JackE

This is the crux of it. She is upset that the prostitutes profiled her as one of their own, yet she wants the property to profile them.

kamel123

I find some of the comments here incredibly off base, I have to say. If only half of the story is true (the woman was physically assaulted in the lobby) - which of course we cannot know - she has every right to go to court, and the hotel's behavior is unacceptable. And this comment on what she was wearing - incredibly funny! So any woman in a short skirt is a prostitute? This attitude is plain disgusting. How would you feel if this happened to your wife?

If hotels wanted to, they could put an end to prostitution on their premises. The reason they don't do this is that it's a service that is demanded by some guests, and it's a source of revenue for concierges etc. I don't want to turn this into a general debate on prostitution. But I think the minimum everyone can agree to is if hotels condone prostitution, then they should do in a discreet way, ensuring the safety of their female guests at all times.

With regards to W as a brand, I have stopped staying there some time ago. There were many reasons, including mostly incompetent staff (but with an attitude) and failed interior design. But one reason was the overtly sexual vibe: Dark corridors and elevators with red lights and velvet (W Paris). Different types of condoms for sale prominently on display on top of the minibar. A bottle of wodka and an ice bucket waiting on the coffee table. Couches in the room that you cannot sit on because they are so deep but only lie on. Come on, are we in a brothel or what?

geminidreams

Well I know what platinum amenity Im going to ask for on my next stay!

sxytxn

In China and Hong Kong you see this all the time. Hookers just waiting to meet their prearranged client or potential walk in Client. When someone talks to me in a hotel bar when Im having a drink, I often wonder if they think I'm a working girl...

yosithezet

Assuming her style of dress is what led the prostitutes to feel she was moving in on their territory, if the hotel wee actively seeking to limit this activity it seems that they may have approached her to leave. They'd gave been mistaken, a court case would have ensued.

But such a violent incident? Wouldn't have she simply told them she's not working but rather a guest and they'd walk away? Seems there must be something else.

dannybhoy

Scottsdale AZ! Who would have thunk it?

EnvoyBoy

The "ladies" at the bar at the Abuja, Nigeria Sheraton just come right up to you!

dallaspopo

.......

Dr. HFH

How? Based on what? A girl in a tight blouse and short shorts shows up at the hotel and comes up to my room. Is she a prostitute or my daughter in college? How about a woman in an evening gown?

I start chatting with a single woman sitting a couple of stools down from me at the hotel bar. Prostitute? Or, like me, lonely business traveler attending a conference? Is the hotel going to decide based on the substance of our conversation? Will it become the bartender's responsibility to eavesdrop and make that decision about who she is and why she's there?

And what about the lawsuits which start the first time the hotel wrongfully decides that a particular woman is a prostitute?

bigbuy

Agreed!
I remember about 20+ years ago, some guy checked into I think the Westin in downtown Atlanta. A few minutes later, a woman comes in dressed beyond whore like in a provocative red dress. Security follows her to the guys room and thinking she is a prostitute, has her arrested. It was the guys wife. Not sure whatever became of the lawsuit.

schmoove

Will I get double points if I use my AMEX?

bigbuy

In 1991, I went with a friend to Costa Rica (way before it was ruined by migration from the USA). We stayed at the Holiday Inn downtown in San Jose. On the way back to the airport, my friend was looking at his bill from the Holiday Inn. He asked me what the two separate $20 charges were on the bill. I told him that if he had been a priority club member, he could have gotten points on the 2 hookers he took to his room as the HI charged that amount anytime a paid guest brought a hooker to the room. They had to register at the front desk.

kamel123

Have a look here, this is an article on crime prevention strategies for hotels (covering both drug-related activities and prostitution) with numerous suggestions:

http://www.portlandoregon.gov/POLICE/article/31556

If all of these suggestions are practical is another matter. One suggestion they make is to ask every guest and every visitor of a guest register via a photo ID, and asks guests how many people will stay in their room and if they expect visitors. This is cumbersome and against common practice, but seems quite effective.

I am not saying it can be prevented 100%, this will never be possible (nor am I saying that hotels necessarily necessarily try to - a hotel is a hotel not a law enforcement agency). However, the situation at the moment is that prostitution in hotels is a common and "accepted" practice, with parts of the hotel personnel taking a supporting role (like a concierge would also suggest a restaurant). And it is this practice that hotels could very easily stop.

X-ON

A similar thing happen tome in DXB, I lived out of a *wood hotel for over 2 Years and my wife was there to visit me registered to my suite as a guest. One night after leaving the car to the valet she followed me to the elevator when she was stopped by a very recently employed over eagerly security guard being quite rudely questioned. First I became furious but after I could see that the security guard was seriously sorry so I settled down
However the thing is that I am a white boy and my wife is of Arabic decent so we both felt the we been ethnically profiled...

At the end (the day after) the GM personally came to my suite and apologized and gave flowers and champagne to my wife after this incident

The moral of the story: trying to dress code/ethnically profiling ladies as prostitutes or couples as prostitutes/Johns is associated with the blow back that you end up insulting your paying guests...this type of policing is best left to whatever (no pun intended) authorities in charge of such policing instead of inexperienced hotel employees...

kamel123

Aha, so charging works, but at the same time the hotel would be unable to prevent it? This is exactly what I am saying, it is an ancillary source of revenue for hotels, typically not officially billed but cash in someone's pocket. That's why they have no interest in even trying to prevent it.