Somebody has just walked into our hotel room at 4am

[Batmam]

Me and DP were fast asleep in a (large, chain) hotel and a woman with a suitcase has just let herself in with a key - don’t know who was more shocked her or us! We didn’t have any clothes on but were under the sheets thank god. I was sleeping so deeply it took me a second to realise what was going on. Never had this happen before in my life, and after everything that happened with Premier Inn I thought hotels would be even more diligent about security.

Phoned reception and she was more concerned with getting our details than actually apologising. It wasn’t a mistake with the key, the woman was told that this was her room. I’ve never worked in a hotel, but how could this happen? We checked in in person last night and signed for the room. Already paid when booking unfortunately. Surely the system should have known this room was occupied?

We’ve bolted the door now and it obviously won’t happen again tonight, but I doubt I’ll be able to go back to sleep now...

• [Correction at OP's request - the security incident mentioned was at a Travelodge hotel, not a Premier Inn]

Goodness what an unsympathetic response! Next time something frightening happens to you I hope you are not met with the same attitude. Quite unpleasant.

People need to build resiliency. Breaking down over everything minor thing is not good (and I'm not going to pretend it is)

The reason I've been able to travel the globe as a single women through Africa, middle east, South America etc is that I can roll with the punches and deal when things don't go as planned.

We get it, you're totally cool with randoms coming into your bedroom in a strange place in the middle of the night while you're asleep. It's happened loads of times in the multiple dozens of places you have stayed in. Never bothered you. Bit of a laugh. Something to tell the grandchildren.

Other people are allowed to feel differently to you if it happens to them. Other people are allowed to be scared, and still shaken about what happened a few days later. You don't get to dictate to people how they should feel.

HTH.

That’s terrible OP. It is good advice to lock the door from the inside where possible but it still Shouldn’t have happened and it’s not your fault. I’d have been terrified too.

Once I entered a room that had a bed that looked completely unmade and I could smell a strong scent of sweat/body odour . I got such a fright that I immediately ran back out with my luggage.

I am not sure if it was still occupied by someone who wasn’t in the room at that present moment, but hadn’t checked out yet or if the room just hadn’t been made up again but I didn’t hang around to find out!

I went back to reception and kicked up a fuss 😂

It was a holiday inn hotel in Texas and it worked out for me, because I’d actually booked a 4 night stay in the wrong holiday inn 🤦🏻‍♀️ this was way further out and not the one in downtown Houston as I’d intended. It was also a bit shabby.

So because they made a mistake with the room, their “apology” to me was letting me leave after one night which I paid for, but then waiving the cancellation charge for the other three nights I wasn’t staying for.

I was past the cut off date for cancellation so otherwise they’d have charged me the entire reservation even if I left after one night.

I was able to get a good last minute deal on a hotel in downtown Houston so it worked out perfectly.

I travel a lot for work - all kinds of hotels of varying stars.
The deadlock is being taken out or silently disabled in some hotels because of fire/wellness reasons. It’s now pretty unusual to have a chain in recently renovated rooms.

The plastic door stops you buy on Amazon are okay but don’t work on the doors with a saddle especially some of the chains mentioned here.

The victim blaming here is eye opening.

When you are in a deep sleep and suddenly woken, your body floods with adrenaline and you are terrified. It doesn't matter who or what it is. I've been woken by my own dog coming into the bedroom and have taken ages to calm down and be able to get back to sleep.

It's not the 'who', it's the 'what'.

Unless you're one of the women who has been in the news for being raped of course, or did you think they were drama queens as well? Its a fucking disgrace that hotels are putting people at risk with their slap dash service.

Friends who are intrepid explorers and have spent years on the road said the same until they had a couple of life threatening experiences in Africa and Asia on their latest trips.

They now say it’s largely luck even if you meticulously plan.

Thank you so much for the tip. I had no idea there was such a thing as a portable door lock.

I hope you have been refunded for your stay, if not contact the highest level of staff. You can always leave a message on the hotel group's social media. They do not like adverse publicity and will ask you to send a private message. You can always let the local news know. The recent situation with Travel Lodge should see the Chief Executive act quickly . That must have been so worrying for you. I hope you get a quick result OP. Don't take any notice of the people who are trivialising this. It is a breach of safety and the hotel needs to deal with it.

Yep. Utterly baffled at the 'why is it scary' comment. I mean, really......?!

Yes you get them from Amazon. I’ve seen a few solo travel influencers post about them.

I'm been really surprised to have started in two hotels in the last few years that didn't have an additional lock or bolt from the inside. One was a Bloc hotel at Gatwick the other I can't remember, but as a lone woman guest it is so scary. I now always take a wedge, but surely a secure door should be a basic.

Would you be saying that if it was a man with a briefcase?

Didn't think so!

That's fair bit I don't think a woman accidentally walking into your room by mistake counts as life threatening situation. Which is why I'm not freaking out as much as OP is.

It’s MN where women are all angelic and can never do any wrong or cause harm or fear no matter what the context.

Yep!

The OP hasn't "broken down", so perhaps you could work on your reading skills.

The reason you've been able to travel the globe as a single women (sic) is because you want to, you can afford it, your job makes you do it, or something nasty to put you off hasn't happened yet.

How rude. Shutting the door is not locking it. I treat hotel doors like my front door - when I go to bed I lock it properly. Obviously hotels differ but most (if not all) have a means to lock it properly.

Work on empathy and engagement.

HTH

@SnowflakesandSlippers half decent hotels provide dressing gowns, otherwise throw your jeans t shirt and shoes on. I can dress in under a minute. I don’t own nightwear

PeachyDaisy's "not like other girls".

In the first minute it could have been anyone! You could be alone and a man could get in - it has happened before. I travel a lot and take a wedge with me.

It can never be a fool proof system when you have new trainees, people helping out etc... human error happens in every walk of life.

I give empathy when it warranted. This was not a big deal, far worse happens to women. OP is overreacting