People looking round our hotel room?

[Randomchat]

Staying in a lovely 5* hotel for 2 nights. Total treat, it's lovely.

Yesterday we went out for the day. Came back around 3pm and there were hotel staff in our room showing people around. They wanted to book the place for a wedding. They were right in the room, the woman was in the bathroom looking around. The man had opened the wardrobe.

I asked them immediately to leave and they did but they took their time about it, actually standing by the door commenting on how the room was a bit small. I nearly had to push them out and close the door.

We spoke to the reception staff later and they said it's common to let people look around occupied hotel rooms.

Really? Is this common? Right in the room opening wardrobes, not just putting their heads round the door for a quick look?

We got offered a free drink to compensate.

It's still bugging me this morning. I want to go to reception and make clear to them that no-one is to go in our room. Dh says I'm making a fuss. Cleaners go in there every day so this is no different.

I'm interested to hear if this is indeed normal and I'm over-reacting by being bothered by it?

I'll be wondering all day if someone is looking round our bedroom.

I’d be really cross. What if something went missing? I understand housekeeping and maintenance having to go in but that should be it. I’d complain. If they don’t respond well and assure you that it won’t happen again, it’d be in the review if I was you.
Theres no reason at all for anyone opening the wardrobe. It’s not on.

Absolutely not a standard practice. This would also represent a security risk eg if there was some jewellery out that could be easily swiped without anyone noticing. Not to mention what if you had been in the shower or just flopped naked on the bed. Absolutely unacceptable IMHO for a high end resort

I’d be furious.
I mean if you were staying in a specific room ie the bridal suite, and they had checked with you first maybe but in this instance no bloody way!
Is it a chain? Can you go further up to complain such as Head Office?

Seems reasonable enough to me. No way I'd get married somewhere without checking what's in the wardrobe. What if it leads to Narnia and half your guests disappear?

Absolutely not standard practice. Complete security compromise. It would be helpful to future guests to write an honest review - I really would want to know to avoid the hotel. A couple of drinks wouldn’t make me feel that it is ok.

Im really cross on your behalf.

It's an invasion of your right to privacy, surely?

Oh I'm glad other people would be unhappy. We're having breakfast then I'm going to speak to reception about it again and ask them not to let people in.

It's not the bridal suite, just a normal room. They didn't ask. I might have said ok if they had asked and just looked in the room. But what was the man doing opening the wardrobe?

I'd be making a formal complaint as you've booked that space for your own use. Also if anything is missing or disturbed the hotel will be liable, and I'll be leaving a negative review. I'd not ever stay there if I was aware. How disgusting! They could touch/open your toiletries or personal belongings.

I would leave reviews mentioning this, and naming/shaming on every social media platform.

Totally unacceptable to show people an occupied room without the occupiers permission.

Which hotel?

It's like a long thin room with the wardrobe at the far end so he was properly inside the room. And the woman was inside the bathroom, not just putting her head quickly round the door.

Anyway, I need to stop brooding about it and enjoy the rest of our stay. We don't go away often and this hotel is way nicer than our usual standard so I need to enjoy it.

I don't think it is standard. I used to work in a corporate business travel department and often went to visit hotels that wanted to be on our programme. The rep would sometimes apologise that they couldn't show me a particular room type as they were all occupied on the day of my visit. Regardless, I wouldn't want to view an occupied room. Let's face it, few of us leave the room spic and span when we go out. This hotel is completely disrespecting your privacy and the security of your possessions.

They could have waited until the OP had checked out

I wouldn't be happy for reasons PPs have mentioned. Totally understand cleaners going in and I had a worker come in to do a random check in relation to the mattress, again that's fine

You could leave a factual review advising people that the hotel state it is their standard policy to routinely show prospective guests around booked rooms, and to allow those prospective guests to look in wardrobes and bathroom cupboards where the current guests have stored belongings. If everything else was ok I might (before posting online review) email the management and show them your planned review - give them chance to apologise properly and confirm it isn’t policy!

Don’t just ask reception staff again ask to speak with a manager.
and if it is normal practice why offer you a drink to ‘compensate’?

I actually think you’re underreacting to this, I would hit the roof!! Absolutely not standard practice, a total violation of your privacy. I’d want at least a partial refund. If it doesn’t get resolved I’d blast them all over social media to warn other. It would certainly put me off booking!

thats bang out of order. 100% make a complaint. If the hotel is a member of any organisations for good hoteliers i’d complain to them too. Possibly even a consumer rights breach. Potentially GDPR breach too if you’d left personal identifying things like a passport lying out.

Completely unacceptable. If it was for a wedding or something then it would be by arrangement so they should have arranged in 2 days time once you’d left.

How dare they. You have a reasonable expectation of privacy in your room. You have paid for this. What if your pants were lying in the bathroom floor or something embarrassing. Raging for you. Damn cheek. I’d want half my money back not a free drink.

And i’d leave a review telling potential customers that all rooms, not just bridal, are available for ransoms viewing while guests are there. disgraceful.

Absolutely not common. Surely, there must be a vacant room somewhere. Someone has checked out this morning and is checking in this afternoon. Those rooms in the process of being cleaned can be shown. They’d be getting a very firmly worded review anywhere I could leave one.

When we viewed our wedding venue we wanted to look at the rooms but they made it very clear that we couldn’t until the guests had checked out. So we made an appointment at a time to accommodate that. Very rude of the venue to just waltz in without checking with you first.

Definitely write a review to warn future guests. I wouldn’t want to stay in this hotel.

Kick up a stink with management.

This isn’t remotely reasonable as you’ve paid to hire that room and only the housekeeping staff should have access whilst it’s occupied.

What if any of your belongings had been pilfered? Easily done if someone has a mind to pocket something small.

Out of order. Obviously. Your DH is an idiot (sorry). Of course it's different from cleaners going in the room ; you know the cleaner will be in, and you can put a sign on the door saying when/whether you want them to go in.
A free drink is an insult. I'd make clear that if they don't apologise and make it up to you properly (I'd want at least a night refunded) you will leave factual reviews all over the internet about exactly what happened.
I'd also be contacting any professional bodies that might be interested (The Institute of Hospitality is one), and/or the hotel group if it's part of one.

That's bloody awful. I'd want my money back, never mind a poxy fucking glass of wine! Defo worth an official complaint!

.

I'd inform your insurer about this hotel- they can't let people into your room and have your belongings open to theft- it's ridiculous.

Which hotel is it OP? We all want to avoid it. It's not standard practice. I used to work in a hotel and policy was if a person wanted to view rooms they had to be shown room after a guest checked out and room cleaned but before next guest checked into room.