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Hotel staff removed my belongings whilst I wasn't there

161 replies

Tothemoonandbackx · 31/01/2022 17:17

I didn't really know where to put this, so property seemed like the only place that seemed sort of, relevant. My partner has been working away and he's been stopping in Hotels. He's stopped in this certain hotel before and never had a problem. The other night, he had a disagreement with a staff member, nothing audacious. Just a bit of a mix up with the manager telling my partner he could do one thing, and the staff member saying he couldn't. So he goes to work the following morning and everything seems OK, he comes back to find the staff have gone into his room and packed all his belongings into his travel bag and suitcase and removed them from the room. Is this legal??????? And if it is or isn't, is there any specific law or site I can get this information from???? I've googled a thousand things and nothings really coming up on the legality of it all.

OP posts:
Tothemoonandbackx · 31/01/2022 20:12

Thank you for all those who gave helpful and constructive replies. I'm going to leave it here now amd hopefully it all gets sorted Smile

OP posts:
DappledThings · 31/01/2022 22:27

It wouldn't occur to me that a hotel wouldn't have the right to pack and remove anything on their property. If it happened to me I would probably be humiliated and angry, but it wouldn't cross my mind that they wouldn't have the right to do so. Weird reaction.

Elasmotherium · 31/01/2022 22:32

@Moonface88

I work in a hotel. There's no way this would happen without numerous attempts to contact the guest first, by phone if necessary if they're not on site. And a guest bringing lucrative repeat business staying 4 weeks at a time would never be removed like this over something so minor. There's something you're husband isn't telling you.

This.

Hotels are still very much struggling for business . That's why the on site restaurant is only open a few nights of the week - it's not economically viable for it to be open every night as not enough guests.

No hotel would cancel a lucrative long booking like that without a damn good reason.

TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER · 31/01/2022 22:33

There’s got to be more to this for them to cancel a 4 week booking and lose that revenue.

DuggeeHugPlease · 31/01/2022 22:37

No idea about the takeaway situation but yes they can pack up belongings and remove from the room.
This happened to me when I travelled for work and had booked through our work system supposed to be for 3 nights but the hotel had it on their system as 2 - just a mix up.
I didn't realise that and went about my business as usual, when I returned to my room my card didn't work and they'd packed all my things up and kept them in reception as to them I should have been checking out that morning.
I really didn't like the thought of someone packing up my things but I understood they had the right to do so.

WeAreTheHeroes · 31/01/2022 22:42

Are the two things unconnected and there's been an error over his booking which means they accidentally packed his bags and moved them or has he actually been told to leave? I'm wondering if he's been booked a stay split across two rooms which they were looking to resolve so he didn't have to move rooms. If they've contacted him to say they've packed his things up, has he said he has a booking until x date?

Coffeesnob11 · 31/01/2022 22:42

My boss had his stuff packed up as there was a 'system error' which meant they thought he was the precious occupant who hadn't checked out mysteriously 4 chargers went missing when they packed his stuff up. They found 2 but he invoiced them for the other 2 and made a complaint.

AuditAngel · 31/01/2022 22:45

If you can’t find the T&Cs, you could try looking under “legal”. It’s often a link from the bottom of the home page

Spectre8 · 31/01/2022 23:06

Wow I didn't know hotels don't like you bringing in take away food - learnt something new today.

Never had a problem when I've stayed in various hotels. So weird.

whynotwhatknot · 31/01/2022 23:24

was there any explnation from the staff-we tried to contact you or youre only booked in till today anything like that

they didnt just pack up his stuff and march him out

Marvellousmadness · 31/01/2022 23:24

RightGrin
And you really think that a small argument would have caused the hotel to pack up his things and remove him from the room?.
Your dh is not telling you the whole story. But by the sound of it; you dont wanna know either Blush

WeAreTheHeroes · 31/01/2022 23:24

They don't usually mind if you eat it in your room. It's eating in the hotel restaurant/bar/public areas they don't like.

Redsquirrel5 · 01/02/2022 01:42

I would ask to see the Manager and let him deal with it.

3luckystars · 01/02/2022 01:52

I would definitely get in touch with the manager, just to find out what happened. Good luck.

MimiDaisy11 · 01/02/2022 02:21

Did your husband speak to someone to ask for explanation? What did they say was the reason?

DorsVenabili · 01/02/2022 02:57

It would be interesting to know what their liability really is if they damaged something or something got stolen- i think they'd still be liable whatever the T&C actually said

NameChangeNameShange · 01/02/2022 03:38

[quote Tothemoonandbackx]@RevolutionRadio it's not a brand of hotel like Premier Inn or Travel lodge, they actually say they're a hotel on their website, but then also say futher down in their description that they are a guest house Confused I've managed to find the terms and conditions of the hotel he is now going to stay in with ease, just out of curiosity to see if anything came up, but I cannot find anything on the one where he was stopping. It's so strange.[/quote]
hmm I wonder if there's something in it being a small guest house as opposed to a hotel. I use to stay in one for work reasons - called a hotel, in reality a large house converted with about 10-12 guest rooms. The manager was the son of the owner, and ran it on his own whims of the day. If you were in favour it really was home from home, and great for such a long stay welcome. But, if you dropped out of favour you pretty much had to leave. I would totally see this type of thing happening there.

I doubt they have stolen anything, its more the power trip of "my place my rules". Whilst its inconvenient for your DH and probably also embarrassing especially if he still has colleagues staying there, I really can't see what will be achieved by arguing whether they could legally do this or not. Basically if he's OK to have moved to a new place, let it go. If he really wants to get back in - for whatever reason - he needs to suck up to the management - its their little kingdom.

EvenMoreFuriousVexation · 01/02/2022 04:01

This has happened to a friend of mine once over a dates mix up. She extended her stay for an extra day with reception. Reception didn't let housekeeping know, my friend left her room in the morning and came back to find the maid packing her shit up! No phone call, nothing.

Whilst this SHOULDN'T happen without attempts to contact the guest, it does happen, especially in small private hotels. (and if this one doesn't even have T&C on the website, they don't sound professional at all.)

I'd leave a shitty review on TripAdvisor then resolve to stay at better hotels in future. Imo it's worth a few extra quid to feel safe and secure where you lay your head every night.

incognitodorrito · 01/02/2022 04:38

It’s not his room though, it belongs to the hotel and if they decide they need / want it back then it’s better they packed his bags rather than stuck all his belongings in bin bags or such like. Also used to work in hotels and it does happen often. Normally they have a manager witness the packing to ensure no false allegations of theft can be made. Sounds like this has more to it than just a takeaway. Have they now banned your husband from the premises ? Maybe he’s on such a low rate due to the long stay aspect that they believe they’d get more money out of the room now that things are back to normal and were looking for a reason to terminate his contract ? Husband needs yo seek a conversation with the manager.

WutheringHeights66 · 01/02/2022 05:24

The OP has said this is now a guest house, so I guess an independent business that don’t want pizza grease on their bed linen.

DH stays away three nights every week in the same hotel chain with no issues with takeaway food. Their restaurant staffing has been very hit and miss for months due to Brexit and Covid.

A smaller business may be more fussy or get away with having that odd antagonistic staff member.

Move on OP and don’t give them your business ever again.

Momijin · 01/02/2022 05:35

Surely there's more to it than that for a small hotel to lose out on valuable repeat business?

TheCurrywurstPrion · 01/02/2022 06:10

I wonder if there's something in it being a small guest house as opposed to a hotel. I use to stay in one for work reasons - called a hotel, in reality a large house converted with about 10-12 guest rooms. The manager was the son of the owner, and ran it on his own whims of the day. If you were in favour it really was home from home, and great for such a long stay welcome. But, if you dropped out of favour you pretty much had to leave. I would totally see this type of thing happening there.

This was my thought too. Fawlty Towers was, of course, based on a real-life guest house. There are people who are that fickle. The story is incomplete because we have no description of the ongoing situation, whether DH was given any money back that he’d prepaid and whether he returned to be kicked out and still wasn’t able to speak to the manager who originally gave permission.

For me it sounds perfectly possible that this has happened because a rogue member of staff has been given free rein in the absence of the owner/manager and has abused the power.

OP, of course the hotel can enter and move anything, so long as they don’t steal it. Your DH is staying temporarily on their property and there might be all kinds of reasons why they might need to move guests’ property, so they will retain the right to do so in all cases.

Sounds like your DH took the easy path and moved somewhere else without chasing this up. Is part of the frustration actually caused by the fact that he doesn’t stand up for himself and doesn’t make a fuss when he perhaps ought to? If this happened to me, I might well move as I couldn’t be bothered arguing with someone so obviously unreasonable, however I would certainly make a complaint about it, probably initially in private, then publically if that didn’t work. I’d want to try to ensure this chancer didn’t do something similar to someone else, with potentially a much worse outcome if there was nowhere else available at short notice.

SweetPotatoDumpling · 01/02/2022 06:50

Blimey...just for having a takeaway? Are you sure? Half the guests in most hotels would find themselves on the streets OP?

I mean...I'd that is genuinely the reason, then sure, write THE MOST SCATHING review on Trip Advisor ever! But make sure that it is true first.

I'm forever taking a carry out up to my room when I've arrived late somewhere after a long journey...even occasionally ordered one to be delivered with no issues! Reception just ring up to say it's arrived!! Hotels are really not that fussed in the whole, as long as you're not decorating the walls with your fast food 🤷‍♀️

ENoeuf · 01/02/2022 07:06

Isn’t it that he was allowed previously to eat in the closed restaurant as his room didn’t have a chair etc and the staff member revoked this? Not that he wanted to eat in his room.
I agree with @NameChangeNameShange people are so quick to doubt a story but actually unprofessional experiences happen all the time. Someone’s nose was out of joint and they’ve over reacted. Or at a push op’s partner was very rude and is now too embarrassed to tell her. But I doubt it.

JustUseTheDoorSanta · 01/02/2022 07:15

Can you answer please OP about what they actually said to him and whether they refunded the additional nights?

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