Hotel rooms should have internal lock?

[TheNavygravy]

My newly turned 18 year old has just went to Rome with her best friend for a holiday. When they arrived they were greeted by a male Asian receptionist who had very little English or Italian. They checked in and discovered their bathroom was dirty (used soap, towels etc). On highlighting this 5 male cleaners arrived to clean the room. Then they discovered the internal lock to the hotel door doesn’t work (just turns around without engaging the bolt). The receptionist/manager is insisting there is no problem as you can only enter with an electronic key. They don’t feel safe but finding somewhere else will be expensive. They are exhausted and planning to stay at least tonight but my spidey senses aren’t happy. They have seen no female staff and no other guests. Am I unreasonable for thinking all hotel rooms should have working internal locks/deadbolts/chain?

Should I interfere in their first solo trip and bite the bullet with paying over the odds for new last minute accommodation?

You can use a folded newspaper to wedge a door - can’t imagine them finding g somewhere to buy a door wedge in a city centre.
so wedge door, put furniture and some crockery or something that rattles ,keep phone handy to call police if needed.
Bangladesh is largely Muslim so possibly women are at home and not working as cleaners -in a foreign country.

I have stayed in about 10 different Premier Inns in the last 6 months due to work travel and they all had the means to close the door from the inside so staff cannot just walk in.

“Every bedroom door is fitted with a deadlock or chain for the most secure protection”

www.premierinn.com/gb/en/business-blog/your-safety-is-our-priority.html

Have you read the reviews have others had any issues. If all the reviews are fine and their isn't a pattern about the staff and safety i wouldn't worry.

That’s really interesting. My last Premier Inn stay was 30/5 and as a solo female I was at the end of a corridor (maybe they had no option with that) but I don’t remember seeing a deadbolt. Maybe because I didn’t look as I don’t like to be locked in if I’m alone & may need help. I’ll have a look in future.

No there weren’t any reviews with concerns. I checked this when they first booked.

They took precautions last night with the suggestions from here and YouTube and they felt much better about things after a proper sleep. They’ll be prepared with a wedge next time though - as will I.

This is standard though. I stayed in a big chain hotel recently in a UK city, and a friend in another room helped me test the locking system (to prove a point when we were a bit merry and having a friendly disagreement about how the locks work). Even if you lock the door physically on the inside, your key card will still open the door from the outside, so any member of staff could potentially open the room. I'm guessing it's for safety, so staff/firefighters can check rooms in an emergency. It honestly didn't bother me, but if it had then I would've put a chair under the door handle. Those door stops sound like a good idea though.

There is usually a physical deadbolt or chain that you use on the inside that doesn’t open when the electronic lock opens. It’s a hazard in case of an emergency (like you become unconscious after a fall) but more secure for a female travelling alone.

She didn’t mention his skin colour

Realistically let’s say there were 5 cleaners that entered the room to clean the bathroom. There are also 5 young women staying in the room. Do you think this is going to be the room that 5 ne’er do wells target (I wouldn’t would you?)?

What most people would do if concerned is to pile up their bags by the door and think nothing else of it.

I’m going to go out on a limb and think the independent travel for these young women is a new experience. They are doing it right… safety in numbers… standing up for themselves (sometimes there is just no other room available)… and then just getting on with it.

@OP it’s scary for you, I get that but don’t project your fears on your daughter. Stop using booking.com honestly what you save is not worth the hassle. Realize that small things are not the end of the world and this is a huge growth experience for your daughter and her friends.

I thought exactly the same, the ethnicity of the staff member adds nothing at all to this account.

The key concerns are centered around a staff members lack of fluency in English or Italian, and safety of the hotel room.

Appearing to be of Asian origin is not commonly accepted shorthand for lack of fluency in English or Italian.

The speculation around the continent that this staff member, or his ancestors might have originated from does not assist in telling this story. It's entirely superfluous, and distracting.

I'm interested to know whether all of you who would wedge the door shut ever worry about having a heart attack or the fire services trying to rescue you in a fire after you have made it impossible for any emergency person to get in and help you?

Wouldn't it be better to have a very loud door alarm rather than a wedge?

I’ve never stayed anywhere with a deadbolt or chain. It’s been just keycards mostly iirc. (Occasionally keys still, but mostly keycards.)

100% if I had the money i’d be paying for new accomodation.

Don't want to kick anyone when they're down but if 5 Asian male cleaners and 1 Asian male receptionist are enough to make her cry, maybe she should start small travelling to London first or something?! See if she can cope there with an overnight stay first.

I know it was the fact that there was no extra door lock (which again is the situation in many nice hotels as well), but most people especially with another local Italian friend would try to think of a solution first.

I'm not at all from the "tough love, toughen up" school of thinking, but at 18 travelling with a friend I cannot imagine calling up my mummy to cry because of some cleaners who had done me no harm at all (calling my mum to ask for advice maybe). I know teens who call their mum crying because they've lost their phone/wallet/etc abroad which makes more sense. Anyway I know it's not my place to say what your DD should or shouldn't cry about but yeah...

It may not even be 5 male cleaners, she was upset so ‘may have exaggerated!’ maybe travelling is not for her just yet….

Fucking hell people, males commit 98% of sexual assaults. The DD was right to be concerned when hotel staff have access to master room cards. She’s not over reacting, she is being smart. OP I hope you get this sorted.

I have travelled the work for work solo for years, and having no lock on the inside would be an immediate and hard nope from me.

Most hotel rooms don’t have locks except the electronic ones. I used to know someone who travelled with a door wedge to wedge the door and stop hotel staff from potentially entering. I personally wouldn’t be worried but could they pull a piece of furniture in front of the door or something if they are concerned?

I never said she should just let it be. I was a sheltered child but even then I remember at 18 trying to come up with solutions while travelling. Especially with Google, and especially if my friend is local - e.g. have her source nearby shops with travel locks (even if they don't know what travel locks are, a quick Google would sugges that) or nearby alternative accommodation so I could call and ask my mum for some money.

To be so scared of a receptionist not speaking Italian/English and some cleaners (ah yes, Asian let's not forget) that she calls her mum crying + exaggerating the number of cleaners suggests she is maybe not quite ready to face life outside of home...

I find this thread really weird. Most hotels I stay in have an internal latch/chain/thumblock that lets me prevent access from the outside (although they wouldn't stop someone determined, I've stayed in places where they've clearly been kicked in a couple of times)

The fact that the entire hotel seemed to be staffed with men from a foreign country with a culture that is particularly misogynistic and who don't speak either English or Italian is important to the story, (see this https://equalitynow.org/learn_more_sexual_violence_in_bangladesh/ - pay special attention to things like 'The law on evidence specifically allows the introduction of evidence in rape cases which shows that “the prosecutrix was of generally immoral character”. and The law explicitly permits marital rape of children over the age of 13

So yes, their cultural background is absolutely relevant to the story.

and a just 18 year old calling their mum for advice is totally normal for goodness sake.

The girls were right to be concerned and take steps to safeguard themselves. Even in 'nice' hotels I always put the bolt on and put my suitcase in front of the door. In less nice hotels I include something that would fall and make a noise (eg some glasses) if someone opens the door.

I find it really odd that in a hotel in Rome no one spoke italian

Really? There are many hotels in London where none of the staff has English as their first language.

@TheNavygravy I don't understand why you posted this other than for confirmation. In your shoes I'd have booked my DD into another hotel immediately and paid the costs over the phone. Or paid her back when she came home.

That’s what I’m saying. This was a physical lock on the inside that you turned, and it made a satisfying physical “lock” sound. And then your key card could STILL open the door. I was surprised, as I was arguing with my friend that that wouldn’t happen! It must be for safety in a fire etc.

Can't they just buy a door stop?