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.

were specifically told that we were not to leave a review about it.
I would have specifically told them where to go if they said that to me! And I'd want much more than dinner comped.

If I was there the people would not have spent their time leaving.

Definitely not standard practice. If you had a free upgrade to a suite and they asked permission from you then it would be fine but they didn’t ask

No, me either, they'd have had my boot up their arse.

He was appropriately horrified which tells you this is very wrong. Are you sure the people being shown your room were legit and not looking to steal.
I tend to think that this was a member of staff who didn't know any better/had a moment of madness at hearing the phrase 'wedding party' and just went against protocol, rather than being involved in a potential crime.
It's still the manager's problem though, as they should train and manage their staff adequately so they are very very sure that every staff member DOES know better, and that there will be serious consequences for any staff members doing anything like this.

No. 25 years working in hotels and no, I (and none of my colleagues), would ever have done a show round in an occupied room.

Weird.

This isn't standard practice in an occupied room.
It's a security breach.
Email the manager detailing your experience and how it made you feel, ask in writing if this is indeed their "standard practice". If you don't get some assurances that your room is safe and secure and some compensatory gesture(the randomer could have slipped in a spy camera for all you know) i would name and shame the hotel to warn others.
I cant understand how showing potential customers an inuse room would be appealing tbh,sounds very odd....

Absolutely not normal or acceptable. Glad that one of the managers has taken ownership and will investigate.
I'd expect a refund of one night's stay as a minimum....

That is crazy. I used to work at a hotel chain and no way would that happen.

I'd think they were robbers and employee in on it and would have been yelling and ready for shit to go down.

I'd be talking directly to management and corporate if a corporate hotel and insist on being moved. I'm assuming you've checked all your belongings.

Thats bad 😧

Quite. Not least one of them opening the cupboard. What possible, benign excuse could they give for doing such a thing?

Notwithstanding Reception's comment about 'standard practice' (as if) it makes me wonder precisely what it is you interrupted, OP. I suspect it's possibly fortunate that you returned to your room when you did. And you're well within your rights to kick up an enormous fuss.

I wouldn't let this go.

A Trip Advisor review or a free dinner, wine and cocktails beforehand.

I've spoken to a different manager on my way up from breakfast who looked horrified that this has happened.

Good. I'm glad someone working there finally responded appropriately. I hope you get some recompense.

Best to phone/e-mail regional management while you are still staying there, you will probably get an immediate discount and more drinks.

Not acceptable at all. I leave my medication in the bathroom with NHS number and DOB on the box. I pay using my phone so leave my purse in the room.

Best to go straight to regional management now, the local staff will cover for each other maybe and try to fob you off, if there is a robbery scam many or most of them will know about it and may be taking a cut, on the other hand the person who showed the self-entitled clown group through your room might just be an idiot who needs to go on a training course?

Niot really a great idea, but I get that you should be able to trust a high end hotel, certainly wouldn"t leave anything of value in a budget hotel, no knowing what little scams the staff have going.

It isn't right but I have to admit that about 10 years ago we were staying in a hotel and liked it so much we decided to book it again for the following year. The hotel manager showed us an occupied seaview room so we could see that it was like as we'd had a view of the car park that year. We were only in there for 30 seconds just to take in the view but he did admit it was against the rules to show us when someone was staying in it (they were out at the time, obviously).

The hotel has since changed hands so even if someone guesses where it is from my previous posts it doesn't matter!

This is weird and not something I've ever heard of - like pretty much everyone on this thread. If someone was showing us around I would have thought it odd, but assumed they had the OK from the occupants and if, like you, they turned up and hadn't OKed it, I would have apologised, got out sharpish and given the member of staff an earful. It's not much different from potential clients being shown around their wedding venue during their wedding.

Like others have said, leaves the hotel open to potential theft.

I would name and shame especially as it is a 5* hotel, if it is true then it's fine and there's not a lot they could do about it.

I'm glad you've spoken to someone else who seems to be more concerned than the first receptionist was, and hopefully they will come with a more satisfactory response and compensation. IF they don't, I would be tempted to contact whoever the board are who awarded them 5*s. Ask them whether this is standard practise in the hotels they recommend.

On another lighter note, which will hopefully give you a laugh. A few years ago, I stayed in a 5* hotel (in another country, nameless to avoid outing myself too much). Call it a "second honeymoon". Midnight. We were "doing the do" No clothes, bed covers, in fact barely a "bed", when the door opened and one of the staff walked in, with guests and suitcases in tow. Mix up with room keys apparently. I'd never seen my husband move so fast, as he dived headfirst over the far side of the bed, leaving me on full display.
So, yes, I'd be furious in your shoes, but it really COULD have been worse 🤣🤣🤣

So if celebrity types use it - do they? And a journalist wanted to snoop into their room, they could pretend to be a potential guest? Bad for business if this gets publicity IMO

I would be tempted to involve the police. Via the 111 number. Law of joint enterprise could apply.

Glad you will report back.

I’m glad the second manager has taken it seriously. It’s one thing to ask but another to just go in without permission. It’s an invasion whether you were there or not, but what if you’d been in the shower or napping or something and hadn’t heard them knock?

Tell the manager your heirloom diamond bracelet appears to be missing …watch them shit themselves.

Wowza!!! This is grossly not ok!

You know that when people have house viewings sometimes things go missing, people off in a room without the staff? Have seen that on this thread too. I hate the feeling of someone in my hotel room or home who isn’t staff just in there. I have a friend who nicks things in situations like this. We only ever meet out and about cause I don’t trust her and even then she knicks the spoons.

I’d definitely escalate this to head office/ the most senior manager of the hotel. This would be in significant refund or future free stay territory. Whenever I have looked at an event space it’s strictly unoccupied rooms that are shown. This is outrageous. Do not let your husband hold you from complaining. Id ask straight up that this is not ok and would they consider refund/credit if they don’t offer. You don’t have to be mad about it (though you’d be perfectly reasonable to be) but factual, because it is bang out of order! A bit of a violation. You’d be helping them to change their policy on this which is clearly not translated company wide.