Swissotel shouldn't be a den of thieves
September 29, 2009 11:15 AM Subscribe
Items stolen from hotel. Hotel denies it. How to resolve this?
I stayed at the Swissôtel Bremen and personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff. I noticed that my belongings were missing as soon as I returned to my room late in the evening and notified the front desk.
The Swissôtel management, in addition to treating me like a nuisance, has acted as if the incident is completely unimportant and has repeatedly claimed that nothing was removed from my room. Most recently the General Manager of the hotel wrote me an email stating that none of the staff removed anything from my room. This is absolutely preposterous, as I searched thoroughly and know for certain that my belongings were taken from my room.
How do I respond so that 1) my belongings are returned or I am compensated for them; and 2) the hotel staff and management learn better hospitality and customer service.
This was in Bremen, Germany. I do not speak German. Should I file a police report? Make an insurance claim? Contact the company corporate management?
Thanks.
I stayed at the Swissôtel Bremen and personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff. I noticed that my belongings were missing as soon as I returned to my room late in the evening and notified the front desk.
The Swissôtel management, in addition to treating me like a nuisance, has acted as if the incident is completely unimportant and has repeatedly claimed that nothing was removed from my room. Most recently the General Manager of the hotel wrote me an email stating that none of the staff removed anything from my room. This is absolutely preposterous, as I searched thoroughly and know for certain that my belongings were taken from my room.
How do I respond so that 1) my belongings are returned or I am compensated for them; and 2) the hotel staff and management learn better hospitality and customer service.
This was in Bremen, Germany. I do not speak German. Should I file a police report? Make an insurance claim? Contact the company corporate management?
Thanks.
If something was stolen (regardless of who stole it--and how do you know, anyway?), you should file a police report.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:29 AM on September 29, 2009
posted by bluedaisy at 11:29 AM on September 29, 2009
Should I file a police report? Yes, you believe a crime occurred. Just because you're (presumably) a tourist doesn't mean you can't go to the police.
Make an insurance claim? Yes, assuming your insurance covers such things. Do so after filing the police report.
Contact the company corporate management? Yes, because regardless of the outcome of the police investigation or insurance claim the hotel management was incompetent.
posted by jedicus at 11:29 AM on September 29, 2009
Make an insurance claim? Yes, assuming your insurance covers such things. Do so after filing the police report.
Contact the company corporate management? Yes, because regardless of the outcome of the police investigation or insurance claim the hotel management was incompetent.
posted by jedicus at 11:29 AM on September 29, 2009
That's bad, I'm sorry. Usually one does file a police report in Germany even though it might just be for insurance issues. Ask the hotel about it, maybe that's a first step to getting it resolved.
Your service experience seemed to be bad. Sad too, but do get your language right as well. You're saying "personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff", but you don't know, in particular not by whom. You have not seem the act. Trying to be neutral and open for a resolution might help, even though you do feel angry.
posted by oxit at 11:30 AM on September 29, 2009 [4 favorites]
Your service experience seemed to be bad. Sad too, but do get your language right as well. You're saying "personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff", but you don't know, in particular not by whom. You have not seem the act. Trying to be neutral and open for a resolution might help, even though you do feel angry.
posted by oxit at 11:30 AM on September 29, 2009 [4 favorites]
What are the items in question? You keep saying "personal belongings" which is too vague to help anyone answer the question well. Are you talking about jewelry? A laptop? Wallet? Toothbrush? That will make a difference about what course of action to take.
posted by ejazen at 11:31 AM on September 29, 2009
posted by ejazen at 11:31 AM on September 29, 2009
Does your room have a keycard entry? If so, the hotel should be able to see what employee accessed your room.
posted by dcjd at 11:33 AM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by dcjd at 11:33 AM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
Police report. German equivalent of bbb.
posted by lalochezia at 11:37 AM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by lalochezia at 11:37 AM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
and write to their head office, naming everyone who blew you off.
posted by lalochezia at 11:37 AM on September 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 11:37 AM on September 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
How could you possibly know that it was hotel staff that stole your belongings? Do you have any traveling companions using the room? Did you bring a prostitute to the room? Could it have been a burglar? Insisting that it was staff and that any other explanation is preposterous is not the way to get the most helpful response.
Also, you posted anonymously, but named the hotel, calling them a den of theives. Classy.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:00 PM on September 29, 2009 [3 favorites]
Also, you posted anonymously, but named the hotel, calling them a den of theives. Classy.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:00 PM on September 29, 2009 [3 favorites]
1. File a police report.
2. File a report with your travel insurer.
3. Most hotel rooms have fine print (either in the room - back of door, info folder - or on whatever you signed when checking in) that states they are not responsible for personal items in the room, but that they have a safe deposit box in the front office for valuables (regardless of whether or not there is also a personal safe in your room). Thus, this is what travel insurance is for.
posted by meerkatty at 12:09 PM on September 29, 2009
2. File a report with your travel insurer.
3. Most hotel rooms have fine print (either in the room - back of door, info folder - or on whatever you signed when checking in) that states they are not responsible for personal items in the room, but that they have a safe deposit box in the front office for valuables (regardless of whether or not there is also a personal safe in your room). Thus, this is what travel insurance is for.
posted by meerkatty at 12:09 PM on September 29, 2009
Also, you probably won't get anywhere with writing to corporate management, but you CAN write a scathing review and warning on TripAdvisor. If I saw such a warning, I certainly wouldn't stay there.
posted by meerkatty at 12:11 PM on September 29, 2009
posted by meerkatty at 12:11 PM on September 29, 2009
anonymous: I stayed at the Swissôtel Bremen and personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff. I noticed that my belongings were missing as soon as I returned to my room late in the evening and notified the front desk.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the fact that you "noticed that [your] belongings were missing" does not immediately mean "personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff". It's a possible, maybe even likely scenario, but it's no wonder the hotel is denying everything based on your lack of evidence. They probably don't appreciate customers calling them thieves, and they certainly don't want to be in the position of replacing everything someone claims is "stolen" from their room.
File a police report. That's it. If you're not satisfied, then by all means don't patronize the hotel again, but certainly don't go around posting bad reviews because of what you think happened.
posted by mkultra at 12:39 PM on September 29, 2009 [7 favorites]
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the fact that you "noticed that [your] belongings were missing" does not immediately mean "personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff". It's a possible, maybe even likely scenario, but it's no wonder the hotel is denying everything based on your lack of evidence. They probably don't appreciate customers calling them thieves, and they certainly don't want to be in the position of replacing everything someone claims is "stolen" from their room.
File a police report. That's it. If you're not satisfied, then by all means don't patronize the hotel again, but certainly don't go around posting bad reviews because of what you think happened.
posted by mkultra at 12:39 PM on September 29, 2009 [7 favorites]
Also, maybe you could check with Swissotel corporate office and explain the story to them?
posted by arimathea at 1:23 PM on September 29, 2009
posted by arimathea at 1:23 PM on September 29, 2009
It may be too late to repair things with the hotel, but you need to approach this more as, "While I was gone, the security of my room was compromised by hotel staff," not that they necessarily stole your stuff. For all you know, a housekeeper left your door ajar and unattended and another guest walked in a stole your stuff. If the only people who had the ability to unlock your door are you and the hotel staff, and there are no signs of break-in, the hotel did compromise the security of your room if you're sure you secured it when you left.
Also, this is what hotel safes are for. Ask the hotel if they have one for any of your remaining belongings if you're still there.
posted by ishotjr at 2:04 PM on September 29, 2009
Also, this is what hotel safes are for. Ask the hotel if they have one for any of your remaining belongings if you're still there.
posted by ishotjr at 2:04 PM on September 29, 2009
Nthing the "Do not assume hotel staff did this." As someone who has worked most of his adult life in the tourism and hospitality industry, I can tell you that if your approach with the management has been like your approach here, you have needlessly antagonized the people whose assistance you are requesting in locating your items. In proceeding from conclusion "personal belongings were removed from my room by hotel staff " and working your way backwards, you have insulted their professionalism. This may be why they "treat [you] like a nuisance."
Swissotels are pretty swank. I would be astonished if they are not using a magnetic keycard system so I will proceed on this assumption. Of course, these can be audited and it is trivial for the auditor to determine if anyone other than the guest entered (and if so, the exact key used and to whom it was issued is easily determined). As well, as soon as you swiped your card in the door, the previous guest's card would have been cancelled (if it had not expired already). What does the hotel staff have to gain by taking your unspecified personal belongings? If it is the housekeeper, who would have had to enter your room in the course of work, he or she has to weigh the fact that any investigation of missing items is going to instantly produce a list of suspects with only one name on it. If it is someone else who does not have to enter the room in the course of routine work, he or she has to weigh how the unauthorized entry to the room would be explained -- this is almost certainly a firing offense in the hotel industry. And if you theorize that someone stole your goods and someone else has falsified the records for the use of the keycards, you have a literal conspiracy theory.
As with any other situation, it is not impossible that some ne'er-do-well has committed a criminal act and profited by it. Welcome to living. However, practically speaking the benefits are vastly outweighed by the risks.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:02 PM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
Swissotels are pretty swank. I would be astonished if they are not using a magnetic keycard system so I will proceed on this assumption. Of course, these can be audited and it is trivial for the auditor to determine if anyone other than the guest entered (and if so, the exact key used and to whom it was issued is easily determined). As well, as soon as you swiped your card in the door, the previous guest's card would have been cancelled (if it had not expired already). What does the hotel staff have to gain by taking your unspecified personal belongings? If it is the housekeeper, who would have had to enter your room in the course of work, he or she has to weigh the fact that any investigation of missing items is going to instantly produce a list of suspects with only one name on it. If it is someone else who does not have to enter the room in the course of routine work, he or she has to weigh how the unauthorized entry to the room would be explained -- this is almost certainly a firing offense in the hotel industry. And if you theorize that someone stole your goods and someone else has falsified the records for the use of the keycards, you have a literal conspiracy theory.
As with any other situation, it is not impossible that some ne'er-do-well has committed a criminal act and profited by it. Welcome to living. However, practically speaking the benefits are vastly outweighed by the risks.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:02 PM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
How do you know it was the hotel staff? Is it possible that you didn't secure the door correctly? Could someone else have broken in to the room? Instead of making accusations that you have no way to prove, perhaps you can focus on what you know. Items are missing.
Also, this.
posted by 26.2 at 3:07 PM on September 29, 2009
Also, this.
posted by 26.2 at 3:07 PM on September 29, 2009
The professional bellhops union here should probably shuffle off and STFU.
The best you can do is question whether the asker was consorting with prostitutes in the room? Really? Prostitutes probably have better ethical practices than it sounds like this hotel does.
Are you seriously suggesting that a burglar is more likely than that the staff stole something from the room? Sure, it is a possibility, but have you never stayed in a hotel? Would you figure a burglar hit just one room or that the hotel covering up a rash of banditry?
Many hotel staff steal things when they think they can get away with it. A swanky hotel like Swissotel probably pays their housekeeping staff poorly. There is not exactly a career path that begins with housekeeping duties at a major hotel chain.
I recommend contacting the corporate management and letting them know that Swissotel Bremen is a disgrace to their corporate image. And, if it relieves some frustration, trash them in every online review system available.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 1:12 AM on October 1, 2009
The best you can do is question whether the asker was consorting with prostitutes in the room? Really? Prostitutes probably have better ethical practices than it sounds like this hotel does.
Are you seriously suggesting that a burglar is more likely than that the staff stole something from the room? Sure, it is a possibility, but have you never stayed in a hotel? Would you figure a burglar hit just one room or that the hotel covering up a rash of banditry?
Many hotel staff steal things when they think they can get away with it. A swanky hotel like Swissotel probably pays their housekeeping staff poorly. There is not exactly a career path that begins with housekeeping duties at a major hotel chain.
I recommend contacting the corporate management and letting them know that Swissotel Bremen is a disgrace to their corporate image. And, if it relieves some frustration, trash them in every online review system available.
posted by McGuillicuddy at 1:12 AM on October 1, 2009
Many hotel staff steal things when they think they can get away with it.
Really? As someone who traveled extensively for business in the US and aboard, I've never had an item swiped from a hotel room. Even in the year where I spent 4 nights a week in different hotels. Admittedly that's just my experience, and maybe I got lucky for a decade or so of Premier Executive level travel. In fact, I can't think of an instance of someone directly telling me something had been lifted from their room. I've heard people say that hotel housekeepers are light-fingered, but I've never seen evidence to substantiate it.
The assumption that the staff swiped something is one of several possible scenarios. I think the response is based on the fact that the poster was unwilling to consider any other possibility.
posted by 26.2 at 1:25 AM on October 1, 2009
Really? As someone who traveled extensively for business in the US and aboard, I've never had an item swiped from a hotel room. Even in the year where I spent 4 nights a week in different hotels. Admittedly that's just my experience, and maybe I got lucky for a decade or so of Premier Executive level travel. In fact, I can't think of an instance of someone directly telling me something had been lifted from their room. I've heard people say that hotel housekeepers are light-fingered, but I've never seen evidence to substantiate it.
The assumption that the staff swiped something is one of several possible scenarios. I think the response is based on the fact that the poster was unwilling to consider any other possibility.
posted by 26.2 at 1:25 AM on October 1, 2009
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2) Local Tourism Bureau
3) Concierge service, if provided by your credit card
posted by randomstriker at 11:28 AM on September 29, 2009