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?

Fucking hell, that’s appalling. 🙁 I hope the hotel was nowhere near your area.

I stayed in a hotel that’s quite remote, attached to a pub which closes at 10 then there’s nobody on site til the cleaners the next morning. The next time, I stayed in a much busier area and felt a lot safer, but I’m buying a door wedge for when I go this summer. Bloody terrifying stories on here.

Another point. Not sure they’d do anything. But if her company uses a corporate travel site to book travel then report this to them and get HR and even company CEO to sort it.

I currently work for central government booking travel and though her preferred top hotel is part of Hilton group, her second is Hyatt.

A few years ago a colleague of mine had someone (unsure if it was a guest or hotel employee) enter her room in a hotel in Paris. She told me after the event and all I could say was I hope she’d reported it. And we wouldn’t use that hotel again.

That’s so scary! I’m unsure he was targeting her as a lone woman as he left immediately she appeared, I think he was on the rob. He saw she was there so legged it. Definitely get a door wedge though.

Dd and I staying in Oxford years ago, sharing a room. Woke in the night to find a man in the room, looking out of the window! Mostly asleep so mumbled 'What are you doing?' He strolled from the window to the desk (nearer to us), perused the things we'd put there, then left. Completely unhurried, obviously very much in the habit. I didn't bother telling the hotel as it seemed to be something he did all the time.

@StopStartStop You didn’t bother reporting that??? Your reason for not reporting is bizarre.

I am deaf, so although I try to secure my room better than a prison cell, it is always on my mind that I won't hear someone trying to get in. And I love travelling alone, but I just do my best and try not to dwell on it too much. I refuse to be a prisoner just because I'm female.

I have a little spray bottle of super hot chilli powder and water at hand if i have time to spray in his eyes. Never had to use it and hope I never will.

What?

Have you missed his point? His point was how gross it is for women to shoulder this shite because of men, whereas in his world he wouldn't give it a second thought (as an able-bodied tall strong man).

He wasn't saying that she should get over it. He was horrified, rang her immediately and had his laptop open ready to book her in somewhere else (he is always, always travelling - in fact, I'm waiting for him to get home from the shop to say bye as he's off today for a few days).

that is such a strange reason to not report.

@ilovevinyl ❤️ what a terrible thing to happen xxx

Complain to reception, complain to head office, put up a review.
Awful and frightening. Men just letting themselves into rooms of women in what? The hope of seeing them semi-dressed/naked?

Report it. Absolute bollocks comment from that weirdo who is casing single females. I once accidentally set off an alarm in my room ( steam from shower ) but the signal was only alerted to hotel employees and not me or the adjacent rooms. I only became aware because two male hotel employees politely knocked on my door to inform me. They did not open the door. I let them in to check the room.

I work in a hotel and I accidentally walked into a room last week with a lone woman and young child in it (I am a woman).
There could be many reasons this has happened, none of which should ever happen but it's down to human error in all the times I've done it/seen it happen.
In my example last week the woman said she had a late checkout which wasn't on her booking so it's likely whoever processed it didn't allocate it to her booking so I was unaware- the room was vacant on the system.
Sometimes reception allocate the wrong rooms etc.
Not excusing this at all, with tight procedures it shouldn't happen and I understand why a woman especially would feel uneasy and worried but it doesn't necessarily mean the employee was casing her out to assault her.
He shouldn't have walked off though as him apologising and explaining would have gone a long way

I don’t think the location is relevant in this case, plenty of stories on this thread about similar things in different areas including more “leafy suburbs” like Teddington.

I follow a fair few travel influencers on social media and they have posted links for portable door locks they buy on Amazon for hotels.

I didn’t think it was necessary but after reading this thread I’ll definitely be getting one before I travel again!

It’s horrifying that this is happening, I feel startled if I even get a knock on the
door in a hotel if I haven’t ordered room service. I can’t imagine how it would feel to have someone enter without knocking. I usually travel solo as well.

Billions of years ago (before kids) I was a flight attendant. As I said upthread, I have had people unlock my door and try and walk in (I always put the latch on) when they had been checked into the same room. Should never have happened. I was also woken by one of the reception staff knocking on my door with a gift-boxed apple… Thinking that I’d be “welcoming”. (I wouldn’t put out for diamonds or a car let alone a fucking apple!) Another time (same hotel… coincidence?) I walked in from having a drink in the bar downstairs and found another employee going through my bag. (He didn’t get anything and police were called.) I started putting my suitcase in front of the door before I went to sleep so I would at least be woken by the noise of someone entering.

I was staying in a fancy hotel in North Yorkshire years ago for a Christmas party and another guest was allocated the same room and just walked in. I was in the shower at the time. Luckily for me DH was with me and in the room. I heard a commotion and called out to ask what was going on and DH shouted at my to stay in the bathroom and lock the door. The poor chap who came in was just as confused and once they established was was happening was very apologetic even though it wasn’t his fault. We got the stay fully refunded (but no apology when checking out) and the man got reallocated.

This happens too often though, friend of mine were also allocated an occupied room at a premier inn/travelodge in London, and walked in on a woman - they were just given a bottle of wine and obviously a new room.

I ALWAYS put the chain on now, whether I’m alone or not.

That's what DH said, peeping Tom AT BEST.

No hotel would let a single male do spot checks. From the hotels view that opens them to all kinds of accusations. Least of all a Hilton.

And it creates all kinds of 'no that wouldn't happen, is that what just happened, am I wrong to feel that's a bit off' thoughts where we question ourself. Trust your gut. You may be doing someone else a favour too.

I'm currently in wrangling with a hotel about a refund as I was put in a ground floor room - note to self, others - never stay on ground floor as a single female . Was woken by shouting and police.

Should add even if they do, you knock loudly first.

I thought the rooms were locked once you shut the door I.e. you can't get in from the outside without a key.

I think we can all accept human error but if I accidentally walked into a hotel room already occupied by someone I would apologise for the intrusion, explain it was a mistake and leave quickly.

Sometimes it's a mistake and sometimes it's dodgy/dangerous men, you can't tell the difference just by looking at them so its always frightening.

I"m glad many posters are aware of the potential dangers but it's appalling that women are having to barricade themselves in rooms or carry additional door security.

This thread is terrifying. I love hotels and didn't realise how common this seems to be. Thinking years back to when I worked in hotels though, I can see how genuine mistakes can happen. Sometimes staff were given empty rooms to nap in if they were on a split shift. Or there are many things they can be sent to check on.

Also, as with anywhere in life, you can get all kinds of weirdos. And not just sexual weirdos, but social weirdos. Like maybe it was a genuine mistake, but he made it worse by slinking off and not apologising.

Though with the attitude of the manager the next day, I doubt this issue will be taken seriously.

Judging by the comments, it also seems like a big problem in Hilton hotels.

I hope she's OK and sorry she had such a shock.

Definitely worth reporting it to your corporate travel and corporate security manager and ask them to add it to their advice for female travellers* and consider removing Hilton hotels from their list of approved suppliers as they seem to have more of a problem than others.

Worth noting some organisations have started quietly removing security advice specifically for female travellers under pressure from trans activists so if your organisation doesn’t provide additional support and advice to female travellers ask them to and point out we face additional risks.

Apologies then if I read it wrong, it read (to me) like he was saying she just needed to get over it

There seem to be a plethora of these threads recently. Definitely buying a door wedge.

How terrifying. Another thing I need to warn my dd about when she grows up.