I think most people would like to believe that their hotel room won’t be entered without permission, especially when the ”do not disturb” sign is on. However, here’s a good reminder of what can go wrong…
Continue reading: Hotel Burglarized During Coachella, $100K+ In Luxury Goods Stolen
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Must be sad for "rich" people like Lucky to read about this. Not that he and Ford would ever stay at a La Quinta!
@ Toni B -- If you're going to be shady, at least try a little harder. 😉 This property isn't associated with the La Quinta hotel group, it's just named after its location, in La Quinta, California.
Pretty sure that no one likes being victimized regardless of socioeconomic status! On a different note, Lucky, when’s the last time you actually saw a “do not disturb” sign? We only see “currently occupied” these days. Pretty sure this change began after that horrific Las Vegas mass shooting at a concert occurred several years ago!
Which hotel? Obviously, they still exist. It’s not like it was a mandatory change. I make a point to look at them and just cannot recall the last time I saw one!
The hotel likely has video surveillance that would show the robber. Moreover, their computer system should have a record of each room entry so if a master key was used, it might be tied to a particular person.
I see ''do not disturb” signs all the time and almost everywhere and in every country. It is pretty standard universally, and I have never seen 'currently occupied” anywhere.
@ Toni B - are you for real?? Have you ever travelled outside of Hooterville, Kentucky??
I am not poor, but also not rich. I follow Ben because one I love his writing, but two he makes luxury travel possible with his free advice. I only fly business and stay at luxury hotels almost entirely by leveraging credit cards.
What a rude comment to make.
Exactly - it's burgled, not burglarized. I find it really annoyancing when people make up verbs from nouns when the root verb already existences. It's just bad quality writerizing.
Americans use the word "burglarized" while British English uses "burgled". Frankly, I prefer the latter - but Ben wasn't wrong in his wording.
I saw a do not disturb sign just about 10 seconds ago, in my room, the Hilton I am in now. PCT are you sure you were not high when you wrote your comments?
@Toni B Then, why do you read his blog if you think he has never been a good writer? Also, stogieguy7 is correct about the difference between burgled or burglarized which is just which side of the pond you are from or which side of the pond’s English you like or prefer to use.
@password It is not true. Lucky is just using American English. He is correct. Also, what is ‘writerizing’? Is that something that you made up but yet you are incorrectly criticizing the writer of this article?
I also only see do not disturb signs at hotels whether it is the electronic sign or the paper sign (sometimes in other words but never currently occupied) and yes PCT even in the local language it translates to do not disturb in English. Not sure about your currently occupied for guest rooms but the closest thing I can think of that has the word occupied is for the lavatories.
@Toni B Did you even carefully read what Ben wrote before you made such a dumb comment? He specifically even wrote that this hotel is a part of the Curio Collection which is a part of Hilton.
@Toni B: He's an absolutely fine and engaging writer. What an unnecessarily snarky thing to say.
Yes I always assume that criminals who display no respect for private property (except their own) will at least have the decency to respect a good “Do Not Disturb” sign.
Once during a dark period of my life I was at an afternoon show at Lollapalooza and as Vampire Weekend played, I decided to do some burgling at the Four Seasons Chicago - but at each room I attempted to enter, I was confronted with a “Do Not Disturb” sign and thought to myself, “Oh dear, I shouldn’t bother them then” as I quietly scurried away. As you can imagine my brief foray into a life of crime was thoroughly unsuccessful.
"it's just named after its location, in La Quinta, California."
And for those who don't know, the wealth surrounding La Quinta is ASTONISHING. It's right next to the Coachella polo grounds, as well as the Thermal Desert International Horse park (hosts the 2nd largest horse show in the country, where million-dollar jumping horses are sold/traded/shown).
And its airport (Cochran) extended their runway, because so many people bring in private jets larger than Gulfstreams and Globals. Not uncommon to see 737BBJs and even 757s there, during the horse shows, Coachella, and major polo competitions.
Anyone IGNORANT enough (this means you, Toni B) to think this area is about discount motels, is in for a shock, lol.
Why people go to Coachella when they just had the largest Fyre festival in the area ever.
Yes, this is a terrible lapse, but c'mon... Why would anyone with two functioning synapses take family heirloom jewelry with them when they stay at a hotel, let alone leave it in their room while they're out? It's crazy. We need to take reasonable precautions to protect our stuff, particularly if it's of high monetary or sentimental value.
Just stayed at a Hyatt property this weekend and the sign definitely said “Currently Occupied”, not “do not disturb”. Pretty sure that’s the standard phrasing these days. Not sure where these other people are staying.
Ah ha Robert D! You may have solved the mystery as we almost exclusively stay at Hyatt properties and perhaps they made the decision to change the signs?? Whether it be PH, Thompson, Grand, Centric or others, I’ve not seen “do not disturb” for awhile!
"Is the verb form of burglary, burgle or burglarize?
The verb form of burglary can be either burglarize or burgle. "Burglarize," like many verb forms, is made by adding the suffix -ize, and this form is more common in American English. Burgle is a back-formation (a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word), and is more common in British English. Both are widely accepted as correct."
Actually, it’s the other way around. La Quinta, California is named after the historic La Quinta Resort, which opened in 1926.
I live in Indian Wells, next to La Quinta. The Empire Polo Grounds are actually in Indio, it’s where Coachella and Stagecoach festivals set up annually. Yes, it’s a beautiful part of the California desert, especially when snow capped mountains surround the entire Coachella Valley (Greater Palm Springs) in the winter/spring.