invisible

Friend of mine who was vacationing across Europe (from Barcelona to Vienna) said that twice he had a case that in the middle of night someone opened his hotel's door.

In one hotel room had a chain, but in second times had not, friend woke up and that someone who opened doo said 'sorry', closed the door and left. Friend moved the table against the door just to make sure that won't be any other surprises. Next morning asked the reception 'what the hell' but they said that no one from their personnel opened the door.

Once friend was back in states he ordered this device from Amazon and now carries it with all his travels and tells me that I should do the same.

I personally never had such problem in past. Have you?

Lost

I've never had this specific issue, but I've had it happen a few times where I've left my key in the room and have been able to get a replacement at the front desk without them confirming my identity in any way. Those are hotels I've never been back to.

abmj-jr

I had it from the other side. I checked in, got my key card, opened the door and found a lady in the bed. I immediately closed the door and went back to the desk clerk who just said "Oops." I had to insist that he call her to apologize - after he gave me a new room and sent someone with me to make sure that one was empty.

Redhead

Twice I’ve been given a key to an already occupied room. And once I had someone try to come into my room. Their key worked but I had the chain thrown. I ALWAYS use the chain 100% of the time that I’m in the room, sleeping or not.

VivoPerLei

I've had the same. In my case I was lucky - the person was asleep and I don't believe he woke up.

Kagehitokiri

a lot of reports on FT, including hotel staff for various reasons including planning to use the room for a nap etc

chrisl137

I've been given an occupied room. I took a late afternoon flight LAX-IAD, arriving past midnight at IAD (but still before my bedtime). I'd done online check-in, and someone at the front desk messed things up enough that the key they handed me (which had my name on the envelope) went to an occupied room. Fortunately the occupant had flipped the slide catch so I didn't get in. Back at the front desk it then took about a half hour to get sorted out because the computer system was in the middle of some kind of forced update.

MSPeconomist

Details?

I've had low level hotel staff enter my room in the middle of the night at two different local four star properties in Italy; at least one of them didn't have a chain or deadbolt for the door, just a cheap lock where you push the button to lock the door from the inside. When I can, I avoid such hotels. In retrospect, I should have made much more of a fuss with management, bit I suspect that it would not have been taken seriously.

I also had one experience in the USA where my room was changed and a couple hours later someone was given the key card to the room when I was taking a bath, but fortunately it was a situation and place where I didn't feel seriously threatened. In this case, the hotel handled it well and sent a nice apology of chocolate dipped strawberries and a bottle of wine with a handwritten personal note. Classy!

lamphs

CDG Radisson about 2-3 years ago...early evening, so door not chained yet as I was going back out. Had just finished a shower, and not a stitch of clothing on. Someone entered the room, paused for a minute, saw me, and ran away. I called the front desk as a FYI and there was zero concern. I sent a note to the GM the next day, more about the zero concern from the front desk the night before. Never heard back.

I guess this is not uncommon. I was on the opposite side, twice, in one stay, at a HI Exp off the Garden State Parkway. My assigned room was clearly occupied. Went back for another room and it too was clearly occupied. Thirs time was a charm.

MSPeconomist

If it's a chain hotel, you should report the incident and especially the lack of concern to the chain's HQ.

cur

a friendly reminder to lock and chain your door. i walked in on someone before at a four points in the usa. a lot of hotels have the box where the agent manually punches in the room number to program the keys, so mistakes are inevitable.

MDJennings

Easy: I'd shoot them if I'm in a country/state that allows me to have a firearm.

nrr

I've several related issues:
(1)I was attending a conference in Wash. DC in 1975, I checked into a cheap motel on NY Ave. what I didn't know was that nearly all "guests" were permanent residents and/or hookers; their record keeping was not too good, at 2 am someone tried to gain access to my room using a passkey [I had chain on door], about 10 minutes later my phone rang: "did someone just try to get into your room...it was 'us' [management] are you supposed to be occupying that room?", me: "yes, I checked in earlier..."
(2)In Atlantic City Casinos several years ago on a few occasions I was given a key to an occupied room, once I was the third person that was given a key to a particular room.

dulciusexasperis

There are many circumstances as indicated by the responses, where something can result in someone opening your door. If you stay in enough hotel rooms over your lifetime, the odds of it happening to you are probably about the same as the odds of you winning a lottery or getting struck by lightning.

However, if it has happened to you and as a result you are more concerned about it happening than the average traveller would be, to the point that you're losing sleep over it, then take a simple precaution for your peace of mind. There is no need to buy any fancy devices. (I suspect the OP may be a shill for the product linked in the OP)

Just throw a rubber wedge door stop in your suitcase and use it to secure your room door. No one is getting in, key or no key.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Home-Rubb...Gray/163805883

greggarious

Point my pistol at the door and yell that I'm armed. If they persist, I fire.