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?

The man she spoke to could be the duty manager on shift rather than the general manager of the hotel and it sounds like someone on a late shift was fancying a snooze instead of working, but there’s no excuse for not checking the system to see which rooms are occupied. Potential thief perhaps, deffo dodgy

summerhazedriftingby I managed to unlock someone else's door with the key card.
Not sure if the key card was 'wrong' or if one opens several. Just glad I was the one in the wrong!

She should definitely report it. Very worrying that this seems to be happening so often (as per recent Premier Inn thread). It seems to be particularly prevalent in chain hotels.

Awful for your sister OP, and its unsettling I know, I too have had experiences such as this in hotels.

But just as another suggestion, if you dont have a wedge or anything like that, you can use a towel pushed right upto and under the door, its a quick fix and does work.

I'm so sorry your sister had to go through that. Definitely go straight to Reception and demand another room, tell them exactly what happened and how this creepy bloke made her feel then whether she gets another room or not, she could get one of those £1.00 wedgie door stoppers and wedge the door shut, he'd have hell of a lot of trouble trying to get in!

A few years ago when staying at hotels I always took a wedgie with me so when my husband was out I used it then he just knocked on the door in a code we'd previously worked out so that way I knew it was him and I wedged the door at bed time too.

I've had this happen to me twice in a hotel. Once in Delhi - nice hotel in Connaught Square. All male staff. Me a single female. Didn't come in but tried to open door when I was inside...I had ordered food. (I had door locked)

Once in New Zealand, I was in shower and husband had gone out a walk. Shouted loudly and he left without coming in to shower room. Complaint not taken seriously at time and I replied to a survey that had been sent to me from their HQ. That cause a lot of problems for the manager who had ignored me at the time (good)

It's awful that we need to take precautions such as wedges, towels, door alarms in a place where we should be safe, but if you are considering this, please can I also recommend a very loud personal alarm?
If you haven't heard one, believe me it is totally disorientating. It will give you a few seconds to get over the shock, and to regroup, and it alerts others.
Think of it an an accident alarm if it helps get you in the right mind frame.
You can get wearable ones, too, goes around your wrist.

There have been so many of these threads recently, it’s terrifying! I honestly might start blocking the door when at a hotel.

Even if staff believe a room is empty, they should never ever enter without knocking. This should be something that is automatic for someone working in hotels. There is no excuse.

I have seen several posts like this over the past couple months, it seems to happen a lot. It has put me off staying in these bigger (chain) hotels tbh. I know accidents and mix ups happen, I know staff have access to all rooms but it really shouldn’t happen. We have had cleaning staff come in early before but have apologised (and were female workers). I don’t like the fact staff can just walk into your room at anytime, the card/lock systems are not ideal, there should be something you can lock from the inside that staff can not open but I guess this could result in people using the rooms past kick out time and using for all sorts of things.

I've not the time to read the whole of the thread but I'd be down at reception in a shot demanding an explanation. And I'm a bloke!!

As a man I'm not particular about barring hotel room doors but I can't remember staying anywhere where you cannot deadlock and/or chain the door from inside.

If there was ill intent I'd place theft over sexual motivation but maybe the site of a woman in her undies was enough to titilate.

Wandering down to reception in the middle of the night in a big hotel when someone has tried to get into your room is scary.

If there was ill intent I'd place theft over sexual motivation

Oh you sweet summer child, I can’t speak for all women but I’ve been sexually assaulted/harassed more often than I’ve been robbed so generally I regard that as the more likely risk

I also read it as your husband implied she should get over it, the same as he would have done if it happened to her.

OP was at 19:15 yesterday so I don't think it was the middle of the night.

And I've been around the block enough times, including working with a man who was charming sober but a sexual predator in his cups, to know what women face an men, on the whole, do not.

I was just expressing a view as to the likely motivation.

Always put the chain on when in the room. I also tend to travel with a small door stopper. That way you can react to them trying the door.

@Idontjetwashthefucker no, it was my wording that was at fault, not your reading - I see that now x

She's moved to another place but I think there's also a thread on that chain here somewhere?!! She's also buying a wedge, I know this because she ass-dialled me and I heard the conversation! 😂

I am going to get her an alarm, a proper wedge and some of that intruder spray that sticks to an attacker. She's also going to speak with her company but I don't know if an apartment is better (like a serviced apartment) for her stays as she's fairly isolated in those?

Wouldn't it be great if we could just organise trips without this shit?

Not as unsettling as others, but a Premier Inn, in Wales. Pouring rain. I booked in, it was a ground floor room and the stench of drains in my room sent me back to reception straight away.
I was told 'Oh yes, that one always smells when it's raining, it's near the drain and the window doesn't close properly.'
Thanks for that! It was a woman who allocated it, too.

This is so scary. You think you're safe in a locked hotel room. 😔 I think I'm going to buy a wedge too. I've never thought add more security to a hotel room door but all these stories make me realise I've been rather naive and laid-back about it.

This thread is shocking! The things we as ‘women’ have to contend with.

Op, I hope your sister is ok.

We should definitely carry a self defence spray, I have bought Farb Gel Spray for my family.

A lot has been mentioned about Wedges and Door Jammers.

Can anyone recommend a Door Jammer?

This one has quite good reviews.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DoorJammer-DJ3-Portable-Security-Protection/dp/B07HM7X6TT/ref=asc_df_B07HM7X6TT/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309785471682&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16151179021627703717&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006656&hvtargid=pla-637032124213&psc=1&mcid=03ef6903cc3f38ad80a7b5b0baf4fb6c

I used to travel for work, and needed the odd overnight in a hotel. In 30 years had 5, not exactly bad, but a bit concerning occurences. You are probably safe, but it does not hurt to take precautions.
I leave nothing of value in sight in the room.

You should.
I was In a small family owned hotel, maybe 20 rooms max.
My room had a door chain, so long you could have got a small child through the gap.
Anyway I put the chain on locked the door then went to shower, when I came out there was a man in the room. He very easily opened the door because the chain was so long.

I managed to scream, but usually in those types of situations I'm frozen.

I think he was on the rob, rather than assault, but you never can be sure.

I've never used one of those but it relies on friction with the floor to prevent the door opening and I would think the reliability could vary depending on the floor surface.

I think the ones that slide into the lock look more reliable.

Google portable door lock/security and you'll see a range of ingenious devices.

This was a family owned hotel?!

What happened after you screamed?? Did the owners come? Did anyone know who the man was?

Definitely report it. Even if it was a "spot check" there's no way he should have entered without knocking, while the room was occupied.