Theft in a hotel

serafina

serafina

Member
Aug 15, 2009
767
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#1
A friend of mine just got back from vacation and noticed she's missing 2000 in cash among some other very valuable possessions. She did a dumb thing by hiding the goods in a purse under her bed rather than the safe and suspects its one of the cleaning ladies who took it.

Now she only realized the day after returning and has contacted the hotel's management who said they cant really do anything, she has to file a police report. Now she's flying back out there to get some answers and file this report.

The housekeeper told my friend and her husband that it was her last week working there and she was very excited to move back home.... so at this point she could even be out of the country. Can the hotel be held responsible? What are the proper steps she should take to recover lost possessions and money.
 
#2
Sorry this happened to your friend but yes, I would've stored it in the in-room safe or safety deposit boxes via the front desk. Hotels are normally not liable for any valuables that are not secured in their safe, but you can check with them what they can do for your friend since it was taken from their room. GL!!
 
#3
Unfortunately you can't trace cash maybe the hotel has survelliance camera's probably not in the room invasion of privacy. However, I would ask the management if the hotel has security surveillance tapes maybe the person is counting the cash in a hallway or has some value possesions and caught on tape.

Sorry this happened to your friend awhile ago 20/20 had a special on regarding hotels housekeeping/roomservice staff members going through visitors personal belongings.

I always put the do not distrub sign on my door and watch housekeeping clean the room/suite. Also, travelers checks and credit cards are better when traveling transactions can be traced and the banks will replace any lost checks or investigate unauthorized transactions.

Hopefully, the hotel staff will cooperate during the investigation.
 
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#4
Since she had left the property before realizing anything was wrong, I don't see that she has many options. The hotel can easily claim the loss occurred after she left.
 
#5
Yeah I think it would be tough to get the hotel to get anything about it. We need to always be vigilant when traveling, even when staying at the nicest hotel coz you just never know.
 
#6
Gosh sorry to hear about this experience....I honestly don't think she'll be able to recover the money and valuables stolen from her and TBH, I don't think the hotel will be that helpful as well especially that it's their staff that's under suspicion (hotels would do anything to protect their reputation so any way for them to not involve themselves in this matter, they will do!)...I know this because I used to work for hotel management.

Also, the fact that she didn't use the in-room safe can be used against her and can be faulted as negligence on her part. I wonder why she placed it under the bed as housekeepers always lift the mattresses when changing sheets.

Hope she's ok and will find some comfort with what happened soon!
 
#7
I can't imagine traveling with that much cash! Much less leaving it in the room unsecured.

As others have said, there's little chance she will recover anything.

A very expensive lesson for your firend, unfortunately.
 
#8
I don't think there's anything the hotel can do, there's no way to prove she even had cash. Anyone can call a hotel a day later and say "by the way I have thousands in cash missing". That's what hotel safes are for.

She's incurring the expense of flying back over this?
 
#10
babypie said:
I don't think there's anything the hotel can do, there's no way to prove she even had cash. Anyone can call a hotel a day later and say "by the way I have thousands in cash missing". That's what hotel safes are for.

She's incurring the expense of flying back over this?
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Yea, that doesn't make sense. Even if the airfare is, lets just say, $500 RT, why waste the time and money to go there when you can file a police report over the phone? And, assuming the worst case scenario here, if there is no way to recoup the 2k, then your friend is also out the $500 airfare...I'd chalk it up to a huge mistake and a learning experience. Why anyone would hide money under a bed where there is a safe in the room is beyond me.
 
#13
What about the trip home? The taxi/limo/shuttle from the hotel to the airport. Was the bag checked or carried on the plane?

If she didn't discover the loss until she got home, how can she prove the loss occurred at the hotel and not in transit? Items are stolen from checked baggage all the time.

What were the other items mentioned? Jewelry? Electronics?
 
#14
apparently it was an anniv. gift her hubby gave her while on the trip. they came back to the room drunk out of their minds, she says they packed in such a whirlwhind the next morning and she didnt look through her purse till sometime on the flight..

there was a very expensive diamond bracelet involved. shes hoping police can somehow get a warrant to search her house if they see anything suspicious on surveillance.
 
#15
serafina said:
apparently it was an anniv. gift her hubby gave her while on the trip. they came back to the room drunk out of their minds, she says they packed in such a whirlwhind the next morning and she didnt look through her purse till sometime on the flight..

there was a very expensive diamond bracelet involved. shes hoping police can somehow get a warrant to search her house if they see anything suspicious on surveillance.
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A warrant to search whose house? I thought this happened in a hotel?
 
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