Woken by hotel staff

[HotelStrangers]

I've been at an important 2-day work meeting further from home than usual. Due to a long-term condition, which causes fatigue, I booked myself into a Travelodge overnight to avoid a bit of commenting (me paying, not work).
At check-in the lovely staff gave me a 'quiet room' when I explained the reason for the stay. By 9.30-10pm I was asleep, yay (despite it being like a sauna).
Then at 11.30pm I woke as a stranger was walking into my room! I jumped out of bed and shouted to get out. They did and I barricaded the door assuming I'd forgotten to put the snitch down (was sure I had).
Was just drifting off again when abput 11.55 there was banging on the door. Got up asked through the door if they were wanting me, yes. Had to open the door to a male staff member. I was stood there, bleary eyed, in just a 'Should not be seen in public' nightie, and had to confirm my identity. He said a brisk 'sorry for waking you' and when I said I was already awake as had had a stranger in my room 25 mins earlier he confirmed it was another member of staff as there had been a room mix-up. He seemed a bit annoyed.
No idea why they didn't call my phone and that they had to take my name with me there not dressed, face to face.

I'm now fully awake, hoping they're not coming back, regretting having booked this room, wishing I'd just done the driving, and dreading being exhausted in the meeting tomorrow.

I've just sent an email to the only email address I could find for Travelodge.

Am I unreasonable to complain?
(If I disappear will be due to trying to sleep)

I always sleep in my top hat and monocle in case someone sees me during a fire.

ODFO - without the D on the end

The OP would hardly want a bath in the middle of the night with randoms walking into her room!!

OP this has happened to me twice in the last 3 years (I work away a lot) but with guests being given my room by mistakes, it’s terrifying and I feel your pain. It’s also happened to a few people I know. I now ask at reception what provisions are in place to make sure things like this are prevented, and I double lock the doors or put them in the snib. Hope you’re ok! Nothing worse than when much-needed sleep is broken

Complain in person in the morning. Advice you've already emailed head office. Don't leave without a refund. Completely unacceptable especially as a lone female.
Also mention the bin noise.

Tsk tsk OP I only ever wear this to bed in hotels

I’d definitely not leave without a full refund.
It all sounds very dodgy. Even if they thought the room was empty, what was a member of staff going into a room at 11.30pm for?

That’s appalling, I would definitely complain and expect a refund.

My first thought was it is a room which is usually empty and the staff use it for crafty naps!

The last time I stayed in a Travelodge, and believe me it will forever be the last time, the noise from guests didn’t stop all night. Loud talking and shouting in the corridors, kids running riot, jumping around on the beds with room doors left open. I kept thinking it would stop soon, but it didn’t.

Turned out the majority of guests had travelled to attend a traditional big fat wedding.

I've several times at various hotels had someone try to access my room without knocking while I was inside (and sometimes asleep), but it's always been another guest who has been assigned an occupied room in error and fairly assumed that the room was empty. (Or just a confused guest misremembering their own room number and trying to get in with a key card that ultimately doesn't work). Hotel staff will typically have been trained to knock and identify themselves, just in case. At the least, the first member of staff needs remedial training, but I'd be concerned that perhaps neither person was actually a staff member.

My questions would be: (1) why did they need to verify your identity at 23:30? Why did they not do any verification that was needed when you checked in? It's one thing to ask for ID if you'd locked yourself out of the room and asked to be let in, but that was not the case here as you already had access to the room. (2) If they came to your room to ask for your ID, then they must have assumed that you were IN the room to show it, right? Why, then, didn't they knock and call out "hotel security" or "guest services" or whatever before entering?

As a side note, I've stayed in a lot of Travelodges and they are typically extremely understaffed, routinely leaving just one staff member responsible for all customer-facing functions overnight. The idea that there were two staff members roaming the halls after 23:00, in addition to the one that must have been at the reception desk during this time, seems unlikely to me, so I'd be checking.

I would hope, that as a lone woman, staying in a hotel, and a strange man broke into my room, the police might help me if i felt threatened .. or would it only be acceptable to call them once he's potentially on top of you in the bed?

Update: searched and found someone to speak to this morning (not as easy as it sounds). Told them about happenings, no call, complaint, and this thread (have obvs name changed last night. They were very apologetic and spoke to their manager. Full refund offered but told them I'll need to take this further as I'm so exhausted can now properly engage with today and wondering how I drive home safely. Its more than just a quiet night I'm losing.
Worryingly someone let me know this isn't the first time this has happened here!!!!!! Someone has already had a reprimand for doing this and is being sent for 'retraining'

I’d be massively kicking off.
the thought of this terrifies me.
if you were raped they’d have said you consented! You probably wouldn’t even get a conviction!

name and shame them on socials and get your money back and more.

go to the press!

I'm in awe of those saying 'you shouldn't have done this' or 'you should wear that'. You are clearly better humans than me. May be more useful to have that chat when I'm wide awake and you've just been woken from a deep sleep, then your decision making ability would be relevant to this situation.

*love the idea my 'not to be seen in public nightie was sexy, was actually more like the pic, winsiette but threadbare 🤣

Just chatted to my (sometimes infuriatingly) gentle and forgiving DH who never sees fault in anyone. He is livid. Only heard him like this once before. He's thinking about if it had been DD rather than me (knows I take most things in my stride).

You are absolutely correct - I’d be going tonto on the complaints procedures here. I hope you are ok x

You've got a full refund. Genuinely, what else do you expect them to do if you "take this further"?

On a practical note, I would use what happened as an ice- breaker for your meeting. If you are offered coffee for instance say something like yes please, I need it as I spent half the night dealing with hotel staff who felt it appropriate to check my room was occupied by knocking on my door and demanding to speak to me at midnight and then again 2:30am.
It just lets them know why you may not be at your best and creates a bit of empathy.

The man entered the room, presumably realised he was in the wrong place and immediately left (the OP says he entered, she shouted and he left)- I’m still wondering…what would you expect the police to do??

I think this is common but scary especially when you're alone. When I complained to a Radisson reception I got no apology. I was about to come out of the shower and had to shout at a staff member and guests to get out of my room.

Unfortunately travel lodges are often really badly managed. I remember staying in one when I was on a grad scheme training thing and the fire alarm went off at 2am. As a 22 year old not in the habit of complaining, I made a formal complaint about how badly the fire alarm was managed. There was basically one member of staff on duty who couldn’t speak English and didn’t have a clue what was going on. It took ages for us to get back inside and everyone was just so pissed off. Not because there had been alarm but because it was obviously so shambolically handled.

Sorry this happened to you OP.

You'd be surprised how often this happens in hotels.

• you sign in at reception, get handed key but receptionist doesn't check you in on system
• few hours later, next guest comes to check in, you are still on the 'arrivals list' and staff member decides to move a few rooms around, sees you still aren't here so gives new guest your room, gives key and off they go. *a few minutes later, guest that just went upstairs comes down saying someone in their room. *insert panic by staff trying to figure out who is in the room....

Judging by the timings, I'd say late shift staff gave you key. Then it was night staff on at 11pm & they were left to figure out the mess.

Should this happen? No.
Unfortunately does it happen. Yes.

(On some hotel systems, if they have key systems that are linked with the booking system, you physically can't give a key unless the guest has been 'checked in' on system.

For the majority of hotels though, they can just cut keys and forget to check in the guest)

re Taking this further: I will have consequential losses.
re Police: I had not considered reporting to police but driving to venue was thinking about how this is repeat behaviour despite reprimand. There is a chance this behaviour may escalate (typical path). Will consider reporting so the person can be flagged

The police surely would not be concerned about a staff member accidentally walking into an occupied room and immediately leaving when told to.