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.

That is appalling

I think you could have interrupted some kind of scam or possible theft from your room.

Going back years. I remember this was one of the favourite ways thieves could get into rooms and take what they could.

They were in cahoots with some of the hotel staff. Who would given them a key or card to get in. They would keep an eye on guests on their comings and goings from the hotel.

Before CCTV was all over the place.

I would complaint vehemently to the hotel. And leave a really candid review on TripAdvisor.

That is rank out of order and I would be furious! We're getting married in 2 weeks and we were being shown round our hotel and owner showed us round 2 of the rooms but mentioned a couple of others that could be used as a bridal suite but told us they were currently occupied & she can show us another time which I totally respected. That's dreadful! I would mention this if you do a review.

Just come back from our lovely holiday (4* hotel). We had a similar thing happen.
Was spending the day by the pool, but had put the 'do not disturb' on the door as we didn't need the room cleaning or new towels that day. I'd popped back to the room mid morning to use the bathroom and grab a couple of things. Just getting my things together and there is a quick knock at the door. Heading towards the door and someone has used a key and is coming in!
I was like, excuse me?!
The lady was the hotel manger followed by several people with clip boards.
I got lots of apologies and they left.
But, I was quite annoyed as I had put the sign on the door (which I pointed out to her) and what if I had been sat on the toilet, like I was a few minutes earlier?
I didn't complain though, as no harm was done. I was just annoyed. Maybe I should have though?

A review warns other potential customers. If you decide to write one it should be honest - what happened and the compensation.

It was humour 🫣

Not professional, if the room was occupied, they should have told the people this and then showed them a similar unoccupied room.

Absolutely not acceptable. I’ve stayed in 5 star hotels and resorts literally all around the world for the last 30 years (mostly) for work but also pleasure and I have never, ever had this happen. They should show potential wedding clients round on change over day. Complete invasion of privacy and I would be telling them the complementary drink is an insult! I very rarely had to make a complaint about anything on my stays tbh but if I have then I’ve always been offered a free night to use at my discretion or an upgrade to a suite if I’m not already in one. A complementary drink is what you get on arrival and by no means adequate for showing random people around your room. I will say because of all the travel I am top tier of the different hotels membership programme but tbh that shouldn’t make any difference when it comes to customer satisfaction so I would definitely be speaking to the manager if I were you and if that doesn’t get you anywhere then email head office!

Did you not read the OP's post where she said "He has offered us one free night and no charge for breakfasts and has left a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates in our room."?

Bit more than a complimentary drink to be fair!

Yes, you absolutely should complain! What’s the point of them giving you a DND thing if they then disregard it?

Sorry, what? Walked in without knocking and with strangers in tow? I hope you kicked up a massive stink. I’d want a fawning apology and compensation for that.

You definitely should.

I had a similar experience. The wedding coordinator looked about 15. She didnt have strangers with her but thought she could just swan in and out whilst we were having hair done etc.

Her feet didnt touch the floor when I'd dealt with her. She apologised and spent the rest of the day avoiding me. When I checked out and complained the next day, she ran away in order to avoid confrontation.

P.s. I have never understood why people want wedding photos taken in their knickers.

Wow I think you’re underreacting. What if you’d left your passport out, your jewellery and it had been stolen? Or your sex toys beside the bed? Your dirty pants? You have an expectation of privacy in the room! What if you’d been in the room and had been getting out of the shower or having a nap when they unlocked the door with this random person, that would make me feel very unsafe. I think I would be off the scale furious and the only thing that would make me feel better is if they acknowledged it was a screw up and put in staff training and explained how they were sure it would never happen again. If they maintained it was policy I’d put it all over the internet.

Bizarrely I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t really at my best on my wedding day as I was unexpectedly 21 weeks pregnant, I felt out of place at my own wedding and really self conscious. Had I been at my best and probably having had a drink or two I might have thought more about it! It wasn’t the only thing we had issues with that day with the owners. Left a bad taste 😒

I'm a tour operator and when I go on trips hotel inspections is one part of what I do. We only get shown vacant rooms, and if there are none very occasionally I might see an occupied one from the doorway, but never to enter. And sometimes it none are free then is just see the common areas.

Them asking, fine. You can say no.
But, just going in like that? No way!

No I didn’t read every comment and reply. I read the first page or so and they had literally only been offered a complimentary drink and told it was standard to show people round an occupied room… I was pointing out it was absolutely not standard procedure for any hotel and the drink was an insult! Clearly someone in management at the hotel actually agreed with me as they then offered her the free night/ breakfast/ champagne and chocolates to say sorry for the f*ck up! Do you think I would have posted what I did if I had read the hotel had already increased their drink offer, what would be the point of that exactly? 🙄

Would you be happy for a future bride & groom to be shown around the bridal suite on your wedding day or the morning after?

What a pity people cast a shadow when it should have been such a special day

Do you think I would have posted what I did if I had read the hotel had already increased their drink offer, what would be the point of that exactly? 🙄

I totally understand not reading every single post in a thread, but surely, the least you should do is have the courtesy to read the OP's posts before you post yourself to see if there are any other updates? Which there was. Because you also said "I would definitely be speaking to the manager if I were you and if that doesn’t get you anywhere then email head office". So if you had read the OP's posts, you would have seen your advice was unnecessary.

And your comments to me are unnecessary but here we are….

Absolute rubbish comment from the hotel. I've worked in hotels for many years, and this is just not done. Outrageous!

Your last comment re the opening of the wardrobe did it for me! 😡
Even if you read the 'small print' and unbelievably it were to say that this was 'standard practice' and could happen it is surely the responsibility of the staff doing the 'show around' to ensure that the prospective clients stay just inside the door, do not enter the room fully and absolutely DO NOT go around opening wardrobes...NO WAY JOSE!!!! 🙄
I do think however that it's unacceptable and a couple of drinks goes nowhere near enough to compensate for this disgraceful occurrence and invasion of your privacy and you need to ignore your complacent DH and take it much further! You say you raised the issue at reception and did that include speaking to management? I would not let this rest and cannot believe that they're allowed to do this...😱

It is definitely NOT normal and any staff doing this should be sacked!!

UPDATE
Ive just noticed your post that said they pushed their way past the chambermaid. I would have given the couple a shove to "encourage" them to leave!