Appalled at actions of hotel staff

[Stopyourhavering64]

Just back from spending a night in a 5* city centre hotel to visit dd at Uni.
Had a lovely meal out of hotel and came back for a drink in hotel bar ( approx 10pm) we were sitting on sofas near entrance to bar ( which is also adjacent to hotel restaurant) when dh said...there's a mouse under the sofa I was sitting on!...first of all shocked that a mouse was in hotel as floors are all tiled/ marble and no obvious signs of where it could have come from
Anyway we were merely intrigued and were watching where it went....bar staff came over to see what we were looking at...by this time dh and dd had gone to the loo, leaving me with dd's bf having a drink
Barman reappeared with 3 other members of staff, who then proceeded to hunt the mouse....( all this was happening behind our back)....there was suddenly a commotion and one of the staff stamped on the mouse - loud enough for me to hear it squeak ....by time I turned round again he'd stamped on it again ...completely sqauashed it
Dd and dh returned from loo, they missed what had occurred ( all this happened within 5 mins)
I was disgusted by hotel staff's actions but didn't feel like confronting them at the time as I was so taken aback and don't like confrontation . Bar man then came over and said would we like a complimentary drink ...I said no thanks and said goodbyes to dd and bf and went off to room ....horrible end to a lovely day
When we were checking out dh mentioned it to staff and they said they'd mention it to management...dh uses this hotel chain for business on a regular basis ( the main reason we'd used it, as he accrues loyalty points) and is asked for feedback...he'll be taking it up with their management but wwyd in these circumstances
Obviously mice in hotel is not desirable but the actions of the staff was barbaric ...I now feel cowardly for not having said anything at the time

I hate mice, rats etc but I wouldn't find it acceptable if someone stamped on a mouse. It's not the best way to deal with them. They have obviously got in so the hotel has to suck that up and accept they could be present until pest control can plug any entrances and clear them from the property.

I’d be upset too OP, entirely agree with you.

The staff are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

I would be distressed. They could have caught it and put it outside out of view. Or driven it out the countryside.
I love animals though, and would have done everything I could to protect the mouse.

That's awful, I suppose it needed to be dealt with but I would have asked everyone to leave the lounge and booked exterminators, and told you so that you know it has been addressed.

At least they did something though, we found a cockroach in our room two hours after it had been 'cleaned' and hotel staff were aghast that we wanted to move rooms!

We were never spoken to about it again, despite having 3 kids and me being immuno-suppressed. A complaint to the CEO of the travel agent went unanswered.

You've reminded me I have a photo of our visitor and am yet to leave a TripAdvisor review though 😀

It's not a pleasant sight but at least the mouse died quickly, they had to kill it. Mice in traps can die a slow death as they don't always kill them first time and death by poisoning is apparently agonisingly painful. The person who killed it must have lightning reactions.

I agree with you OP. That is disgusting and I would be angry and upset. I would definitely complain.

They did NOT have to kill the mice. Have none of you ever heard of humane traps?

Ugh, that's horrible. I would have thought they would be able to trap the mouse and let it free outside. It would probably be caught by a cat within minutes but stamping on it? That's nasty. Mice may be vermin but they are living creatures.

I really hate mice and rats. I once stepped on one in the kitchen by accident and hurt it’s leg (it limped away). It squeled when I did it and it was a horrible sound. I’d have been upset like you even though as I say I really hate them.

That would have shocked me aswell OP & I’d have definitely mentioned something like your DH has. I understand it’s a pest but you don’t stamp on a mouse twice in front of customers or in private to be honest! That’s absoulutely brutal!

I assume there is more across the hotel so they need to be considering hiring a company in if they want to protect their 5 star rating!

Yes, they had to kill the mouse. Letting it go outside? Are you crazy? It's their business/employer at risk here.

They could have caught it and put it outside out of view. Or driven it out the countryside.

This is the most batshit crazy thing I have heard. Taxi relocation for mice. Jeezo.

If you set them free outside, they will just come back...

Taxi, taxi !

but hearing someone stamp on it , and in front of guests was maybe not the way to go about it

So you don't mind that they stamped on it; just not in front of you?

They either let it run around, because it wasn't going to nicely follow them somewhere private, or they got rid of it. It wasn't pleasant and I wouldn't want to see it, but I'd have accepted a complimentary drink in the spirit it was intended and carried on. You can't have mice in hotels, let alone running around bars near kitchens.

Isn’t it illegal to move vermin and release them elsewhere?

I’d have been grateful the mouse was dead.

I understand your shock, but it was probably preferable to vermin finding a place to hide in, then being able to roam u til it ea eventually trapped, shitting all over the restaurant etc.

It's upsetting to see, yes. YANBU about that. But given health and safety legislation, and food hygiene rules, I think they had to. If they'd gone out and bought (or found in a cupboard) a humane trap, who knows where it would have gone by then? It didn't get to anywhere else in the hotel and they now know it's not going to come back.

While you may get an apology from the hotel for having to witness it, I think they'll also say that it was the right thing to do.

How is stamping on it twice, quick or painless?

I can’t say I would get too worked up but for God’s sake - it’s a mouse! What on earth are people so scared of?

Pathetic.

I could think of much worse goings on in a hotel, if I chose to. I don’t think I would sleep in another hotel bed again if I thought too hard.......

I can't believe you just sat there watching it instead of reporting it to staff. Vermin should not be running around hotels. Seems to me that they got rid of it quickly and efficiently.

They've probably already got traps, humane or otherwise, like most hotels and restaurants. But the mice don't teleport into them do they? They run about a bit first. Usually they're out of sight, but this one was unlucky.

I can't believe people are advocating for the staff going to get the means to trap the mouse, chasing it, capturing it, releasing it outside. Do you think it would've stood still and waited for them to hatch a plan? Strolled conveniently into a box? They dealt with it before more customers saw it and offered you a free drink as an apology.

Until it was in the trap it would have spread urine wherever it went;

Driving house mice (clue in name) to the countryside and releasing them is not humane to the mouse, although the local fox/owl/kestrel will be happy.

Tulipvase You don’t appear to understand how phobias work. I am really scared of mice despite not being at all bothered by anything else.

"God’s sake - it’s a mouse! What on earth are people so scared of?

Pathetic."

I doubt the staff were scared. But they spread disease and bacteria, and chew through wiring, so most businesses want them gone.