How to Survive a Hotel Fire.
Jul 8, 2018, 11:08 am
#136
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Orlando
Programs: Delta-Million miler
Posts: 1,312
Popcorn Puffed up in smoke
Long time back I was attending a NIH meeting in DC. All my colleagues went for lunch; I decided to go to my room and make popcorn. Left the popcorn in the microwave and forgot ..and there was smoke everywhere. Frantically I tried to call the front desk to assure them that there was no fire and it was popcorn burnt and smoking in the microwave-too late, guests were evacuated and my friends were not allowed to enter the building. Of course, the meeting was delayed by about 2 hours and since then my friends would suggest that I ask for a Microwave oven less room.
Dec 10, 2018, 6:35 pm
#137
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: HK
Programs: Qantas (Lifetime Gold), PAL (Elite), British Airways (now sadly blue), Cathay MPO DM
Posts: 647
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Dec 10, 2018, 8:41 pm
#138
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Boston Suburbrs
Programs: AA ExPlat, IHG Spire Amb
Posts: 1,205
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Jan 5, 2019, 11:26 am
#139
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,203
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
That said, I've paid attention to fire safety, or lack thereof, on past trips, but now I'm doing something about it. I had a recent stay at an otherwise nice condo in Central America. The instant hot water heater leaked (dripped), had a bucket under it, but the hot water heater was over the electrical panel. Water and electricity do not mix, and there was no form of smoke detection in the condo. I sent a note to the owner and he wasn't aware that such a thing would be an potential hazard!
I am headed on a RTW and I am going to purchase a travel-sized smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector. I am just as concerned about CO as I am about fire. A quick search this morning shows these to be 20-25 USD.
Jan 9, 2019, 12:19 pm
#140
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Scotland & PHX
Posts: 534
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Jan 14, 2019, 12:37 am
#141
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Good on you for doing something about this.
Feb 22, 2019, 12:39 am
#142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,717
After many years with no false alarms I experienced 2 in the past 2 years. The first went off after I had just arrived from work in my 31st floor room at IC Bangkok. I wasted 30 seconds opening the safe to get my passport and laptop, then ran down 17 flights before learning that it was a false alarm. In the rush I forgot my room key, which cost me another 10 minutes waiting for a replacement. In retrospect maybe better to keep the safe unlocked when I'm in the room, those seconds may prove important. Though passport, phone and wallet are really the only 3 items I need to get home...
The 2nd incident was midday at the Grand Hyatt DC - this time only a 9 floor descent to street level, and again the false alarm was quickly cleared.
+1 I always request rooms far from the elevator, but now I think I may start requesting rooms near the stairs... and definitely will start memorizing the location.
The 2nd incident was midday at the Grand Hyatt DC - this time only a 9 floor descent to street level, and again the false alarm was quickly cleared.
+1 I always request rooms far from the elevator, but now I think I may start requesting rooms near the stairs... and definitely will start memorizing the location.
Dec 19, 2019, 2:40 am
#144
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Flying Blue, BAEC, VAFC, IHG Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 389
So I was in a hotel in the UK last year - one of those low storey sprawling hotels where most rooms are on the ground floor. There were several exits to the garden clearly marked as Fire Exit. They were all sealed with yellow zip ties. The zip ties did seem to be "special" ones and had some instructions written on them in small letters, which I could not read without my glasses on. I could not figure out by looking at them how you would break them in the case of a fire, so I reported them to front desk and when they ignored me, to the local fire station (who did reply to my email and said it was "fine"). However I won't stay there again. If I could not figure out how to open those doors in broad daylight, with my glasses on and no panic, then I have no idea how I would have done it in the dark, perhaps forgotten my glasses etc.
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Any firefighters on here that can explain why a fire exit would be sealed with zip ties? I realise that being on the ground floor they are probably great for burglary, but surely there are better ways????
Jan 17, 2020, 2:09 am
#146
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 116
Just notitied this recent article on Flyertalk pertaining to this subject matter: https://www.flyertalk.com/articles/s...otel-fire.html
Feb 22, 2020, 9:22 pm
#148
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 116
I was at a hotel last weekend that hade a false alarm. I happened to be in the lobby at the time. I was amazed at the number of phone calls that the front desk was receiving from rooms inquiring if the alarm was real. It seems like the people making the calls were wasting precious seconds if it were a real emergency.
Feb 24, 2020, 10:08 pm
#149
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,501
I was at a hotel last weekend that hade a false alarm. I happened to be in the lobby at the time. I was amazed at the number of phone calls that the front desk was receiving from rooms inquiring if the alarm was real. It seems like the people making the calls were wasting precious seconds if it were a real emergency.