Sister just had some guy walk into her hotel room.

[SphincterSaysWhat]

DS is staying in London for work (a Hilton in Croydon I think) and she just rang me, a little shooketh.

She came in after being on site (work) and locked the door behind her and she is sure she put on the bolt thing (will try to add a picture).

Some random guy (a hotel employee) just walked in unaccounted - she was a little way around the corner so poked her head around and said hello. He just left (saying nowt) so she followed him outside to the hallway and he said he was just conducting a "spot check".

I do not like this. She's a single young woman on her own. It makes me think of Lucy Spraggan's awful experience.

I have told her to go down, report it and asked to be put in another room. That way he's on notice and he also hopefully shouldn't know where she's gone.

Any reason a hotel employee would do this?

I hope your sister is alright. I would be asking for a manager,a new room.and a guarantee and that this person (or anyone els) will.be completing a spot check. It'll be on the hotels cctv.

Is her work paying? I'd also advise hilton of this if so,they won't want to loose regular clients if this is a business that uses their hotels all the time.

Report it

A hand towel can work as a door jam if there is nothing she can use to wedge up against the door. Roll up but leave a bit flat right where the door opens so it catches.

Really weird.
I take a door wedge to hotels if I'm staying alone. Probably sounds absolutely ridiculous and a bit pathetic, but stories like this make me glad I do!!

So she went down to reception and had to wait whilst an irate man demanded he gets checks out and is refunded!

Anyway, she reported it. He is an emoloyee. She has been moved rooms (not sure if it's a better room or not, she won't care about that). Also free evening meal and soft drinks whilst she's there (3 days - we don't drink alcohol so they may have asked her if she wants alcoholic drinks and she said no).

She's got a hefty tool kit in her car, so is going to collect that and place it in front of the door so she'll know if it's moved as it'll make a noise and put someone off.

At least he's on notice now, if his intentions were nefarious.

I told my husband who is a prolific traveller and he thinks she should move hotel, that there's no way this was anything other than a calculated move.

She feels ok with things as they are now.

Your poor sister, I wouldn't feel safe there anymore, is there another hotel close by that she can stay at?

I would be reporting face to face, on email and on all social media! Awful thing to have to experience!

I am furious on your sisters behalf!

Also, she's getting a wedge tomorrow!

That's terrifying. I am partially deaf and probably wouldn't have heard him. It's making me think I would have to put something up against the door.

Thanks for updating; underwhelming response from the hotel. It’s a good move to put the tool kit in front of the door to alert to any unauthorised access.

If she’s ok then that’s fair enough, but I think in the morning she needs to ask for an update as to what the ‘reason’ was as to the incursion and if one isn’t forthcoming or if it’s completely barmy then she needs to advise them she will take it further. If there is no legitimate reason for his behaviour then he shouldn’t be working there anymore.

I don’t disagree with your OH, also something to consider for tomorrow - does she have a work associate who she can contact to book alternative accommodation for the next two nights? I would.

I stay in London hotels every week and take a door jammer with me. You can’t trust hotel
door locks, sadly.

Just a bog standard wedge shaped doit jam? I've seen complicated contraptions on Amazon etc., but I'm never sure if they'll work.

FFS, the craziness of women needing to worry about men doing this in hotels.

Horrifying isn’t it - even with a lock on the door this can happen. Awful. For the lateness of the day and if I was exhausted after work I would probably stay but would have a ‘Home Alone’ style set up inside the door - stuff on the floor that wouldn’t just make a noise but would hurt people walking through the door (upended charger plugs!) And then move hotel immediately the next day.

One of these.

Not sure if pic attached.

Spot check my arse. There's no such thing as a spot check of a room that's occupied by a guest and staff members knock if they need to go to an occupied room for any reason.
She should complain strongly to the hotel, give his description and ask to be moved.

Defo dodgy. A genuine spot check the employee would have knocked on the door and called out as they entered (assuming no response). Makes you wonder if he was intending to steal something.

Yes, she's away for work on a site down south (we're northerners) and will be using hotels in the area for the next few weeks (not constantly). She'll use a serviced apartment from now on.
For tonight she's barricaded in, so let's hope no fire. The shit we have to deal with.

Former head housekeeper. Only time we'd do spot checks would be on rooms listed as vacant not serviced or out of order. We would obviously check vacant rooms had been cleaned between guests and if a guest had been there more than one night, any checks on whether their room had been cleaned would be whilst they were out or would be announced by knocking and saying 'housekeeping' in a loud, sing song voice.

Best case scenario, reception haven't done the computer bit properly and the room is showing as vacant and staff came to check. Worst case, they've not done the computer and given the key out to someone else or someone has got hold of a key. Either way, she absolutely must report immediately and ask them to make arrangements to ensure she is safe in her room as a solo female traveller.

Same thing happened to us in a Park Plaza. I'd been back out to the car for something so walked back into the room on my own. A few seconds later a man in generic overalls let himself in. Claimed he was checking the hairdryers. Left pretty sharpish without even looking at the hairdryer when he realised my husband was sitting on the bed. We reported it to reception and they didn't react. Said it could have been an employee but that they wouldn't have let themselves in, so we were left none the wiser and wondering if we were just paranoid. We've never stayed there again.

I agree. The hotel have just given her a few freebies but no assurance that the man will be dealt with. Meanwhile he still has a master key and (probably) access to the guest list so he can target lone women.

She should report it to the hotel manager, and the police.

Social media too if the hotel continues to not take it seriously.

I have one too, shame that we need them but that is the reality of being a lone female in a hotel. Mine sounds an alarm when pushed against too.

This is her set up now...she feels ok with it - she can't open it from the inside with her toolkit wedges! She thinks she's safe but will move to the Prem Inn across the road tomorrow, and she'll have her wedge by then.

Thanks for all explaining spot checks etc, she hasn't had a useful explanation. She might ask for one tomorrow but for now, she's settled (she has very early starts so is always early the bed). I'd also like to know.

For next time, I have this one which I saw on MN a while ago and never travel without it now!

Hope she gets a good night’s sleep and, of course, she doesn’t have to deal with it on check out tomorrow if she’s in a rush, she can just advise them she is taking it further and ask for the best email address to pursue her complaint (because ultimately it has to be a complaint).

Croydon is a terrible area. Tell her to stay further out of Surrey.

I say this as someone born in Croydon!