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?

Even so, I wouldn't have appreciated the reminder that men don't have to worry about such things, it's just rubbing salt in the wound.

Door wedge and alarm B and Q about £8

He was more saying it to himself, like it was dawning on him when we were talking about it that if he was in her shoes, it would be a bit of a shock but nothing that would warrant a call to his family about it (as she called me), a thread on Mumsnet, tweets on X and a trip to Amazon to purchase a wedge, a personal alarm and some spray.

And men wonder why we choose the bear 🙄

I hope your sister is okay and not too shaken, OP, and solidarity with her and everyone else who has had similar experiences. Mine was several years ago and luckily - because I tend to freeze in dodgy situations - he walked in on me as I was doing my hair so as I spun round at the sound of the door opening and closing, I inadvertently "brandished" a red hot curling wand at him. He scarpered so I presumed his intent was theft rather than anything else (I was getting ready for an event that started in the late afternoon, so not unreasonable to expect the room to be empty). I complained and TBF the hotel were very good at dealing with it, they moved me to a sister hotel at their expense and asked me if I wanted it reported to the police etc, so no minimising or deflecting in their part.

But we shouldn't have to put up with this shit!

Yup, small, family owned.
I screamed, it was about 4pm, no one came out of other rooms so I guess wrong time of day which is also why I think he was on the rob, he ran away. I got dressed shaking and went down to reception, no one there. Had to call a number on the desk. Finally someone came and told me they had no idea who it could be. Police called, nothing they could do as he had left the premises.

Do not count on the police to do anything.

I was given a different room, still I didn't sleep and I've never been back.

Same here, stayed on work travel for literally hundreds of nights all over world. No one does spot checks.
ive had cleaners try to get in - that’s it, typically at peak times when I’m packing to go out and they come in a bit early…obvious they’re cleaners and they always apologise
ive had staff knock on my door to follow up for follow up issues. They don’t try to get in with keys
ive had maintenance come to my room while I was out to fix stuff- always told and always told to ensure I leave no valuables in room. I will repack my clothes in case and lock it in that case. It’s not unknown for weirdo guys who happen to be maintenance to go through women’s undies etc .

but I’m a deeply rick adverse person. I first check fire escape route (ok, that was company policy) then look around room for any signs of where camera could be placed, then I put on extra straps/wraps over door bolt . I’d certainly never go to bed/shower etc without double checking no one could enter .

hotels are not geared up for women. You only have to use a few to realise they’ll put trouser presses not irons in a lot (older hotels mostly now), mirrors above desk with poor lighting and no plug so no where to blow dry hair or see clearly to put make up on, never enough hangers, stupid packs of emergency shave stuff but never a emergency tampon or towel etc. bathroom with no space to put out contents of toilet bag women’s safety and security is another one of those. Hotel industry still doesn’t think women could possibly travel as sole travel and not with some partner.

but hey, I’m retired now and don’t have to put up with all that shit now

yes, OP, REPROT TO FRONT DESK. INSIST ON NEW ROOM .
and tell them to search for cameras as it could well be he was coming in to retrieve filming stuff…

I'm in Croydon often for work. I've stayed at the Hilton once. I always stay at the Leonardo on the corner now. Always have a good experience. The staff are really friendly and helpful and always hand over an envelope with a keycard and the number of the room written inside - and very often a discount voucher for the bar and restaurant and a voucher for a free Costa!

Hope your sister is OK.

It's so alarming how many people have had this experience. I travel alone regularly and have never had any trouble to date (I usually stay in ibis hotels) but I'm definitely rethinking things like keeping my room number discreet and booking under Mr & Mrs etc. I often ask for a quiet room well away from human traffic and I'm wondering now if that's such a smart idea.

Have ordered a door jammer. I thought about it a couple of weeks ago when I last read a thread like this, but didn't and now I'm worried I'm tempting fate. Amazon must wonder wtf has caused such a run on that particular product! It sucks that women have to think about all this crap. It would be more appropriate for hotels to impose a curfew on unaccompanied men really.

Not really. I thought if he was so confident, they must all be in on it.
@greengreyblue also.

Dd has to travel a couple of hundred miles away for college. Its usually a four night stay in a hotel. She's 17 and dh can't understand what I worry about.

if it was a routine check he would of knocked on the door and shouted reception. That seems very weird. She needs to get a door stopper and I have seen some videos of a lady on tiktok who does stuff with coat hangers and towels so people cannot open the door.

Are they seriously claiming that their computer system is just for show, and when a guest arrives they have to open random doors until they find an empty room?

No it is not paranoia. I hope she has checked with the hotel management. That would freak me out.

However, does anyone remember Fawlty Towers when Basil was in a young woman's room for some reason (I can't remember the details but he wasn't up to anything); Sybil caught him and he said, "Just checking the walls, dear". I doubt the guy in your sister's room was checking the walls.

He really doesn't.

Fuck that shit stick on spray stuff. Like the police would take this matter seriously and bother looking for it (speaking from an unfortunate and similar expeirence here!).

On a definitely, totally, completely absolutely unrelated note if she is carrying around heavy bags/a suitcase all the time she should probably take a can of SPRAY ON DEEP HEAT with her, which is totally legal to carry around with you (just like, say, some hairspray) for the legitimate reason of muscles hurting which they probably do all the time, right? ONLY SPRAY ON will do for those tired, aching muscles BUT she needs to be REALLY CAREFUL not to spray it near her FACE and SUPER CAUTIOUS not to get startled and SPRAY IT DIRECTLY IN THE FACE of anyone who happens to wander into her room unannounced, because it is basically PEPPER SPRAY which is ILLEGAL in the UK but Deep Heat is NOT ILLEGAL TO CARRY for the legitimate reason of muscle aches which we ALL GET and will incapacitate the attacker your guest. Certainly don't keep in right next to the bed or on the desk where it would be extra easy to grab it in a panic and spray someone right in the face or in your bag walking the unfamiliar streets of a new town or even just around your house in the same places you absolutely would not keep a handy weapon. Definitely don't be doing any of that.

I wonder how many men's rooms are entered "by accident" as part of "his thingy".

I can't believe (although sadly I can) that he wasn't sacked on the spot.

This is really scary. I stay in hotels all the time and I've never had an issue like this, thankfully. I usually book for 2 adults (even though it's only me) I don't do it for safety reasons, but because I find you get generally better service if they think you're with a man. I wonder if it's a good idea to do that - might mean you don't appear as a lone female in the system?

I haven't been walked in on, but about a year ago I stayed in a hotel and forgot my key card in the room.
I went down to reception and explained I accidently left my keycard in the room. She simply said no problem, what room number was it. I told her and she coded a new key.
I remember at the time thinking great they sorted it straight away but what rubbish security! No checking on the computer if I was actually a guest, or what room I was in. She didn't even ask my name, just said what room number.
I literally could of said any room number and been handed the key to it.
Reading some of these responses, I'm wondering if thats how random men get keycards to rooms.
All it takes is for them to overhear the number on check in, or see you enter the room.

Well over ten years ago I was on a work 'Awayday' in NE England.

Needed to collect some stuff from a female colleague's room but she forgot to tell me the number.

Reception wouldn't tell me it until they'd phoned her and checked she was OK and could vouch for me.

He had a key. Staff have master keycards, or can easily get hold of one.

I see a lot of people here talking about putting the chain on too. Chains are easily defeated by a determined person. And men who want to assault women are very determined.

This 👏

@SphincterSaysWhat Did you find the tweet I posted?

I’m up for a mass tweet to Hilton Hotels, seeing as there have been two identical incidents of this in a short space of time, and in both cases the reception staff couldn’t care less.

It’s all very well us buying wedges and gadgets and sprays in an effort to defend ourselves, but that won’t stop them, and most women won’t be prepared. The hotel chains need to be pressured to deal with staff who do this very firmly, not defend and enable them; and to have much tighter procedures for allocating keys and instructing staff.

Funny we live in the NE and I've never heard of anything like this happening around here? When I told DH about it he said was it down south. Glad they were professional with you. I'm sure it has happened up here at some time. Just never heard of it. Only time I felt threatened I was alone in a hotel near Gatwick airport. I put my suitcase near the door to help me hear if anyone came in. But tbh I didn't dare sleep anyway. I slept most of the way to the US instead.

@alrightluv I was taken aback in 2010 but wouldn't be now.

Place was in Durham but I'm not naming it.

I live near Durham.