A lightning bolt of fear shoots down your spine when, returning late to your hotel room, you see the door is not fully closed. You know you closed it—and checked it.
Pushing the door a little you see that, not only is the door open a crack, but its bolt is thrown so that it can’t close.
This is what happened to my sisters at the Hotel Mercure in a Stockholm suburb. Luckily, it wasn’t the same day that they accidentally left their smartphone on the bed. (The phone was still there when they returned late that day.)
After the physical attributes of a hotel room, housekeeping holds our security in its hands. We can perform our hotel room security check and follow good security practices, but the maids can make our efforts moot.
A traditional hotel security threat has come from social-engineering burglars who enter rooms while maids are cleaning them and pretend to be the room’s occupant. To behave appropriately in these confrontations, hotel housekeeping staff must rely on their training, perhaps balanced by their own judgment and discretion. And anyway, rules are one thing; compliance is another.
Human error is a separate factor. How many times has that housekeeper finished a room, unbolted the door, closed up, and ticked it off her clipboard? Or, oops! Out of shampoo—she’ll just fetch it in a moment…
Mercure hotel management did not seem overly concerned by the security lapse. In compensation, my sisters were offered “a small dessert” at the lobby restaurant. The attitude, apparently, was that if they weren’t claiming a loss of property, well, no harm done!
I usually forsake maid service, leaving the “do not disturb” sign on the door. If you like your room tidied up (and even if you don’t), this is yet another argument for locking up your valuables, either in the safe or in your largest luggage.
Diane, how awful, and strange that it happened twice! In the past, Las Vegas has had a big problem with “door pushers.” See my article: https://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/hotel-room-theft-by-door-pushers/
What hotel were you staying at? Did you file a police report? I’d love for you to get back to me with more details.
This exact scenario just happened to us in Las Vegas Nevada, not once during our 8 day stay, but twice.
The first incident the beds were made the towels all hung and in order, but my husbands personal belongings were strewn all over the bed, everything, from the drawers, closet and floors…? Approximately 2 days later, the door ajar, lights off, my husband went in first to see that no one was still in the room and I followed in behind. The Apple Laptop was missing and we called Security this time right a away.
We’re dealing with them now and we’ve been offered approx $500 for a $1500 Laptop that contains all our personal information and for the breach of our privacy.
I completely agree now that it’s better to tidy your own room than let strangers….. For the shear fact that nobody takes responsibility.
Unfortunately my dear husband does this to the door when he goes to get us morning coffee.
I have waked up many a morning, to find him gone and the door bolt thrown to keep the room unlocked and make it easy for him to get back in with his hands full.
What to do…?
Complaining makes me look like a paranoid ingrate.
I’ve never had this happen and never even thought of it! Good to know.