Well it is only a Cat 5. :eek:

Message to Marriott
 

Very interesting post and comments. They provide a good reminder that behavior, customs and language are nuanced and differ from country to country. The bottom line for me is that this hotel is going on my no fly list. As a Marriott platinum I am happy to reward bad customer service by voting with my dollars and sharing my opinions in all appropriate forms.

At the end of the day, this was a casual remark by an elevator guard in Mexico City trying to do his low-wage job.

If it were me, I'd laugh it off and move on.

Bingo.

One late evening in Thailand I got on a hotel elevator and a man in a suit got on behind me. He punched a floor number higher than mine, but got off with me on my floor, where he claimed to be security. He stated that he believed I had an unregistered guest in my room and insisted on looking in. So I let him, where he found no one.
When I brought it up with management the next day, they said they would check into it. Their response later was that no one in security had reported doing anything like that. On top of that, the description I gave of the guy's clothing did not match the clothing worn by their security. I still wonder who he was and why he didn't see me escort my guest out right before I got on the elevator.

Were you out of your freeking mind? There's no way I'd let someone claiming to be security who wanted to check things out/look into/go into my room, without him providing his hotel ID & let me confirm w/ the FDC he was who he said he was, especially if he punched in a higher floor # than mine & then got off w/ me.

Cheers.

Stupid thing to do. You were lucky.

My $.02....being Colombian and having been to every Marriott in Latin America several times, I can tell you that as some have noted, a lot hinges on how you say "acompañante". Also, having babysat "gringos" at some of these properties and after discussions with hotel managers, the reason for registering mostly women (but it goes both ways....) is for your own protection. The "acompañantes" some times leave the otherwise unsuspecting guest tied up, drugged or worse. Hence the request to register and in many cases, they are expected to leave their ID (cédula, RG, Registro, etc) at the front desk .

Yeah, but is there any good way to deal with that situation?

I'd probably demand he accompany me back down to the front desk, but that doesn't play out very well either way.

If he's legit, you get an angry security guard, likely ejection from the hotel, and possible worse consequences.

If he's planning on robbing you, you're at a disadvantage as soon as you got off the elevator. Particularly so if he's armed, which is maybe more likely in the US than in Asia.

You obviously think the answer is to let him in your room. Wrong. Call the front desk or the police. If the guy has a gun, give him your money. If you let him in your room, bad things can happen. It's not just women that get raped. Sorry.

There are many legit ways to handle the situation which don't involve getting robbed, raped or ejection from the hotel. And I'd disagree w/ the more likely to have a security guard armed in the US. Security guards aren't armed at all & legit ones have walkie-talkies.

Cheers.

I wrote what I would do and that certainly isn't going to involve letting him into my room. But the options available are all bad.

If you don't let him into your room, and he's going to rape you, then he's just going to take your key and follow through anyway.

If he is actually a guard, people get beaten or maced for "disrespect" all the time.

I meant a random criminal is more likely to be armed, at least with a gun, in the US.

But, I have absolutely seen armed security guards at hotels in the US. Mostly uniformed contractors, but also several plainclothes employees at a large Hilton.

No, not all options are bad. But if you think they are, then they are for you (generic you). And unlike you I don't see many armed hotel security guards in the US.

Cheers.

You clearly disagree with my plan to go back down to the front desk, where there are would be both witnesses and clearly identifiable hotel staff. So, what would you do?

And can I take it you don't stay at hotels in New York City, Chicago, or Nevada?