Here’s a situation that I think would make just about anyone’s stomach turn… though there are also some important lessons here.
Man gets key to Marriott room, walks in on woman sleeping
A woman with the handle @DrVivianS took to Twitter/X to share a horrifying incident that happened to her some time ago, for which she has been receiving counseling.
While traveling for work and staying at an unnamed Marriott, she had someone walk into her room while she was sleeping. What makes this even creepier is that it wasn’t a mistake (in the sense that someone was accidentally given a key to the wrong room), but instead, the person was someone who kept insisting on wanting a key to that exact room.
After an investigation, the hotel manager explained how exactly this incident happened:
I sincerely apologize once again for the unfortunate incident you experienced at our hotel.
After investigating the situation with my staff, I would like to explain what transpired that night. A man approached the front desk requesting a key to your room. He claimed to be your husband and stated he needed the key to return and sleep. Upon verifying the reservation, my staff informed him that he was not registered for the room and that he would need to contact you for verification. He insisted that you were sleeping and requested that we not disturb you.
The woman emphasizes that she’s not married, and that she didn’t consent for anyone to enter her room. She’s not ready to share what happened in the room, which I can understand, as this situation sounds awful.
Hotels need to do better, and this is so avoidable
First of all, I can only imagine how violating it must feel to have someone walk into your room while sleeping. Worst of all, it’s not just a random person that walked into her room while she was sleeping, but instead, someone who specifically wanted to walk into her room while she was sleeping. UGH.
I think there are two lessons here. The first lesson is exactly what she recommends, and which is one of my hotel habits — “I want to caution people to USE THE DEADBOLT AT HOTELS.” I’m always shocked when I learn that some people don’t use the deadbolt, and I just don’t get it.
I don’t care if it’s day or night, when I’m in the room, I always use the deadbolt. And yes, while one “shouldn’t have to,” the reality is that there are a lot of master keys out there, and it’s a basic precaution you can take, if nothing else.
The second lesson is that so many hotels are just really bad at verifying identity when requesting an extra key, and more training needs to take place to prevent incidents like this. I’ve had this happen a countless number of times over the years, where I lose a key, and I’m shocked by how few questions I’m asked to get a replacement key.
Sure, in some situations you may be locked out of your room and not have your ID, and in that case, they should ask several verification questions, beyond just your name or room number.
For example, I was impressed during my recent stay at the St. Regis Hong Kong, where I misplaced a key. When I asked for a replacement key at the front desk, they asked to verify my date of birth, my address, and even my last Marriott Bonvoy stay. That’s the minimum amount of information a hotel should ask before issuing a new key.
In the story above, it’s particularly wild how the front desk agent reportedly told the person he wasn’t authorized to enter the room and would need to contact the woman to get into the room, yet when he insisted it was fine, they gave him a key. What the heck?!
Bottom line
A woman has taken to social media to share a terrible incident that happened during a recent Marriott stay. She was woken up by a man who had entered her room. Worst of all, he had been given a key by a front desk agent.
The front desk agent tried to initially deny him a key, since he wasn’t registered to the room. But when he insisted that he didn’t want to disturb the woman and just wanted to go back to sleep, they gave him a key. That’s just totally unacceptable.
Hotel guests, don’t forget to use your deadbolts. Hotels, do a better job at verifying identity when people request keys.
What do you make of this Marriott incident?
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