I had a very un-nerving experience today at the Sheraton Bucks County in Langhorne PA. I checked in on Monday evening late and I was given an upgrade to an executive floor room #1412 newly equipped with the Sweet Sleeper bed. Everything was good until I went to get my morning paper at around 6:30AM when I suddenly realized that my door was firmly bolted shut.
I played with the security bolt, I wiggled the handle, I even kicked the door a couple of times, but there was no way to open the door. I called the front desk and the fellow didn't seem to understand that I was locked in and not out of my room, as there was no way I could go down and get another key. Once he realized what was going on, he sent a maintenance man, who arrived within 5 minutes and he openned the door with his master pass key.
I typically spend around 100 nights a year in hotels with about 70% of my business going to Starwoods. Stuff happens, I have had people staying in the room I was assigned, I have had people walk in on me, I have certainly locked myself out more than once, but in all my years on the road, I have never been locked into a room!
Apparently there was a pin inside the lock that worked its way loose, so the handle turned but the latch would not disengage.
When I went down to check out, I was livid. Normally I am pretty unflappable, but the thought of being locked into a room and absolutely helpless to get out was both scary and maddening. What if there had been a fire and I needed to get out quickly?? The manager heard it all and I'll admit he handled it pretty skilfully, but in the end a few Starwood points on my account does not change the fact that this was a potentially dangerous situation.
Has anybody ever had this happen to them before and what would you recommend as a course of action should it happen again?
DF
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....airline economics: The only industry where the value of a perishable goes up as the best before date approaches....
BobbySteel
Feb 24, 04, 11:39 pm
uh, the lock failed man, get over it. not much you can do - this could happen with any lock anywhere.
dingo
Feb 25, 04, 6:42 am
While unnerving, it sounds to me like you got taken care of just fine. If you want to pursue it further, go for it but I'd not be disappointed if all you got was a sincere apology from higher up.
It could have been worse. Your room could have been infested with ladybugs or doggie dukie or rotting food!
Sorry to keep bringing these threads up...they just make me smile. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
Doc Fraud
Feb 25, 04, 7:44 am
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dingo:
While unnerving, it sounds to me like you got taken care of just fine. If you want to pursue it further, go for it but I'd not be disappointed if all you got was a sincere apology from higher up.
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For the record this has nothing to do with compensation. I'm fine with the way the matter was handled. I was merely asking if others had faced similar situations and what they did.
DF
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....airline economics: The only industry where the value of a perishable goes up as the best before date approaches....
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Doc Fraud:
... Stuff happens, I have had people staying in the room I was assigned, I have had people walk in on me ...
</font>
While hunting around the Sheraton Cairo El Gezirah for a room with reasonable furniture, accompanied by a very helpful key-wielding front desk clerk, we all happened in on a couple making very good use of the bed ...
1K_From_SNA
Feb 25, 04, 8:15 pm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ajnaro:
While hunting around the Sheraton Cairo El Gezirah for a room with reasonable furniture, accompanied by a very helpful key-wielding front desk clerk, we all happened in on a couple making very good use of the bed ...</font>
Did you wake them up when you went in? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
yashan
Feb 26, 04, 3:18 pm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by ajnaro:
While hunting around the Sheraton Cairo El Gezirah for a room with reasonable furniture, accompanied by a very helpful key-wielding front desk clerk, we all happened in on a couple making very good use of the bed ...</font>
I'll never understand why people don't lock their doors. I guess this gives them (and you) a story to share with others. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
ajnaro
Feb 26, 04, 6:14 pm
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 1K_From_SNA:
Did you wake them up when you went in? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif
</font>
No, they were quite awake already -- apparently carrying out some sort of physical activity involving a good deal of thrusting. It seemed to me that they did not notice our presence.
And, just for the sake of the record, the door to their room WAS locked. As I stated, the helpful front desk clerk had a key. From that point on he knocked on each door before opening it.
[This message has been edited by ajnaro (edited Feb 26, 2004).]
ormsby2003
Feb 27, 04, 10:14 am
That has happened to me as well....the being walked in on ordeal. Of course my door was locked. It has actually happened twice - once when I was just undressed and once when we were "preoccupied" - It was a mortifying ordeal especially because their retreat from was delayed because the hotel staff dropped their key on the floor when they walked in and while she was scrambling for the key the other couple just stood there staring. OMG. Guess we should be noiser to warn intruders.
As for the original poster's experience with the lock - heck, I'd be paniced and pissed too about that. Oh OF COURSE it could happen "anywhere", but heck, it's never happened to any lock in any home or apartment or hotel I'VE stayed in and THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS A HOTEL.....AND WE HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT SINCE THIS IS THEIR BUSINESS - THEIR THING - WELL, THEN the toliets should flush, the rooms should be clean, the sheets shouldn't be stained the phones should ring and the stinking doors should lock AND unlock. Don't know what satisfaction you are willing to pursue....and I'm not sure he was really looking for tips on how to get that - He seems pretty capable.....I think he was just looking for someone to commiserate with and agree that it would be unnerving and that he deserved better. So.......yes, it was crap, I'd have been freaked out a little bit too and I'm sorry the first few replies were so dismissive. YES, doors are supposed to open and close on our whims and it would panic a person to wonder just how long you'll be stuck. Hey, I feel for you. Write your letter and see what might fall out of the sky. Such incidents are just unacceptable.
USCGamecock
Feb 27, 04, 11:56 am
No matter what the reason, being locked inside your room is unacceptable at anytime. If there was a fire, the guy would have been toast.
craz
Feb 27, 04, 1:18 pm
to avoid the situations described above I ALWAYS lock the doors from the inside with what ever is there. that security simple bar will allow the door to be opened only so little but still restricts anyone from entering the room itself.
As for the orginal post here, If you got points or whatever from the hotel already that should be it. If you settle an insurance claim and afterwards found out someone got something else thats the way it is.
I for one dont see that the hotel owed you anything to begin with. What might have happened, didnt happen. how many times has a toilet on a plane been closed cause someone threw something down it. Heck what if I needed to go and couldnt and did it in my pants, therefore the carrier owes me just in case it had happened. I would agree with you if the hotel KNEW FULLY that the door was broken put you in it and didnt tell you. But I doubt that was the case. If you got something be happy and leave it be.
many here will disagree with me and have the mind set of blow it as much as you can and take them for all you can. I dont
zakami
Feb 27, 04, 1:22 pm
Is it not possible for a lock to break in your house? Who compensates you then? Your wife? Its something mechanical and is bound to break down. Whats the big deal?