People looking round our hotel room?

It's not acceptable in a premier inn either. Glad the manager is taking you seriously.

"We spoke to the reception staff later and they said it's common to let people look around occupied hotel rooms"

This is the bit I find so totally and utterly bizarre. I can understand them wanting to show people the rooms, we did it when we went to our hotel, which was the venue for our wedding. We looked at the standard rooms and the honeymoon suite. No biggie.

However, why on goods green earth would anyone want to look at an occupied room? There could be the messiest occupants in there with crap everywhere which could totally spoil the feel of a room and therefore put people off! It's such a weird concept.. Surely they want rooms looking at their absolute best when viewing. Its like going to see a house for sale that hasn't been cleaned, rubbish in the bins and plates in the sink.

I'd be reporting my £10k engagement ring had gone missing

I think you have misunderstood the irony and the allusion

Glad you’ve spoken to a manager who appears to be taking it seriously. This is so bizarre and I would be super unhappy. Hope you get an apology and some meaningful compensation- a free drink is an insult.

That’s so far from the norm that my first thought would to think they were lying about who they were and what they were doing.

I’ve organised events all over, and it’s more normal not to be shown a particular room because it’s occupied than for it to be free to view. But I’ve never been shown an occupied room. Bonkers.

I’ve had a few questionable experiences in hotels as a guest where I’ve been given the wrong key and walked in on another guest, and once had a bunch of kids burst in on us through a secret door (it was an old Manor House with servants tunnels) so I never assume total privacy. But YA definitely NBU.

What’s more, my review would include the fact that it’s apparently hotel policy to show potential guests around rooms that are already occupied, when those guests are absent.

I wouldn't do this. The person it's most likely to hurt / cause stress to will be the cleaner.

Personally I would probably have gone nuclear and threatened chargebacks and negative reviews.

I can remember many years ago in France we were given the keys to a hotel room that was already occupied. It was a small 3 star hotel and an obvious mistake. However the concierge was asking questions like "is the bed made, are there clothes in the wardrobe?" I told her that I did not look in the wardrobe as there were cases in the room and it was obvious someone was staying there. I had stood in the doorway and not ventured into the actual room to inspect people's belongings.

I'm a bit late to the party but the devil in me would be considering reporting a "lost" expensive item, last seen in the room. Ask the hotel to detail exactly who had access to your room between x and y time. Make them stand by this "oh so common" policy in writing and admit they let staff access your room without your permission and bring 2 completely unauthorised people with them.

You can always "find" the item later on.

Are you certain that's what they were really doing in the room?

I just wonder if 'having a look round' is a cover story by these 2 people and the staff member who they are working with to gain access to the rooms..

Was this in the UK?

In any case I'd be asking to speak to the hotel manager. Totally unacceptable.

I always put do not disturb on, because housekeeping could come in anytime, so from the point of view of someone seeing you undressed, the principle is the same-if you don't want anyone coming in, you put up the sign.
But security is another issue. And if they want to be allowed to show the room, they should check with you-I would be fine if they asked and agreed a time for couple A to view. What you describe is not ok.

Well done speaking to the manager. Don't let them get away with it just a free drink. List all the risks and breach of privacy you have been subjected to.

You deserve proper compensation.

it think @didntlikeanyofthesuggestions was joking

Exactly

It also says a lot about their culture that they consider a free drink enough to fob off the lesser spenders - relative to a wedding that is - but imagine being there when weddings are actually happening and expecting any level of service

Hell no, she needs to demand proper financial compensation!

Didn't you get the humour of didntlikeanyofthesuggestions? 😆

It's disgusting, I would be quite mad.

If I'm only away for a day or two it's likely that I might have MORE important/expensive stuff, not less as I'd often be travelling for work and have my laptop, important docs, fleet car keys etc. Given it's a naice hotel lots of people might bring their best jewellery or designer clothes/bags etc. Whereas if I was on a week's holiday in the sun I'd be more likely to bring cheaper casual outfits. OP could have been an overseas visitor with a passport. Even if she wasn't most people have things like wallets and car keys that it would be reasonable to assume would be safe to leave in their room.

Besides which it's irrelevant, it doesn't matter how much anybody's stuff is worth, or how personal/impersonal their effects are, the whole point of paying for a door with a lock is that nobody should be wandering around in it!

Hold out for dinner and drinks @Randomchat and tell the manager that is what you feel would be appropriate compensation!

I've stayed in a lot of hotels in my life and this has never happened to me. I would have assumed they need to ask for permission first, as you might have wanted to remove anything embarrassing or expensive.

I would be annoyed too. Cleaners are totally different as you know they will be coming in so it's agreed really.

That is absolutely unacceptable. I would put in a complaint and ask for a discount.

No it's far from normal. It would be bad enough if they'd just put a head around the door but fully in the room - I'd expect that night refunded.

This would be unacceptable in any class of hotel but a 5* should know better than to offer a crappy drink.

Weddings are where hotels make the big money. They are so obsessed with potential future customers that they neglect the ones they actually have. Says a lot about the culture of the company.