Compensation for being locked in bathroom
Jan 2, 2018, 6:18 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,285
I sympathize with your situation, embrown1110. I would be frantic if trapped in a room behind a busted door with no way to communicate except yelling and hoping a passerby could hear me. And don't worry that you're the only person this has ever happened to. In 2016 a US Olympic athlete got trapped in his hotel room. (Fortunately for him it was a flimsy door and he was an athlete -- he broke through it and climbed out! See Trapped in Sochi bathroom, bobsledder Johnny Quinn breaks door - CNN for example coverage.)
For what you went through a free night seems like reasonable compensation. When the night is booked on points, "free night" means crediting points equal to the cost of the award. As Often1 noted, typically these would go to the person who spent the points for the night. If you need a different arrangement, discuss it with the hotel general manager and propose a reasonable alternative on par with that.
For what you went through a free night seems like reasonable compensation. When the night is booked on points, "free night" means crediting points equal to the cost of the award. As Often1 noted, typically these would go to the person who spent the points for the night. If you need a different arrangement, discuss it with the hotel general manager and propose a reasonable alternative on par with that.
Jan 2, 2018, 8:18 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
My opinion is you can ask for whatever you think is fair. If you have a Marriott rewards account they can post enough points for a free night to your account. If you don't have a MR account you can sign up for one. If you want enough points for 2 free nights then ask for it or whatever else works for you. What any of us posting here would ask for doesn't really matter one way or the other.
Jan 2, 2018, 8:45 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
OP, I'm sorry for your harrowing experience and sorrier still for the reception you have received here. Room hardware malfunctions happen, though most are mere annoyances, not things that threaten your personal safety. It sounds to me like the property offered fair compensation.
Jan 2, 2018, 10:34 pm
#34
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Frensham, Lincolnshire
Programs: RFC
Posts: 5,093
Am I crazy for thinking I deserve more in compensation for this? I don't want to be dramatic, but I feel like this should be handled very seriously...
Honestly, I just wanted to get out of that place after such a terrible (and embarrassing) night. It really only hit me once I got home that I should have tried to handle it while at the hotel.
Honestly, I just wanted to get out of that place after such a terrible (and embarrassing) night. It really only hit me once I got home that I should have tried to handle it while at the hotel.
Jan 3, 2018, 1:06 am
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: HH-D; MR-P/LTP; SPG-P
Posts: 849
There’s been no “blame the victim” here.
OP alleges she got locked in the bathroom and that the property offered comped night and breakfast, but posts here ands asks if that’s enough (thinks she deserves more).
Responses, except for one, was sufficient compensation already obtained.
So point out how the foregoing is in any way shape or form blaming the ALLEGED victim.
OP alleges she got locked in the bathroom and that the property offered comped night and breakfast, but posts here ands asks if that’s enough (thinks she deserves more).
Responses, except for one, was sufficient compensation already obtained.
So point out how the foregoing is in any way shape or form blaming the ALLEGED victim.
Jan 3, 2018, 1:33 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,989
Hi there, I'm looking for advice on how to handle the scary situation I experienced at a Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. this weekend. Crazy enough, it looks like the situation I experienced is not unheard of; I found another post from FlyerTalk by a customer in 2007, detailing the same issue; unfortunately, FlyerTalk won't let me post the URL, though.
In any case, here's what happened to me: I traveled to Washington D.C. this past weekend for New Year's. My best friend travels frequently for work and resides in Marriott hotels for ~3 months out of the year. As such, she was kind enough to book a hotel room for herself, my boyfriend and me using points she had accumulated as a Platinum Elite member.
I returned to our hotel room around 1 am. I went to the bathroom in our room, closing the door behind me (this was out of habit, and unfortunately I did not bring my phone with me). When I attempted to exit the bathroom minutes later, the doorknob was broken. I could not, for the life of me, open the door. Nothing worked – pulling on the doorknob with my entire body weight, twisting and turning the knob back and forth, etc. I smashed a hanger and attempted to use the wire to jig the doorknob, I tried bobby pins I happened to have in my hair....nothing would work.
I began to panic...at this point, I had been trapped in the room for at least 30 minutes – and I did not know when my friends were due back. It could have been hours. I started banging on the door and screaming for help, which went unnoticed for an additional 30 or so minutes. Luckily, at some point a hallway passerby or neighbor called the front desk to explain that a woman was screaming for help. It took three members of your staff to finagle the broken doorknob and release me from the bathroom after 1+ hours of trying to escape.
I'm looking for some advice on how to handle this with Marriott's Customer Service. The manager on duty that night promised us a free stay and complimentary breakfast. Yet my friend had booked this using points, and breakfast was already included. Am I crazy for thinking I deserve more in compensation for this? I don't want to be dramatic, but I feel like this should be handled very seriously...
By the way, I didn't talk to the staff in-person about this the following morning. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of that place after such a terrible (and embarrassing) night. It really only hit me once I got home that I should have tried to handle it while at the hotel.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
In any case, here's what happened to me: I traveled to Washington D.C. this past weekend for New Year's. My best friend travels frequently for work and resides in Marriott hotels for ~3 months out of the year. As such, she was kind enough to book a hotel room for herself, my boyfriend and me using points she had accumulated as a Platinum Elite member.
I returned to our hotel room around 1 am. I went to the bathroom in our room, closing the door behind me (this was out of habit, and unfortunately I did not bring my phone with me). When I attempted to exit the bathroom minutes later, the doorknob was broken. I could not, for the life of me, open the door. Nothing worked – pulling on the doorknob with my entire body weight, twisting and turning the knob back and forth, etc. I smashed a hanger and attempted to use the wire to jig the doorknob, I tried bobby pins I happened to have in my hair....nothing would work.
I began to panic...at this point, I had been trapped in the room for at least 30 minutes – and I did not know when my friends were due back. It could have been hours. I started banging on the door and screaming for help, which went unnoticed for an additional 30 or so minutes. Luckily, at some point a hallway passerby or neighbor called the front desk to explain that a woman was screaming for help. It took three members of your staff to finagle the broken doorknob and release me from the bathroom after 1+ hours of trying to escape.
I'm looking for some advice on how to handle this with Marriott's Customer Service. The manager on duty that night promised us a free stay and complimentary breakfast. Yet my friend had booked this using points, and breakfast was already included. Am I crazy for thinking I deserve more in compensation for this? I don't want to be dramatic, but I feel like this should be handled very seriously...
By the way, I didn't talk to the staff in-person about this the following morning. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of that place after such a terrible (and embarrassing) night. It really only hit me once I got home that I should have tried to handle it while at the hotel.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Consider you being stuck at a toilet, with access to water, toilet facilities, seating, proper ventilation vs someone stuck in a broken elevator.
You would likely gain some perspective and calm down.
There are certainly more frightening places to be stuck that could have resulted in real humiliating situations (need for toilet)
Since it was already around 1+ in the early morning, your friend and boyfriend will also likely be back soon.
There is little reason to panic and you could even have a shower / have a soak in the tub to pass time
My two cents.
Jan 3, 2018, 5:07 am
#37
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 298
I am in the camp who believes that this incident was managed appropriately by the management by granting a free night + breakfast for 3.
Consider you being stuck at a toilet, with access to water, toilet facilities, seating, proper ventilation vs someone stuck in a broken elevator.
You would likely gain some perspective and calm down.
There are certainly more frightening places to be stuck that could have resulted in real humiliating situations (need for toilet)
Since it was already around 1+ in the early morning, your friend and boyfriend will also likely be back soon.
There is little reason to panic and you could even have a shower / have a soak in the tub to pass time
My two cents.
Consider you being stuck at a toilet, with access to water, toilet facilities, seating, proper ventilation vs someone stuck in a broken elevator.
You would likely gain some perspective and calm down.
There are certainly more frightening places to be stuck that could have resulted in real humiliating situations (need for toilet)
Since it was already around 1+ in the early morning, your friend and boyfriend will also likely be back soon.
There is little reason to panic and you could even have a shower / have a soak in the tub to pass time
My two cents.
Jan 3, 2018, 6:38 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 129
This happened to my DH 30+ years ago at a Holiday Inn in Oklahoma City. It was winter time and the Hotel wasn't full. DH got locked in the bathroom, couldn't get out, had no clothes. The door knob broke off and the mechanism couldn't be manipulated to let him out. He put his hand through the door and couldn't release the knob from the other side. The coworker next door finally heard him and called the desk. The coworker had been out of the room for over an hour so didn't hear him until he came back to get his luggage to head for the airport.
DH was furious! he had been trapped for almost 2 hours, had a bloody hand. This isn't as funny as it sounds until it happens to you. The management implied that he was going to have to pay for the door, DH (dear husband) stated that they would be speaking to his Attorney if that was the case. Needless to say, no charges for the door, no lawsuit, and to this day DH will never latch a bathroom door in a Hotel, he would understand your panic....
[QUOTE=embrown1110;29241168]Hi there, I'm looking for advice on how to handle the scary situation I experienced at a Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. this weekend. Crazy enough, it looks like the situation I experienced is not unheard of; I found another post from FlyerTalk by a customer in 2007, detailing the same issue; unfortunately, FlyerTalk won't let me post the URL, though.
I returned to our hotel room around 1 am. I went to the bathroom in our room, closing the door behind me (this was out of habit, and unfortunately I did not bring my phone with me). When I attempted to exit the bathroom minutes later, the doorknob was broken. I could not, for the life of me, open the door. Nothing worked – pulling on the doorknob with my entire body weight, twisting and turning the knob back and forth, etc. I smashed a hanger and attempted to use the wire to jig the doorknob, I tried bobby pins I happened to have in my hair....nothing would work.
I began to panic...at this point, I had been trapped in the room for at least 30 minutes – and I did not know when my friends were due back. It could have been hours. I started banging on the door and screaming for help, which went unnoticed for an additional 30 or so minutes. Luckily, at some point a hallway passerby or neighbor called the front desk to explain that a woman was screaming for help. It took three members of your staff to finagle the broken doorknob and release me from the bathroom after 1+ hours of trying to escape.
DH was furious! he had been trapped for almost 2 hours, had a bloody hand. This isn't as funny as it sounds until it happens to you. The management implied that he was going to have to pay for the door, DH (dear husband) stated that they would be speaking to his Attorney if that was the case. Needless to say, no charges for the door, no lawsuit, and to this day DH will never latch a bathroom door in a Hotel, he would understand your panic....
[QUOTE=embrown1110;29241168]Hi there, I'm looking for advice on how to handle the scary situation I experienced at a Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. this weekend. Crazy enough, it looks like the situation I experienced is not unheard of; I found another post from FlyerTalk by a customer in 2007, detailing the same issue; unfortunately, FlyerTalk won't let me post the URL, though.
I returned to our hotel room around 1 am. I went to the bathroom in our room, closing the door behind me (this was out of habit, and unfortunately I did not bring my phone with me). When I attempted to exit the bathroom minutes later, the doorknob was broken. I could not, for the life of me, open the door. Nothing worked – pulling on the doorknob with my entire body weight, twisting and turning the knob back and forth, etc. I smashed a hanger and attempted to use the wire to jig the doorknob, I tried bobby pins I happened to have in my hair....nothing would work.
I began to panic...at this point, I had been trapped in the room for at least 30 minutes – and I did not know when my friends were due back. It could have been hours. I started banging on the door and screaming for help, which went unnoticed for an additional 30 or so minutes. Luckily, at some point a hallway passerby or neighbor called the front desk to explain that a woman was screaming for help. It took three members of your staff to finagle the broken doorknob and release me from the bathroom after 1+ hours of trying to escape.
Last edited by Oxnardjan; Jan 3, 2018 at 6:44 am
Jan 3, 2018, 8:55 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
Sometimes things break. Maybe it's because I used to work in hotels, but I'd absolve the hotel of blame in this situation. I can't think of any scenario where a member of the hotel staff would ever close a bathroom door. After all, the Housekeeping staff is really the only employees regularly in hotel rooms and they would have no reason to close the bathroom door while cleaning. That makes it nearly impossible for the hotel to know that the door might be on the verge of breaking. The only way they'd know is if a previous guest reported it as a problem.
Unless there is evidence that the hotel knew the door was defective, I'd call this a one-off problem and move on with life. And, I'll join the chorus and agree that the compensation offered more than covers a one-hour problem.
Unless there is evidence that the hotel knew the door was defective, I'd call this a one-off problem and move on with life. And, I'll join the chorus and agree that the compensation offered more than covers a one-hour problem.
Jan 3, 2018, 9:02 am
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,110
There’s been no “blame the victim” here.
OP alleges she got locked in the bathroom and that the property offered comped night and breakfast, but posts here ands asks if that’s enough (thinks she deserves more).
Responses, except for one, was sufficient compensation already obtained.
So point out how the foregoing is in any way shape or form blaming the ALLEGED victim.
OP alleges she got locked in the bathroom and that the property offered comped night and breakfast, but posts here ands asks if that’s enough (thinks she deserves more).
Responses, except for one, was sufficient compensation already obtained.
So point out how the foregoing is in any way shape or form blaming the ALLEGED victim.
Cheers.
Jan 3, 2018, 9:17 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Platinum/LT Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 5,594
OP: Your friend should have received the points back for the room, so essentially the stay was comped. I'm not sure why others here judge how you felt about the situation, but if you look at it objectively, you lost 30 minutes of time in a bathroom. There are likely many, many people who've spent 30+ minutes in a bathroom getting ready to go to work, an event, a night out, etc. So, while I understand the panic of worrying that you may be trapped for hours, I wouldn't expect that the actual end result (30 minutes in a bathroom) would have a lasting negative impact.
From that perspective, receiving a free stay in exchange for the loss of 30 minutes (very annoying), seems well worth it to me. I'll bet some of those free time-share presentation suckers would gladly make that trade!
From that perspective, receiving a free stay in exchange for the loss of 30 minutes (very annoying), seems well worth it to me. I'll bet some of those free time-share presentation suckers would gladly make that trade!
Jan 3, 2018, 9:55 am
#42
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
OP: Sorry for the stressful situation,
Some of us here have spent multiple tours in combat zones or routine trips to third-world countries so, to us, getting stuck in a bathroom for 30 minutes doesn't seem particularly stressful. However, we weren't there and different people react to situations differently.
Having stayed in that hotel a few times, I think its a very rare situation but the reality is door handles sometimes malfunction -- I had a friend who was stuck in her apartment recently because the door handle broke and the door wouldn't open. Its stressful -- and frustrating.
On the other hand, I'll join the crowd that says sometimes these things do happen and there's no obvious evidence of significant misfeasance by the hotel. In fact, sounds like the hotel responded quickly to address the matter. I'll agree that comping the night and offering breakfast was very generous. Although ... if you're discussing something like this with a hotel manager, it would have been OK to ask ... can you throw in a couple of drink coupons at the bar -- I need a drink after this!
Good luck in your future travels. Don't let this one situation hold you back!
Some of us here have spent multiple tours in combat zones or routine trips to third-world countries so, to us, getting stuck in a bathroom for 30 minutes doesn't seem particularly stressful. However, we weren't there and different people react to situations differently.
Having stayed in that hotel a few times, I think its a very rare situation but the reality is door handles sometimes malfunction -- I had a friend who was stuck in her apartment recently because the door handle broke and the door wouldn't open. Its stressful -- and frustrating.
On the other hand, I'll join the crowd that says sometimes these things do happen and there's no obvious evidence of significant misfeasance by the hotel. In fact, sounds like the hotel responded quickly to address the matter. I'll agree that comping the night and offering breakfast was very generous. Although ... if you're discussing something like this with a hotel manager, it would have been OK to ask ... can you throw in a couple of drink coupons at the bar -- I need a drink after this!
Good luck in your future travels. Don't let this one situation hold you back!
Jan 3, 2018, 10:01 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 411
I'm looking for some advice on how to handle this with Marriott's Customer Service. The manager on duty that night promised us a free stay and complimentary breakfast. Yet my friend had booked this using points, and breakfast was already included. Am I crazy for thinking I deserve more in compensation for this? I don't want to be dramatic, but I feel like this should be handled very seriously....
Seriously, as the other poster mentioned. Move on.
Jan 3, 2018, 10:03 am
#44
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
I'm looking for some advice on how to handle this with Marriott's Customer Service. The manager on duty that night promised us a free stay and complimentary breakfast. Yet my friend had booked this using points, and breakfast was already included. Am I crazy for thinking I deserve more in compensation for this? I don't want to be dramatic, but I feel like this should be handled very seriously...
Jan 3, 2018, 11:07 am
#45
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,271
Ditto, the compensation was adequate. You should not expect more.
I do hope you have advised your friend to look for the return of the points on her account. It is your friend that needs to make sure it went through on the account. You don't even mention if that happened.
I do hope you have advised your friend to look for the return of the points on her account. It is your friend that needs to make sure it went through on the account. You don't even mention if that happened.