical “lock” sound. And then your key card could STILL open the door. I was surprised, as I was arguing with my friend that that wouldn’t happen! It must be for safety in a fire etc.

@TheNavygravy I don't understand why you posted this other than for confirmation. In your shoes I'd have booked my DD into another hotel immediately and paid the costs over the phone. Or paid her back when she came home.

Really? There are many hotels in London where none of the staff has English as their first language.

I find it really odd that in a hotel in Rome no one spoke italian

I find this thread really weird. Most hotels I stay in have an internal latch/chain/thumblock that lets me prevent access from the outside (although they wouldn't stop someone determined, I've stayed in places where they've clearly been kicked in a couple of times)

The fact that the entire hotel seemed to be staffed with men from a foreign country with a culture that is particularly misogynistic and who don't speak either English or Italian is important to the story, (see this https://equalitynow.org/learn_more_sexual_violence_in_bangladesh/ - pay special attention to things like 'The law on evidence specifically allows the introduction of evidence in rape cases which shows that “the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character”. and The law explicitly permits marital rape of children over the age of 13

So yes, their cultural background is absolutely relevant to the story.

and a just 18 year old calling their mum for advice is totally normal for goodness sake.

The girls were right to be concerned and take steps to safeguard themselves. Even in 'nice' hotels I always put the bolt on and put my suitcase in front of the door. In less nice hotels I include something that would fall and make a noise (eg some glasses) if someone opens the door.

I never said she should just let it be. I was a sheltered child but even then I remember at 18 trying to come up with solutions while travelling. Especially with Google, and especially if my friend is local - e.g. have her source nearby shops with travel locks (even if they don't know what travel locks are, a quick Google would sugges that) or nearby alternative accommodation so I could call and ask my mum for some money.

To be so scared of a receptionist not speaking Italian/English and some cleaners (ah yes, Asian let's not forget) that she calls her mum crying + exaggerating the number of cleaners suggests she is maybe not quite ready to face life outside of home...

Most hotel rooms don’t have locks except the electronic ones. I used to know someone who travelled with a door wedge to wedge the door and stop hotel staff from potentially entering. I personally wouldn’t be worried but could they pull a piece of furniture in front of the door or something if they are concerned?

Fucking hell people, males commit 98% of sexual assaults. The DD was right to be concerned when hotel staff have access to master room cards. She’s not over reacting, she is being smart. OP I hope you get this sorted.

I have travelled the work for work solo for years, and having no lock on the inside would be an immediate and hard nope from me.

It may not even be 5 male cleaners, she was upset so ‘may have exaggerated!’ maybe travelling is not for her just yet….

Don't want to kick anyone when they're down but if 5 Asian male cleaners and 1 Asian male receptionist are enough to make her cry, maybe she should start small travelling to London first or something?! See if she can cope there with an overnight stay first.

I know it was the fact that there was no extra door lock (which again is the situation in many nice hotels as well), but most people especially with another local Italian friend would try to think of a solution first.

I'm not at all from the "tough love, toughen up" school of thinking, but at 18 travelling with a friend I cannot imagine calling up my mummy to cry because of some cleaners who had done me no harm at all (calling my mum to ask for advice maybe). I know teens who call their mum crying because they've lost their phone/wallet/etc abroad which makes more sense. Anyway I know it's not my place to say what your DD should or shouldn't cry about but yeah...

100% if I had the money i’d be paying for new accomodation.