I’ve spent a lot of nights at hotels over the years. For a couple of years when I was younger, I even lived in hotels full time. So I have a lot of memorable experiences — some good, some bad, and some just plain strange. In this post, I thought it would be fun to share my absolute strangest hotel experiences ever (or at least that I can still remember… I’m sure I’ve blocked some out of my memory).
Longtime OMAAT readers may remember some or all of these. So here we go, in no particular order…
In this post:
Child bandits break into London hotel room
In 2016, Ford and I stayed at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane London. A moment after walking into the room, before the door even closed, we suddenly found three pre-teen children in our room. They seemingly came out of nowhere, since we didn’t see them behind us in the hall. They claimed that we were in fact in their room, and needed to get out.
Okay, I certainly didn’t want to be accused of anything, and I figured maybe there was an actual misunderstanding and the room had been assigned to two parties, so I exited the room and headed for the elevators. A minute later, the kids came running out, and claimed they were just “kidding,” and when I told them that wasn’t cool, they said “can’t you take a joke?”
Obviously I didn’t know what happened while I wasn’t in the room and didn’t want to take any chances, so I let the hotel staff know. The general manager ended up getting involved, and had reviewed security footage. As it turns out, the kids had run in from the street, and weren’t even staying at the hotel. The kids apparently stole some sort of wireless device from the room, and also took some stuff from the minibar. Strange!
Masseuse tries “hard” to upsell massage in Xiamen
In 2017, a friend and I stayed at the Le Meridien Xiamen. We decided to get massages at the hotel’s spa, as they were reasonably priced. Well, I guess this was the ultra low cost carrier version of a spa, because they were desperate for ancillary revenue. 😉
The beginning of the massage was normal, but then she started vigorously rubbing my inner high. That’s not unusual in and of itself, but she did it longer and more intensely than I’m used to. A short while later, she pointed in the direction of my you-know-what. She didn’t speak any English, so I said “no thank you” and motioned with my hand that I wasn’t interested.
I honestly have no problem with a place non-aggressively offering such services, but it’s not my thing. Unfortunately she didn’t seem pleased with the answer, or apparently assumed I didn’t understand, so then she made a made a “fist” and started moving it up and down. Awk. Again I said “no,” and motioned that I wasn’t interested.
She spent another 10 minutes massaging right around my groin, before once again making a noise to make me look up, and then made a “jerking” motion. Again I said “no thank you.” She seemed disappointed. The worst part is that my friend (in a separate massage room) had basically the same experience. The only difference was that his masseuse used a translation app, and said, “I have been rigorously trained in the technique, your whole body will feel very good and relaxed after, but I will need a tip.”
“Fashion designer” tries to buy my clothes
Back in 2012, I was staying at the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong. While in the club lounge, I was stopped by another guest, who introduced himself as a fashion designer, said he really liked my sweater, and asked if he could buy it.
So, umm, fashion isn’t exactly my strong point, to put it mildly (nowadays I’ve just fully embraced that, so I almost exclusively wear athleisure).
He told me to let him know how much I wanted for the sweater, but I explained I wasn’t looking to sell it. He then offered me 300 HKD, which was a lowball offer, less than I paid for it. I told him I could just share the brand and type of sweater, but he said he wouldn’t be home for some time, and he “needed” it now.
I looked at him perplexed, and he continued with “I’ll buy it from you, just tell me what you want.” I wasn’t sure what to say, though again responded with “I’m sorry but I’m not really looking to sell it.”
He then asked if he could at least photograph the sweater, and even had me move around so that the light would be better. He wouldn’t relent, so after offering me 1,000 HKD, I ended up selling him my sweater. I’m still a little confused about what happened there…
My disaster stay at the Aegon Mykonos
While this list isn’t generally about hotels with bad service, my 2021 experience at the Aegon Mykonos, a Marriott Autograph Collection property (well, formerly), is certainly one of my most memorable hotel stays.
There’s so much to unpack here, so I recommend checking out the series I wrote at the time:
- Marriott Bonvoy Confirmed Suite Upgrade Downgrade
- I’d Like To Speak With The Marriott Manager!
- I’m Speechless: My Awful Marriott Check-In Experience
- My Four-Hour Stay At Marriott’s Aegon Mykonos
- Aegon Mykonos Responds To My TripAdvisor Review With Lies
- I Received An Apology From The Aegon Mykonos…
Long story short, I was downgraded, and the front office associate didn’t seem to understand why I wasn’t happy about it. That was then escalated to the general manager, who was equally dismissive, and offered my free breakfast as compensation, which was included anyway.
And then the hotel owner got involved, and she took it to a whole different level, accusing me of having bad karma, while basically chasing me off the property, all while leaving a troll comment on my blog. Classy.
A different kind of hotel massage offer
I don’t usually get offered massages by strangers, but a 2016 stay at the Westin Cape Town was an exception. I’m still undecided as to whether this was just a little unusual, or super creepy.
I got in the elevator at around 6:30AM, and there was already a guy in there in a bathrobe, though there was no button pushed, so he didn’t actually seem to be going anywhere. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but then when I returned to the elevator around 20 minutes later, the same guy was standing there, just outside the elevator.
I figured he was waiting on the elevator as well, and that the timing was coincidental… except the elevator call button hadn’t been pushed, so I pushed it. When the elevator arrived, he followed me in, and said “what floor?”
He didn’t push another button, so when we arrived at the floor I was staying on, I motioned for him to exit first, since I assumed he was getting off (the elevator, just to clarify) as well. He motioned for me to go first, and I said “thanks, have a good day.” I figured that meant he was continuing on the elevator to another floor. He then poked his head out the elevator and said “you want massage?” I politely rejected, and made a run for it.
Marie Antoinette inspired wakeup in Versailles
The above are all things that weren’t planned, and where things didn’t go right. However, I can’t help but add one thing to the list that went exactly as it should’ve, but it was still hilariously awkward.
I adore French hotel group Airelles, and the brand has Airelles Chateau de Versailles, located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, in France. It’s an unbelievably good hotel, and it’s somewhere between a luxury hotel and a performative history safari, where they try to recreate the magic of hundreds of years ago.
One of the experiences offered is that you can be woken up just like Marie Antoinette was back in the day. No, this doesn’t involve a phone call or an alarm clock. Instead, it involves someone dressed in a costume scratching on your door, walking in with a lantern and live music, opening your curtains, making a bath for you, and serving you an orange-infused almond milk drink.
Even though I knew exactly what was going to happen, it was without a doubt the most awkward hotel wakeup I’ve ever had. I couldn’t help but ask staff about this after the fact, and it became clear to me that it’s even more awkward for them than it is for guests, which made me feel better. They’re great sports about it, though!
Bottom line
If you have enough hotel stays, some weird stuff is bound to happen. Above are some of my most memorable hotel stay incidents, ranging from the funny to the uncomfortable. I’m not sure how this compares to those of others, but I figure some people would get a kick out of this.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve had happen at a hotel?
There's nothing that makes these experiences weird or unique. Most are just not common.
I don’t know where “Xiamen” is, but I’m booking my next flight there! Lol
At the Hyatt Regency LAX I locked myself out of the room with just my boxers.
The hotel staff that helped me said I was his first but he had heard worse from lther colleagues. Still super embarasing.
I checked into the Copthorne in Hokianga, New Zealand late one afternoon. I desperately had to pee, so I entered the room & quikly used the toilet. When I came out of the bathroom, I noticed that there was an open suitcase in the room, with 2 wine glasses & an open bottle. They had given me someone else's room (thank God no one was there at the time). I also had the converse happen...
I checked into the Copthorne in Hokianga, New Zealand late one afternoon. I desperately had to pee, so I entered the room & quikly used the toilet. When I came out of the bathroom, I noticed that there was an open suitcase in the room, with 2 wine glasses & an open bottle. They had given me someone else's room (thank God no one was there at the time). I also had the converse happen in Orlando. I was sitting up in bed only wearing my underwear when the person who had been behind me in the check-in line unlocked the door & walked in with his suitcase!
That sweater pattern looks similar to a dress that became popular years later where people would think it's a different color depending on the lighting. You were ahead of your time.
You sure the 1000 HKD you got for your sweater wasn’t fake money?
Obviously nothing so spicy as the others. The ancient but lovely Victoria Falls Hotel (with a doorman who must be older than the hotel) has a walk to the falls directly through the "bush". On one trip to the falls I was approached by someone who wanted to buy my cheap trainers. They might have been Nike. Offered a great deal more than I paid but since I had only one pair of shoes I wasn't interested. No pressure. They must have been very valuable in Zambia.
I remember you did the Hanky Panky at my property!
Ben, you might like to consider a very gentle ‘put-down’, whenever you receive unsolicited ’offers’ from those who try to “Upsell” services or favours …. I simply respond by saying ….
“I do not think that you can afford me darlink”.
It has worked for me many times, in numerous countries, over the years.
Wasn't a weird hotel per se but at the Radisson Wilkes-Barre, PA I finished my room service dinner and was about to hop in the shower so I went to quickly put the tray outside my door and it managed to slam behind me, leaving me in the hallway buck naked. Had to go down to Reception (with a long check in line) covering my bits with my hands begging for a replacement key. Probably more memorable for the other guests than for me!
Unrelated to the original post. But on the etiquette of leaving the food tray outside the door- is this common. I am personally uncomfortable seeing this. I usually leave it in a table inside for housekeeping the next day.
My absolutely strangest experience was last year at Mercure Warsaw Ursus Station. I left my room around 5 PM and returned shortly after midnight only to discover that a mattress was missing from the bed in my room. I went to the reception desk and the receptionist told me that it’s been collected by the bailiff (British meaning, a government official who enforces repossessions) as a result of the ongoing war in court between the...
My absolutely strangest experience was last year at Mercure Warsaw Ursus Station. I left my room around 5 PM and returned shortly after midnight only to discover that a mattress was missing from the bed in my room. I went to the reception desk and the receptionist told me that it’s been collected by the bailiff (British meaning, a government official who enforces repossessions) as a result of the ongoing war in court between the owner and the people who bought in through the condo system. The receptionist assigned me a different room and an extra welcome drink as an apology, I transferred and that was pretty much the end of it. The day after I called Accor’s Voyageur hotline. I explained the situation and the consultant admitted that she’s heard about issues with the hotel and it’s being taken care of.
And sure enough, about two weeks later the hotel became unavailable to book through Accor’s website. It still operates in some capacity and still under Mercure brand (as there was at least one conference, with a room bookings possible, hosted there).
Would be interesting to get your opinion on the Lufthansa /Swiss crew hotel disaster in Miami.
Ben is waaaay too nice. 5 of these incidents could have been resolved quickly with a “Fcuk off!”
Do try to be serious Ronnie, that sort of response is not sufficiently sophisticated for Ben …. :-)
Hands down I never believed in ghosts until a spent a few days with my wife at the Don Cesar Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. I would need a lot more space to list out all the weird things that happened but the main one was that there was a hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom (this was a suite with a full living room outside the bedroom) and in that hallway, out of...
Hands down I never believed in ghosts until a spent a few days with my wife at the Don Cesar Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. I would need a lot more space to list out all the weird things that happened but the main one was that there was a hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom (this was a suite with a full living room outside the bedroom) and in that hallway, out of nowhere all the ceiling tiles started to dance up and down in that hallway (drop ceiling) and when I pulled them down it was ice cold up there and the room was not cold! Truly I had no idea, which I later found out, that this is one of the top 10 haunted hotels in America!
I thought a “Marie Antoinette wakeup” just was getting your head chopped off?
How's Andrew now? And Tiffany?
I would summarise the Cape Town experience as:
- 80% probability he wanted to get in your room to rob you
-20% probability he wanted to get in your room to "enjoy some intimate time together"
A wise decision to decline, either way!
Third possibility - a way too adoring reader had figured out where he was staying. I believe something like that happened once or twice too.
2017 my niece turned 21 and wanted her uncle to take her to NYC but ended up going to Amsterdam instead, booked 3 nights at the Double Tree Amsterdam Centraal Station, we were in the rooftop bar and restaurant enjoying a sundowner looking over the city, noticed a lot of half naked men and women entering the bar area, brushed it off and thought it was a stag or hen party, turned out it was...
2017 my niece turned 21 and wanted her uncle to take her to NYC but ended up going to Amsterdam instead, booked 3 nights at the Double Tree Amsterdam Centraal Station, we were in the rooftop bar and restaurant enjoying a sundowner looking over the city, noticed a lot of half naked men and women entering the bar area, brushed it off and thought it was a stag or hen party, turned out it was the first Only Fans event bringing content creators together! It goes without saying that my brother teases me to this day that I planned it and my niece thinks that’s what happens every weekend in Amsterdam, the fans were naked in the private area of the rooftop but spilled over into the more public areas but management were very relaxed. Still cringe to this day!
OMG that is hilarious
1,000 HKD for that fashion faux pas sweater! You robbed him Ben. Maybe he wanted it as part of a fancy dress costume - cat burglar would work.
January 2002, just after 9/11 i traveled to Marysville, Washington....north of Seattle. My dad was dying and this was not a pleasure trip. I was staying at a brand new Holiday Inn Express ( only game in town) I opened my door intending to go to the ice machine one evening and there was a man standing there staring at me who looked for all the world to be Osama bin Laden. Dead eyes and...
January 2002, just after 9/11 i traveled to Marysville, Washington....north of Seattle. My dad was dying and this was not a pleasure trip. I was staying at a brand new Holiday Inn Express ( only game in town) I opened my door intending to go to the ice machine one evening and there was a man standing there staring at me who looked for all the world to be Osama bin Laden. Dead eyes and obviously homeless. I called the front desk and the young lady's response was " Oh is he back ? "
I called the sheriff office next. Scared the crap out of me.
I have some tales to tell, but I'll limit it to massage stories.
1) At an "eco-lodge" in the mountains of Panama the price of the room included a spa treatment. My wife and I thought how about the mud bath which we'd never had before (or since) and asked if we could do it together. Well, somehow there wasn't a bath, but a mud massage. And there was only one proper mud massage table...
I have some tales to tell, but I'll limit it to massage stories.
1) At an "eco-lodge" in the mountains of Panama the price of the room included a spa treatment. My wife and I thought how about the mud bath which we'd never had before (or since) and asked if we could do it together. Well, somehow there wasn't a bath, but a mud massage. And there was only one proper mud massage table room with a fire hose or whatever to get the mud off afterward which my wife was led into. I was led to a regular massage table in the hallway where a man smeared mud all over me. This mud was extra viscous and difficult to remove when I was sent to a regular shower. Well, without notice, the man got in the shower with me to scrape the mud off. There was no other option, except, you know, to use the proper high power mudroom hose, but it was too late to communicate that with my limited Spanish.
Another "free" couples massage we had was in a hotel in Beijing. They gave us wax paper underwear to put on and two women came to massage us in our room. I didn't know where they would put the massage tables but there weren't any. The women jumped into bed with us for the massage. It was very uncomfortable.
I think I'm done with any "free" massages.
I think your "free" got lost in translation into "four".
Foursome is what you get.
Whatever happened to the other guest writers like Tiffany, Andrew etc
Your "you-know-what"?? Garsh!
I hope you enjoyed the happy ending!
1990, how many Ryanair flights have you taken asked Aero. Are you ever going to answer?
Ah, fake Aero becoming Diamond Aero’s secretary? 4x.
Ooooo! Is that likely to mean that you are Ben’s, 1990?
Whatever, you still fail to offer the readers to courtesy of an answer, yes?
@Ben, have you ever considered searching for a similar sweater to see if it brings you some unexpected extra cash again? ;)
adding the le meridien xiamen to my must-visit list thanks ben