Originally Posted by
NDDomer86
Recently at the Hilton Atlanta (yes, I know this is the Marriott forum), the staff could not understand why and seemed put off that I did not want to stay in a room where the deadbolt would not engage at all.
That said, I really dislike the properties who program staff keys to override the deadbolt. I fully understand having an override mechanism in case of an emergency or if the lock dies, but to allow the housekeeping keys to override the deadbolt is poor form in my opinion.
Especially in a crime-ridden major USA city like Atlanta and a large convention property, as the Atlanta Hilton is, where staff have no idea who comes and goes from the hallways where rooms are located, I would be all over the manager on duty to either fix the door immediately or move me to another room OR ELSE. I would never knowingly stay in such a room, even when waiting for engineering to arrive (which could take many hours or never happen).
BTW, a while ago I was attending a major convention in Atlanta where a VIP participant was badly beaten and his wife raped as the result of them opening their door to someone claiming to have a special gift from room service. I can't remember whether the headquarters hotel was the Marriott or the Hilton that year, but I suspect it happened at the Marriott.