Man let into my Premier Inn hotel room late at night

[jennylamb1]

Looking for opinions. While staying in a Manchester Central Premier Inn, reception gave a key to my room to a strange man who gained access to my bedroom at 10.30pm at night when I was in bed. As a lone female traveller I was obviously very upset and went down to reception to find out what was happening. Receptionist apologised and said that the man had the same name as me- it wasn't the same name- and even if it was, she shouldn't have given him a key. To make things worse, I ended up in the same lift as him up to my room and he made a somewhat sexually suggestive comment which made me wonder if he was deliberately trying to get into women's rooms. Obviously didn't sleep well after double locking and putting chair up against the door. Complained about it and she offered to credit the breakfasts I'd booked which I accepted at the time. Been waiting 15 days for the refund to go through, which I've already had to chase up and which they reassured would clear within 15 days and which hasn't.
I'm now thinking that I didn't make enough of a fuss over this given the issue of safety for lone women and the additional poor service on top. Should I email the CEO and make a big thing of it?

Just a mistake? OP could have been raped or murdered ffs.

You need to go batshit on social media - warn women and lone travellers that this is happening at Premier Bins.
They won't ignore you if they think it will affect their profits!

"Can you report to police? We don’t know if this is the guys strategy to rape women and this is the one occasion it didn’t work for him or if he is in the learning process and he’ll perfect his strategy."

If his strategy is to book a hotel room and then hope he gets a negligent receptionist who gives him the wrong key to a lone females room then he's hardly going to "perfect" it is he? 🤣

Mind you, perverts do weird things. Like the previous poster. I've reported you you saddo

Premier Inn's (I stay a lot) provide pretty good facilities, but their key-card programming machines are rubbish. It's not at all unusual for me to have to get a card 're-cut' during a stay.
I think that the person who got a duplicate either has an accomplice in the hotel or has developed a technique to remove checked-out key cards from the little plastic boxes they leave out - which he asks to have re-cut.
Some PIs require a card to operate the lights in the room, many don't, but unless he was sharing a room with someone else, he would need an extra card to be able to still access his own room.

I'm pretty sure the one I stay in has CCTV in the public areas. So rapist goes to reception, cons receptionist to give him a key then goes and rapes or murders the occupant of the room. I don't think it would take a detective genius to get a nice photo of the rapist and considering he is actually staying at the hotel from what OP saw at reception they will also have all his details.

The most likely thing is the receptionist made a mistake and Premier Inn need to apologise, offer a refund and tighten up on staff training so it doesn't happen again.

“Some PIs require a card to operate the lights in the room, many don't, but unless he was sharing a room with someone else, he would need an extra card to be able to still access his own room.”

Not sure of the relevance of this. But any card, including other hotel key cards, will work in the slot. It’s just pushing down a switch to close a circuit.

ESCALATE ESCALATE ESCALATE. A full refund should be in order.

"I think that the person who got a duplicate either has an accomplice in the hotel or has developed a technique to remove checked-out key cards from the little plastic boxes they leave out - which he asks to have re-cut."

Really? Mate, this situation is worrying but you've been watching too much telly. It was a simple case of PIs system not being robust enough. He was being checked in to his correct room right in front of the OP after the (terrible) error.

As for needing the key for the lights, just use your bank card or whatever. It works exactly the same way and I don't understand the relevance here anyway.

YES email the CEO, the hotel manager copy in reception or the person you spoke to. This is unacceptable time to make a fuss.
I would also add that at the time you were so shocked the gravity of this error did not fully sink in for a few days but has now.

I travel on business and have done for years. This has happened to me several times...both someone trying to get into my room and twice, me being given keys to a room already occupied. It happens. I'm not saying it's right but some of the conspiracy theories on here are bonkers.

I once entered a room to see a half naked man (just a towel as obviously just got out of the bath/shower) sitting on the bed. I don't know who was more embarrased - him or me.

On once occaision I was travelling with my Manager, we were given rooms next to each other. My room was already occupied and I was moved. My Manager was most surpised when he knocked on my door on the way to see a client and a strange man answered 😀

I've never had more than an apology from the hotel.

I know this wasn’t your question. But look on TikTok for ideas about hotel room safety if you go again. Honestly some
of the ideas are genius!!!!!

I totally understand why you’d find it hard to sleep!

For contrast, I was checked into a hotel (different country and very different level to PI) but found someone else's belongings already there when I walked in.

When I went back to reception, they were horrified and so apologetic. Everything was immediately checked and the senior housekeeping manager personally escorted me to my new room (which they arranged within 10 minutes on a very busy day when it was close to full occupancy) to check all was ok - and that new room was an upgrade to a suite at no cost.

Mistakes happen, but proper hotels will do all they can to rectify it asap.

I wouldn't give a flying toss whether they could get a nice photo after I'd been attacked, thanks.

This shouldn't happen in the first place and should be a sackable 'mistake' due to the seriousness of what could possibly happen.

There are so many freaks out there, its not unfeasible for one to wander in and get in the victims bed, at the very least.

If this is a regular 'mistake' as this thread seems to show, its only a matter of time until a woman ends up raped, beaten or dead.

Which is why this 'mistake' should be a sackable offence. If it had proper consequences, it might not happen so often.

This happened to a friend of mine also at a Premier Inn in south/London area except it was much later - middle of the night- she was in bed asleep and woke up to find a man standing by her bed.
She raised a complaint and was very unhappy with their response. Supposedly the "excuse" given was it was a member of staff with a pass key but there was little by way of investigation and apology at all. Obviously I can only go on her account which I don't know the other side of the story but from what she said I was pretty disgusted with the way they handled it.

There seemed to be no real appreciation of just how terrifying this would be for a lone woman.

OMG! That is dreadful! Of course you must escalate it to the top. They need to check their training and explain why it is not a good idea to let random males into females (or any) other rooms not theirs!

Thanks all, I'll let you know what response I get via 'Dominic Paul's executive team,' who acknowledged receipt of the email.

I travelled alone for work 30 years ago and always carried a wedge, double locked the door (though most rooms had a chain in those days).

I still do that these days even when travelling with DP.

I'm ridiculed by friends for doing this but most of my friends haven't had the kind of shite experiences I had with my ex. I don't trust any strange men. I know what some are capable of and take precautions I feel necessary.

Escalate. This is happening too often.

Yep to this. Happens far too often. I get mistakes can happen, but basic safeguarding should be top of their list of priorities with clear repercussions for any staff member who eff's up.

Shockingly poor response thus far from Premier Inn. I'd be posting on their fb/twitter/X and instragram feeds where they get a lot of traffic

I feel your pain. What happened to you was appalling. At the time calling the Police would have been appropriate, and they would have kept a record of the incident.
Now is the time to contact the BBC or itv saying what happened. They will decide on what programme to report your story. If you don’t want to be identified or filmed live, they can use a disguise or an actress.

Wow! That's pretty scary. I'd escalate it.

Having said that, I used to travel a lot solo for business. I once was given a key to an occupied room, so it does happen.

Which hotels would you recommend instead?

( sorry about user name -am female )

               Sexual assault trigger warning - 

Def urge everyone to carry a door jammer , after some wonky locks and dodgy guests / proprietor experiences - but they only work if there is no one already waiting in the room to commit crime , as I encountered

be vigilant entering a room in case someone is already in there or is entering right behind you before the door shuts

I arrived late evening at a family style small hotel in Belgium to find , too late , that a UK based aquaintance ( barely that ) who was staying in another hotel had bribed the night desk man to let him in to "wait" for me

• He knew I would not have let him in - andafter he left , I could not call downstairs to ask them to call the police as the person in charge was complicit

I have been in a hotel where there was organised stealing of guests" possessions , so not inconceivable there might be be organised crime against the person also