Originally published at: What is going on with the creepy Hilton employees? | Boing Boing
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“Inconvenience” is a pretty weird way to describe a crime.
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The chain is easy enough to bypass/break, but no employee with a master key can accidentally enter an occupied room.
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Further investigation revealed another four Hilton hotel employees in various locations around her hotel room, including one in her bed disguised as a bolster. The guest surprised a second man masturbating in the shower, naked except for a pair of yellow plastic Croc sandals, while a third Hilton employee was attempting unsuccessfully to hide behind a standing lamp in the corner of the room. The fourth, who she recognized as the manager of the hotel, was discovered in the closet, watching “Yellowstone” on the guest’s iPad.
“We deeply regret the inconvenience caused,” a Hilton spokesman said yesterday, “and are sorry if our customer was alarmed or upset by the actions of our staff. Members of our Hilton family are committed to making our guests’ stays at Hilton properties pleasant and memorable, but it appears that these team members may have allowed themselves to be carried away by an excess of enthusiasm.” The spokesman added that the employees in question would be required to re-take Hilton’s introductory staff onboarding course “Service with a smile: making the Hilton difference” and to speak to a staff-customer relations counselor as a condition of continued employment with the Hilton Group.
The guest said that when a Hilton representative finally reached out to her by phone four weeks after the incident, they offered her a complementary $20 voucher for use at the Fresh’n’Healthy salad bar of any Hilton property, but declined to answer her requests for more information or to admit any responsibility for the event. When she continued to ask if any action would be taken against those responsible, the call was abruptly disconnected. Subsequent calls to Hilton’s consumer relations hotline were answered by someone speaking in a fake Russian accent and claiming to be the captain of a submarine. “Must go, are very busy now, dive, dive!” the person said before hanging up again.
At press time, the guest had still not received either an official response or the promised $20 voucher.
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Can’t decide if this is parody or fact…
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HHonors Diamond here: there are times I wish my company has a contract with someone else.
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Either way, not funny.
Makes me wanna pile up furniture against the door if I ever again stay at a hotel/motel.
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This stuff might be useful:
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Modern hotel room doors don’t have chains. They have those solid bar security things, I don’t know what they’re called. Maybe there’s an easy way to bypass those, too, I don’t know.
Regardless, for anyone who finds yourself in a similar situation, once you get the hotel employee out of your room, secure the door and call the police. This isn’t a “let me speak to a manager” issue. This is “a crime has been committed and needs to be reported immediately” issue. It’s almost certain this guy has done this before, probably without being noticed.
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I’m tempted to get one!
But then, what if say, I’ve fallen and can’t get up?
I suppose EMT’s and such could smash the door down. If I haven’t fallen near it.
I wonder if the possibility of an emergency in which I’d need help is greater or less than the possibility of someone unwanted breaking in. 
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Then that’s a big problem and the door being stuck is probably the lesser problem right then?
Emergency responders would get in, probably with axes or other noisy tools, but it would certainly stop sly, uninvited people from sneaking in quietly.
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I’ve traveled with one of these in my suitcase for decades. A fun, unplanned adventure in Manhattan involved finding a replacement for one that was lost or stolen. 
There are also things to do with a door to detect when hotel staff doesn’t honor the “Do Not Disturb” sign when you’re not in the room.
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Secret Agent tricks are handy, huh?
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My travel prep does tend to involve emulating George Smiley as well as tips from analysts and disguise experts…
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I’ve seen (but not used) variations on this theme before. It looks pretty secure.
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It is not. They don’t fit well enough, and even when they do, a good hard shoulder to the door will pop it. See Are THESE Hotel Door Locks Better Than The Addalock? (Spoiler: No.) - YouTube for examples. There’s a velcro strip device he does like that holds the bolt in place, and also a doorstop that jams itself into the carpet/padding – Hotel Room Security... Putting Teeth into your Do Not Disturb Sign! - YouTube
These should defend against both unauthorized key users and under-door tools. The strap is a little better for “I need to release the door and get out” situations, but the self-jamming doorstop resisted a large guy with the key trying to get the door open and hitting it hard to get in.
A towel rolled up and stuffed in the door handle is sufficient to block under-door tools, which are more likely to be used by non-employees trying an easy way in.
Also: don’t trust the safe, either.
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That’s good to know. The problem in the video seemed to be that the sheet metal was too flimsy and bent.
I’ve seen wedges slip easily on carpet, but the one with the screw spike should be a lot more secure.
Why not?
I mean yes, some experts can crack it, but surely most petty thieves can’t?
