Guests robbed at Hotel Asterisk
 

On May 4, 2002, my wife and I were robbed of all our valuables as we slept in room 45 of the Asterisk Hotel in Amsterdam. According to police (see report number 2002116075-1) the thief was en ex-employee who retained a master key and had inside help from current employee(s). Hotel Asterisk has a fake video security system, not hooked up to any electronics, has nobody at reception desk past 10:00 p.m., has no insurance to pay such losses, and hasn't ever changed its door keys despite several incidents of employee theft. The owners intitially promised to reimburse us for our losses ($2,000.00) but later reneged on that promise, refused to even "comp" us for the room, doubled the room rate when we objected, and threatened to have us arrested if we did not immediately pay the inflated bill. The theft ring is still operating, and there is nothing at the Hotel Asterisk to protect you from the disaster which we experienced.

If I were you, I would write about this to every travel magazine and paper.Send this story to the New York Times, Conde Naste Traveler has an Omnubudsman section where they try to help people out after problems while traveling.Not much you can do now, except get even.

First let me say Thank God you slept through it, who knows what might have happened if they'd been confronted.<BR><BR>I agree with the above poster , get even, tell your story to all .<BR><BR>Hopefully you paid with a credit card and can contest the charges..<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

Definitely write this to the Ombudsman editor at Conde Naste--this publication has enormous weight in the industry.

I'm also glad you and your wife were not harmed. Could I ask what you were carrying that was worth so much money. I can understand if it was camera/video equipment, but I sure hope it wasn't jewelry or similar. I hope the hotel somehow makes restitution and writing to Conde Naste is a great idea.

I'd contact the Netherlands Tourist Bureau as well; this sort of thing certainly can't be good for tourism, and I'm sure they'd want to know about it.

Had another thought - is this hotel recommended in various guidebooks? CC in the guidebooks when you write to the Netherlands Tourist Bureau.

I suggest you write to:<BR>Amsterdam Tourist Board<BR>Postbus 3901<BR>1001 AS Amsterdam<BR>

Did you pay with a credit card? If so, call the credit card company and dispute the charges.

I concur with contacting the Tourist Board. <BR><BR>When I went to Vienna a restaurant made bogus charges to my credit card (over $1000 in addition to my $60 meal). I wrote the Tourist Board - they wrote back saying they would investigate. The short story - I got a personal letter from the owner from the restaurant apologizing for the "mistake". Plus the charges (including my dinner) were taken off my account.<BR><BR>Squeeky wheel gets the oil. Be aggressive about following through with corrspondence etc - not only make noise but show that you mean business. Such behaviour by a hotel is atrocious and should not be tolerated.

Original message said "my wife and I were robbed of all our valuables as we slept in room 45 of the Asterisk Hotel in Amsterdam. "<BR><BR>Someone asked "Could I ask what you were carrying that was worth so much money. I can understand if it was camera/video equipment, but I sure hope it wasn't jewelry or similar."<BR><BR>What difference does that make to a victims robbed while sleeping in their room? Two modest wedding rings, two simple watches and a basic camera could easily be worth twice the $2,000 claimed loss. Who cares? I hope the police gave the victim more sympathy than anyone who would criticize victims of theft. IF the thief with the key stole items totaling less or more, would that matter?

I was a guest in the Asterisk hotel at the same time mr. Culp was there. Great hotel and nice staff. I know mr. Culp stated that he was robbed but he did not use the safe in his room and every day he said more was missing. The hotel does have an insurance but as everywhere, you must use the safe in order to be compensated. When items get stolen, you must use your own travelinsurance!! Maybe mr. Culp did not have an insurance himself??? I also happen to know that mr. Culp made indecent proposals to the receptionist who did not want to answer to this. The owner was willing to compensate several nights to mr. Culp but he refused this offer. Finally, mr. Culp left without paying his hotel bill (about 500 euros). If I was the Asterisk, I would definately report mr. Culp to my colleagues-hotels as being a defaulter.

Looks like the hotel (in the guise of bucker) is starting its spin on what happened.

Let's look at the report from "Dr. Culp" (of course we can look up the police report 2002116075-1). <BR><BR>I could believe it untill he said that the hotel "doubled the room rate when we objected". Why would they do that? Doesn't it sound strange? I could believe that they tell him to take a hike, but not that they would try to make the situation worse by going beyond the quoted rate. <BR><BR>Something fishy in old Doc Culp's story. Stay tuned.

Looks more like mr Culp is spinning in the guise of xxxxxx

Dirty old man wanting to chat up the receptionist !!!

Never been to Amsterdam, know nothing about the Asterisk and never heard of Dr. David A. Culp, but doesn't it seem a bit strange that he AND his wife slept through the whole thing? Hotel room doors are notoriously noisy and I guess that noise, the light from the hallway coming in the room when they opened the door, the flashlight and the people walking around the room couldn't arouse either the Doc or his wife. Don't most hotel doors have a dead bolt lock and a chain? Sounds fishy, doesn't it?

<BR><BR>Me thinks this is a large fish story.<BR>Fast asleep in a strange place, small room I am sure, and neither wakes up?<BR><BR>Then the hotel DOUBLES the room rate and threatens them with arrest. <BR>Smells like a mackeral thats been dead at least a week.

I don't understand why things would have to be in the room safe to be recompensed. I could not possibly fit my $250.00 suitcase and clothes in the safe, that could easily amount to a $2000.00 loss if stolen.

I don't think it's very likely that someone stole their clothes....

I can't believe you people fall for such a troll!<BR>So obvious from the Doc's e-mail address: "the big [email protected]"<BR>And who doesn't remember the recent thread re the 5th floor of a hotel in Amsterdam? Hotel Asterisk just opened their 40th room...

Also Culp. Short for culprit.

Well, Hotel Asterisk does exist (sounds like Hotel ***) and has 40 rooms. But rooms are often numbered so the first digit refers to the floor. So that doesn't prove anything.

This post caught my eye because I am going to Amsterdam in June. Staying at Hotel Kap (across the street from Hotel Asterisk). So many things seem fishy about this post, but what would be the purpose of this type of "troll"?

Robbed WHILE THEY WERE SLEEPING? I know the size of a normal room in an Amsterdam hotel. BOTH these people slept threw this crime? I gotta BIG problem with that story.

I was interested in staying at Hotel Asterisk. After seeing Mr. Culp's story I checked with the hotel. The owner replied and said that Mr. Culp refused to use the safe and left without paying; therfore, they reported him to the police. I don't know who is telling the truth.<BR><BR>

XXX, I'm curious. When you checked with the hotel, did they admit the robbery had occurred and that the thief wss a former employee--who may have had help from a current employee? Did they say whether there were previous thefts and if they had changed the locks?<BR>Something's up here--I don't know who to believe--but if I were robbed in my hotel room by an ex employee with the collusion of a current employee and there had been robberies before with no change of locks, etc., and the management simply told me I should have used the safe (although hotel safes aren't theft proof or guarantee insurance coverage), who knows, I might not have been so happy to pay my hotel bill either. Especially if the items stolen were a video camera or something that you wouldn't normally put in a safe while you were IN THE ROOM. This is a strange case and we're not getting the whole story from anybody.

Mea culpa. somethin ain't right. why bitch about it on a forum?

To BTilke:<BR>No, the hotel only said that the guest refused to use the safe and then refused to pay. They said nothing else regarding former or current employees. What is curious to me is that both sides contacted the police. The guest says he filed a report and the hotel says they reported the guest to the police.<BR><BR>Like I said and as others feel, something isn't right somewhere. And we all still do not know who to believe.

Another curious thing is that "Dr. Culp" hasn't posted any replies since. And "Tom Bucker" sounds like the hotel in disguise.

This all sounds very fishy to me. The original story, and the response from a guest at the hotel at the same exact time, what are the odds of that? My question to Fodorites - how would you feel if the Asterisk Hotel responded legitimately under their own name? Or to hoteliers - would you get involved in a public argument on a message board in order to clear your name? Or to lawyers - can a hotel sue someone for posting untrue negative info on the internet?

just a reply for the credit card comment. you can contest the purchase as long as doesn't have all of these three carateristic: signature, imprint or swipe of card and authorization number. if he is missing one of the above you are garanteed to get that money back.. good luck.. and thanks.. I'll make sure to stay away from there on my trip in august.

OK, I'll put in my 2 cents' worth as a view of this whole thread. First, it is likely that Dr. Culp could have stayed at the Asterisk, but under his real name which clearly isn't Culp. Second, he probably got ticked off at the hotel management about something, and decided this is the way he would get even, by concocting a completely untrue tale and trying to get people to join in. Third, either bucker is an accomplice troll or an independent troll who obviously had nothing to do with the hotel, didn't ever stay there, and didn't contact them. Wanna bet this is the real scoop? I'm just wondering why we are all so foolish (including me) as to not only pay attention to this kind of garbage, but perpetuate it as well.

I'm beginning to think that Wayne is correct.

But, interestingly, there is a Dr David A Culp

Also another interesting thing, there's a reply to the title "Best Hotel in Amsterdam for $150 US". It states that the Hotel Asterisk is a nice and friendly hotel and so are its owners. Is this a coincidence only or is the hotel promoting itself?

I think Culp is a pitty old man who tried to rip off the hotel and after that his insurance company. Heard that he stayed there a long time, stayed after the incident for over 5 days, started complaining after checking out and left without paying his bill. After that, made this complaint on the internet. Why would the hotel double his bill????? <BR>Who believes this man. Note well: everyone can say everything about anybody on the internet. Intelligent people think twice before believing any story as fishy as this one.

Mr. Culp left without paying, or can he proove he did pay? I thing he is the crook.

Time to talk about something else. It's too bad that this is all over Fodors. Spend time answering people's questions and investigating new travel sites rather than freaking out about whether Dr. Culp is a crook!

I don't believe the story as told, but it IS upsetting regardless because I will be staying in the same area but at a different hotel, female, traveling alone. I wish I'd never read this post.<BR>