People looking round our hotel room?

Quite. Not least one of them opening the cupboard. What possible, benign excuse could they give for doing such a thing?

Notwithstanding Reception's comment about 'standard practice' (as if) it makes me wonder precisely what it is you interrupted, OP. I suspect it's possibly fortunate that you returned to your room when you did. And you're well within your rights to kick up an enormous fuss.

I wouldn't let this go.

Thats bad 😧

That is crazy. I used to work at a hotel chain and no way would that happen.

I'd think they were robbers and employee in on it and would have been yelling and ready for shit to go down.

I'd be talking directly to management and corporate if a corporate hotel and insist on being moved. I'm assuming you've checked all your belongings.

Absolutely not normal or acceptable. Glad that one of the managers has taken ownership and will investigate.
I'd expect a refund of one night's stay as a minimum....

This isn't standard practice in an occupied room.
It's a security breach.
Email the manager detailing your experience and how it made you feel, ask in writing if this is indeed their "standard practice". If you don't get some assurances that your room is safe and secure and some compensatory gesture(the randomer could have slipped in a spy camera for all you know) i would name and shame the hotel to warn others.
I cant understand how showing potential customers an inuse room would be appealing tbh,sounds very odd....

No. 25 years working in hotels and no, I (and none of my colleagues), would ever have done a show round in an occupied room.

Weird.

He was appropriately horrified which tells you this is very wrong. Are you sure the people being shown your room were legit and not looking to steal.
I tend to think that this was a member of staff who didn't know any better/had a moment of madness at hearing the phrase 'wedding party' and just went against protocol, rather than being involved in a potential crime.
It's still the manager's problem though, as they should train and manage their staff adequately so they are very very sure that every staff member DOES know better, and that there will be serious consequences for any staff members doing anything like this.

No, me either, they'd have had my boot up their arse.

Definitely not standard practice. If you had a free upgrade to a suite and they asked permission from you then it would be fine but they didn’t ask

If I was there the people would not have spent their time leaving.

were specifically told that we were not to leave a review about it.
I would have specifically told them where to go if they said that to me! And I'd want much more than dinner comped.

I have needed to check hotels / hotel rooms several times for potential business bookings. They have always made it clear that we can only look at rooms that are vacant and not currently booked by guests..

My husband once opened the door to a naked elderly woman lying on the bed. She had swapped rooms in the night and reception hadn’t updated the system.

oh btw - a free drink or even two or three is not adequate.

They are taking the piss out of you. What are you going to do about it?

Fuck no. This would be really traumatic for me and I would have to leave. I would demand a full refund. Especially from the first response that told you this was normal.
This would have me in tears and leaving.

I’m easy going but I’d make an official written complaint about that.

It’s absolutely not normal for any hotel. what if something was stolen?

HI @Randomchat

I've been lucky enough to travel a lot and stay in many beautiful places.

I have never heard of this happening before. In fact, I have been told on several occasions that I CAN'T view a particular room because it is occupied.

It is a serious security and privacy breach, and I would be making a written formal complaint to the manager. A free drink doesn't cut it as 'compensation'.
Depending on the manager's response, I might copy the letter to regional management.

Include in your complaint how it has adversely affected your stay - worrying that someone else might come in etc.

Re compensation, I'd be asking for the hotel to give me another opportunity for them to show how well they usually treat their guests ie a free night's stay. At the very least they should host you for dinner.

He’sprobably horrified they got caught. It’s unlikely to be a one off.

I'm so glad you took this further. Not in a million years is this normal in any hotel 5 stars or not. The reaction of the second manager has my suspicions raised. He was appropriately horrified which tells you this is very wrong. Are you sure the people being shown your room were legit and not looking to steal. I hate saying this but number 1 - its clearly not the hotels normal practice. Number 2 - its a quick cover up if they get caught which they were to say - its a tour of the rooms.

Please name the hotel so all of us can make sure we never stay there.

Exactly, I had staff in a Travelodge in London just walking into the room with their staff key (two or three times) "Do you need towels, do you need sugar/coffee etc. IMO they were definitely looking to lift stuff.

I wouldn't be happy about this at all if they had asked I would of said yes but to do it without asking is not ok

Housekeeping shouldn"t go in until you allow it or you vacate the room? Make a fuss, get a proper discount or say you will publicise it with the name of the hotel etc.

This is not the behaviour of a 5 hotel. I regularly stay in 5 hotels. One thing that distinguishes them from lesser hotels is their wonderful staff.

I would be demanding to see the manager. I wouldn't even be polite. I would be complaining long and hard. They should offer you a reduction in price or a room upgrade.

Even so, you should get a feedback form from the hotel when you return home. You should complain long and hard on the feedback form. Then go onto tripadvisor or whatever you use and write an honest review on there. Future guests need to know if the hotel is not safe.

I once stayed in a lovely hotel. I was badly treated by a waitress in the bar. I complained at reception. The assistant manager was informed, she appeared immediately. I was given a free meal in another part of the hotel. They couldn't do enough for me.

However, i still gave a poor review. I praised the location, room, leisure centre and all staff. Except the bar staff. The hotel hadn't got a leg to stand on. I was honest.

I have now taken to reviewing hotel safety when writing reviews. Reception staff should not announce your room number to all and sundry in reception and all rooms should have internal security.
Let alone take complete strangers into your room!