travelenthusiast

This happened on our trip to St Martin this year. My husband and I were in our room and someone entered our room via the connecting door to the room next to ours. I was scared out of my mind because I thought we were going to be robbed or worse. My first reaction was to scream very loudly. It ended up that it was just the person in the next room seeing where the door led to. She was offended that I screamed and she did not apologize. I immediately went to the front desk while my husband guarded our belongings in the room. They the hotel staff locked the connecting door and apologized to us. The women who entered our room actually had the nerve to complain that I screamed. I heard the staff tell her that she scared me but she remained very indignant. She requested a room change which we were happy about. So my question is: Did I overreact? What would you have done?

cmcfong

You were right and did not overreact. Don't let her overreaction bother you.

Statia

I would have screamed, too. Gosh, I'm glad she moved if she was that indignant about it and didn't even apologize for the intrusion. I'm sure your stay would have been less than stellar if you ran into her often by her being your neighbor for the duration. Even if I had done such a thing on accident, I would most certainly apologize profusely about it.

I live near SXM and stay there often. If you don't mind my asking, what hotel was it?

travelenthusiast

I hesitate to answer this because we absolutely love the hotel, but it was at the Alamanda. The staff was very nice and handled the problem quickly. They promptly locked the connecting door and they appologized to us. In the future I will try the doorknob wherever I stay to ensure it is locked.

Dreamer2

I always check the connecting doors, so I could someday be the lady barging in! But I would be horrified to actually find access, and can't believe she wasn't going up and down apologizing. Actually, I can't believe she didn't end up screaming in fear as well!

As a young newly wed, I once had the experience of staying in a cheap No Tell Motel (NOT on the honeymoon). My husband went out to pick up some Chinese food, and I put on a pretty nighty, lit candles, and waited in the bed. With a key, in comes the night manager, to presumably rob the place. I was absolutely terrified, and couldn't even muster a scream. Lucky for me, he back out quickly with a big apology. I got dressed, threw our stuff back in the bag, and left for good with my husband upon his return.

Statia

That would be horrifying, Dreamer!

travelenthusiast, I was only curious about which hotel it was and agree that it was just an oversight on their part. As long as they rectified the situation immediately, then I would agree all is well.

I have to also agree with Dreamer that I thought about the fact that it could have been me opening that door since I always check connecting doors to ensure they ARE locked between adjoining rooms. I have a feeling that was not this woman's intention, however, since she was not apologetic in the least.

Glad it all worked out in the long run, travelenthusiast, and that you enjoyed your stay.

schmerl

I also check connecting doors as soon as I get to the room.
I would have reacted just as you had. It would just be a natural reaction to scream. Something must be wrong with that woman if she was offended by you. YOU were the one who had the right to be offended!!

Canuck_at_Canada_eh

Somebody walks into my room.....

Count to six.... then re-load )

Just kidding of course. So you screamed. A totally natural reaction to being startled. And you bumped up against a boorish person who doesn't understand simple courtesy. Welcome to the world of travel. I think you handled it OK and wouldn't worry about it. But there is some good advice. Whenever checking into a hotel room, veryify and check all windows, doors, connecting doors etc., for your own security.
You had a fright this time, but I bet it will never happen again. You actually had a cheap lesson in travel safety. Thanks for posting it to remind us all to travel safe.
Steve

Maureen

I would have definitely done the same thing. That person should have apologized profusely and then offered you a drink down at the bar!
But the hotel has some fault as that door should not have been unlocked. Maybe the maid was cleaning in one room and opened the door to go into the next room and forgot to lock it.

Enya

Something similar happened to one our guests at our wedding last summer. She was in her hotel room getting ready to turn in for the night when she heard a key being inserted in her door and the door being pushed open. Luckily, she had the chain on. Turns out it was the previous guest who had apparently checked out earlier but for whatever reason,found himself back at the hotel wanting to get into the room. Apparently it would seem he did not return his key when he checked out and it obviously still worked even though he had checked out. I recall my friend telling me he claimed he was back to collect his toothbrush he had left in the room. Anyway of course my friend was mortified out of her mind because here she is in a strange place on her own with this obviously deranged lunatic wanting to get into her room to get his toothbrush. She kept the chain on the door and tried to close it but this was a big guy so he kept pushing it back open as far as it would go with the chain on. He went on with a commotion outside the room for about 10 minutes until security came up and escorted him out. When I got to my friend the next morning she was fit to be tied - understandably. The hotel comped her a couple of days for her room as a way of making amends but it just goes to show - always put the chain on the door once you are in the room.

Dreamer2

That's just horrible. What a scary inttrusion for a woman traveling alone. He was obviously deranged and probably quite dangerous. That's when you feel your guardian angel - and good common sense - have probably just saved you a good deal of pain and suffering.

Traveler863

travelenthusiast,
My opinion is it was very much an overreaction. I can understand an initial scream perhaps from the surprise but clearly immediately following pretty much the full extent of the mistake had to be realized. To go to the front desk and guard your belongings was a WAY OVER REACTION. If I were that unfortunate guest next door that made a simple mistake I'd have changed rooms too!

Traveler863

more....what would I have done? After realizing the mistake (probably seconds later) I probably would have actually apologized for screaming, then the person most likely would have more deeply apologized for the intrusion, some small talk might then occur then some chuckling by both parties (thinking glad we weren't jumping bones lol). Lastly, I would have secured the connecting door myself...typically its just a deadbolt, and only if securing that door was unclear or more complicated would I have involved the front desk. If you had done these measures, the person next door would not have requested a move and probably would have bought you a drink in the bar!

Nema

In a time when the news regularly reports on crimes being committed, it was very reasonable for you to scream. Considering tht you did not know the person next door and you did not know what her intentions were for entering the room, it also was reasonable for you to have your husband guard your belongings and for you to contact management immediately. In a situation like that, I would be much more concerned about my own safety than whether or not someone who walked into my room was offended. Upsetting you and getting a negative reaction was a risk that she took, when she entered the room. She should have been the one apologizing to you, since she was the one who made the intrusion.

Traveler863

Nema,
You are very wrong. Firstly, I'm probably one of the first people who lecture others on safety while traveling...check my other posts LOL
However, in this particular incident and the way it was described....easy to picture. First off, crimes are rarely committed upon a hotel guest by another guest....its obvious right away the mistake. Sorry I'm still picturing the whole possible event and see no reason hotel management needed to be called other than if the connecting door could not be secured by the guests themselves. Good grief!

faithie

Traveler , The original poster did NOT realize it was another guest until after the fact . I am sure it happened very quickly , SHE felt threatened and scared at that moment and screamed . If the nosy neighbor had of responded to the shocked scream with an , " Oh my goodness , I am sorry " , perhaps they would have chuckled over drinks . Faith .

Robert

I'm curious as to HOW she invaded the room. I see scenarios: (1) Could she have been merely checking to see if the door was unlocked, to check on her own security? If so, she probably would have opened it slightly, and peered in, and apologized immediately. However, with a scream greeting her, she may have been panicked and embarrassed. However, if she boldly walked into the room, it would seem she wasn't merely checking to see if the door was unlocked. (2) In that case, she may have been cognitively lacking regarding locked doors separating rooms, and may have thought your room was just an addition to hers. Or, that since the door was unlocked, then your room may not have been occupied yet, and (3) she was just exploring. Still, most would have done this with tact and hesitancy. If the reason she entered your room was (4) with mischief on her mind; i.e., stealing, she would have done so very cautiously, and made it appear that she was checking to see if the door was locked. And, she would have apologized. Of course, professional thiefs would have made sure you were gone by first knocking on your door with some lame excuse for doing so. And, if she was a thief, she would have tools to unlock the door, and you would have heard some slight noise as she undid the lock. It appears she wasn't a professional thief, who would have apologized. It seems odd, if she was merely checking to door for her own security, that she "entered your room" (I'm assuming boldly?), instead of peeking her head around and immediately saying, "Oh, I'm sorry...did you know the door was unlocked?" Even if you screamed in this instance, her body was still in her room, save her peering face, and she still could have apologized. Of course, she could have been merely stupid and thought that your room was merely an additon to hers, and thus boldly walked in. It is rather strange, though. I must say that if she didn't do it out of ignorance about locked room partitions, and she boldly walked in merely because the door was unlocked and she wanted to explore, your room, then she wouldn't be the personality type to apologize to you anyway. She is simply an aggressive, overbearing, and out of bounds person. Let's just hope she was stupid and embarrassed. Robert

Nema

Travelenthusiast,
Luckily nothing happened this time and you were able to resolve this situation. As a prosecutor, I know that crimes often happen when you least expect them; therefore, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Flyboy

One Christmas Eve, we picked up a land-sale rate at a halfway decent hotel near the home of relatives we were visiting in the Twin Cities area. With two kids in tow, we arrived at our room to find the door between adjoining rooms was standing wide open. Happily, both rooms were cleaned and ready for new guests.

"UPGRADED TO A FREE SUITE for $39!!!" I exclaimed, as I went over to the second room's door to the hallway, secured the bolt, applied the interior lock and moved the kiddies into our newfound "extra" room.

About 2 a.m., I heard someone trying to get into the second room with a keycard and getting hung up on the extra locks after the little green light was coming on. I peered out the door of my legitimate room to see a lovely woman with no luggage and a very nice fur coat. ('Not a bad looking elf,' I surmised...)

"The hotel must have made a mistake," I said. "I know there is someone already in that room." (Of course, both of these observations were true, as far as they went.) "You'll have to get them to give you a different room." (That much seemed clear, as well.)

It was the last I ever heard of the situation, as I'm sure the front desk was being staffed by different people by the time we checked out.

The moral of the story is that if you ever have this happen to you, be sure to hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your extra room before buttoning it up against the possibility of the hotel sending a guest your way.

joan

Flyboy, you put your kids in a room that wasn't yours and that you hadn't paid for? And then went to sleep? As a mom, I NEVER would have agreed to that. Your wife should have put you in there by yourself and locked the adjoining door!