Hotel horror stories

[BKLYNCyclone]

Back in high school I went to a Luther League convention with our church youth group. It was a pretty good trip since a bunch of my good friends went to the same church. Our pastor was maniacal about sending in hotel bookings early as he had it down to a science and always ended up with great hotels (all hotels are the same price and booked through Luther League).

On the way down we stayed at a La Quinta Inn in Oklahoma somewhere. The place was gross, (old dried up eggs in the blankets, at least we hoped). And prostitutes were literally knocking on people's doors and propositioning them. Our pastor went and straightened them out on that one since we had about 20 rooms (most of the wing).

So when we finally got to New Orleans, we were surprised to find someone in our room (who quickly left) and luggage in the room already. My chaperon (certified Iowa hillbilly) starts rifling through the luggage and promptly pulls out a bra and says "yep, there are definitely other people here." In any case, we get on the phone with the hotel management and they get it sorted out. They accidentally gave our room to an overflow guest that they hadn't accounted for, who happened to be female. Bad for her I guess, but nothing too bad for us...

In fact, the girl in the room (a giant pool side suite in the double tree where one wall could literally open up to the pool) ended up being from a suburb of Milwaukee. I returned her luggage (she ended up next door in an adjoining room) and we sort of hit it off.

People across from the hall were actually from Ames, which was pretty fun. We kept leaving leftover crayfish outside their doors. Anyway, long story short and 20 years later, I'm married to and have two kids with the girl from Wisconsin who was sleeping in my hotel room in New Orleans.

Just saying, what started out as a suspect trip, ended up being pretty great...

 

[CYdTracked]

The racism part of the story seemed a bit unnecessary.

Sorry if it offended anyone but I was not trying to use it in a racist tone but more trying to describe the front desk clerk because he literally was a lot like Apu from the Simpsons which is what we wound up referring to him as the week went on. Apu is a very recognizable TV character so part of telling the story is trying to describe things in a way you relate to. You can imagine with all the problems we had during our stay we were frequent visitors to the front desk all week so describing someone we dealt with more than we should have was just a way of tying the story together.

Sorry if I set off the PC police alarm with you, people need to chill out and quit turning everything into a race issue that isn't.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

after staying in so many questionable hotels as a student on event trips, I'm all about the reviews now. And always throw the deadbolt.

I stayed at a hotel once and walked into the room and there were people in there. I went back to the front desk and they were confused and went back there. They came back and then gave me another room. I walked in and there was luggage. They said the other people that were in it had a baby and had to be moved, not sure the logic there, and must have forgotten that piece of luggage.
Another time someone knocked on my door. I opened the door ajar, deadbolt on, and some drunk guy tried forcing himself into my room. He was Asian guy in a suit and wasn't speaking English so I had no idea what he thought he was doing and I just pushed the door shut after I got his hand out of it. I was just happy that I had that deadbolt lock on. Always use that lock!

 

[cyinne]

With all if the "walking into an occupied room" stories I'm waiting for the "walk in on people banging" story.

 

[AgronAlum]

If you ever book a Hampton Inn through hotels.com, best if you call the hotel to make sure the booking went through to their system successfully. A couple of years ago we booked the Hampton in KC through hotels.com for my wife and I, and a couple of friends, needing a 2 BR. We get there at about midnight, dead tired after being at Worlds of Fun all day, only to find that the booking never came through. After some plying we were able to get another room, but it only had one bed....my wife and I ended up having to sleep on a cot. Turrible.

Anyway, chalked it up to a one-time f up by hotels.com. Booked the Hampton Inn in Lawrence about 6 months later for a friend's wedding down there. Get there and again, the booking never made it to Hampton's system, but this time the hotel was completely sold out. So was damn near every hotel in Lawrence, it was springtime at KU and the dude working the desk at Hampton says they're always completely packed every weekend that time of year. Hotels.com finally found a room for us at the Baymont Inn, and it reeked of smoke (though it was non-smoking), but it was literally the last available room that could be found in the area so we had no choice.

I've booked dozens of times through hotels.com and those are the only 2 issues I've ever had, and they were both Hampton Inns. Lessons learned, call to confirm.

If you call the hotel direct, they will normally give you the Hotels.com rate without all the fees from Hotels.com. I just did it last night for a room at a Country Inn and Suites.

 

[DoctorUncle]

The racism part of the story seemed a bit unnecessary.

 

[cowgirl836]

my parents were supposed to check husband and my luggage into our room on our wedding day (reception was at a hotel). After a late night of he and I trying to switch rooms after finding out we had been placed next to his parents, my parents tell us the story the next day of how people were in "our" room when they checked us in and someone was in the shower. So they had to get us moved to a different room. They of course, had no idea that the hotel then put us smack dab in the middle of our own block.

Parents also didn't grab my luggage so thank God I had brought an emergency bag on the limo that included a change of clothes and not much else. That would have been a hella awkward the next day.

 

[wxman1]

Pretty happy my stories just surround weather issues. Dad, Grandpa and I stayed at a hotel in Kearney, Nebraska on the way back from a white water rafting trip in Utah. Some fairly big storms had blown through at the beginning of the week and there was some wind and water damage to the hotel and lobby. The room was fine though so it wasn't too bad.

After one of the K-State football games in Arrowhead we stayed at a hotel out in the Liberty area along 35. The storm got pretty bad and I would estimate it at quarter sized hail fell for a bit. Then we lost power for a few hours. Thankfully we were on the second of third floor because we found out in the morning that most of the first floor flooded.

 

[Cycsk]

Just thought of another one. I was in Orlando for a conference and staying at a lower end chain hotel on International Drive. Well, when I left my room in the morning, I'm met by a couple of SWAT guys in full armor and weapons. I look the other way and I see all the armored vehicles and a bomb detonation trailer. They escorted me to my car and let me leave the property. Later I find out that a well-armed fugitive was in the room on the other side of the back wall of my room. Eventually, he gave himself up and it never amounted to anything. Glad they didn't decide to mow him down with machine guns like in the movies or I might have had an unforgettable shower that morning.

 

[cyhiphopp]

my parents were supposed to check husband and my luggage into our room on our wedding day (reception was at a hotel). After a late night of he and I trying to switch rooms after finding out we had been placed next to his parents, my parents tell us the story the next day of how people were in "our" room when they checked us in and someone was in the shower. So they had to get us moved to a different room. They of course, had no idea that the hotel then put us smack dab in the middle of our own block.

Parents also didn't grab my luggage so thank God I had brought an emergency bag on the limo that included a change of clothes and not much else. That would have been a hella awkward the next day.

Did your parents rate DH's performance at breakfast the next morning?


We had an interesting development at our wedding hotel. My wife's grandpa was covering a big chunk of rooms and the hotel charged him twice. He's a very nice guy but he lost his **** when that happened. He was covering over $3000 worth of rooms so it wasn't a small amount.

 

[LindenCy]

I know of the hotel that you are speaking of. They used to have commercials in the Chicago area when I was growing up. Calling it a dungeon is a little over the top as it was just a romantic place.

One of my neighbors growing up knew someone that had met a women older then him and took her there. This was when they were a junior/senior in high school and I was in 8th grade/freshmen.

Sybaris?

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Did your parents rate DH's performance at breakfast the next morning?


We had an interesting development at our wedding hotel. My wife's grandpa was covering a big chunk of rooms and the hotel charged him twice. He's a very nice guy but he lost his **** when that happened. He was covering over $3000 worth of rooms so it wasn't a small amount.

CG just cross-stitched on her wedding night.

 

[cyhiphopp]

CG just cross-stitched on her wedding night.

I dunno. If there was rum at the reception then DH might have gotten a nice night with Rum Brooklyn.
Her parents might have had to call security on them then.

 

[Mr Janny]

Just thought of another one. I was in Orlando for a conference and staying at a lower end chain hotel on International Drive. Well, when I left my room in the morning, I'm met by a couple of SWAT guys in full armor and weapons. I look the other way and I see all the armored vehicles and a bomb detonation trailer. They escorted me to my car and let me leave the property. Later I find out that a well-armed fugitive was in the room on the other side of the back wall of my room. Eventually, he gave himself up and it never amounted to anything. Glad they didn't decide to mow him down with machine guns like in the movies or I might have had an unforgettable shower that morning.

I ran into sort of a similar situation in Vegas about 10 years ago. I was out there for a trade show with several other people from my place of employment. We were staying at Harrah's. The night we got there, a whole bunch of us went out and really tied one on. Lots of drinking and gambling, and craziness. There was one gal, Karen, however, that stayed behind. She sort of chastised us for going out to get drunk when we had to work in the morning, and said she was going to get a good night sleep in her room, on the 20th floor of Harrah's.

That morning, at roughly 3AM, our group made it back to the hotel, stumbling drunk, and rowdy. As we walked through the casino, who did we run into? It was Karen, bleary eyed, crying, and in her pajamas. What was wrong? Why was she still awake? Shouldn't she be getting her "good night sleep?" What had happened?

Well, this had happened: http://www.vegastripping.com/news/blog/1162/vegas-swat-invades-harrahs-to-catch-crazed-gunman/

This was going on just a few doors down from her. she'd been woken up by banging on her door, and evacuated by the SWAT team. The hotel closed off a section of the gaming floor for the displaced guests, and she'd been trying to sleep under a craps table for a couple hours. But other than that, you'd have never known there was anything wrong. The casino was running basically like normal. There weren't any police running around, or panicked employees. It was basically business as usual.

Anyway, the next day was rough on everyone, Karen included, and she didn't even get to get drunk out of the ordeal.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

I dunno. If there was rum at the reception then DH might have gotten a nice night with Rum Brooklyn.
Her parents might have had to call security on them then.

Nah, he was too busy nerding out to the newly released Mass Effect 3.

 

[cowgirl836]

Did your parents rate DH's performance at breakfast the next morning?


We had an interesting development at our wedding hotel. My wife's grandpa was covering a big chunk of rooms and the hotel charged him twice. He's a very nice guy but he lost his **** when that happened. He was covering over $3000 worth of rooms so it wasn't a small amount.

that's an unpleasant surprise!

nah, it was HIS parents we were next to. They met walking out of their rooms or something. I was still in the ballroom. My parents were the ones that walked in on people and got us moved to a different room, not knowing where it had put us.

And we got moved. Precisely because his dad is the type that if we had laughed or dropped something or turned the tv on, made any kind of noise at all and he heard it, we'd be hearing that story forever at all manner of family functions. Hell, while DH was trying to deal with it, I was sitting in an open atrium type thing above the lobby, and I could hear his dad down there telling anyone who would listen that they were next to us.

 

[cowgirl836]

I dunno. If there was rum at the reception then DH might have gotten a nice night with Rum Brooklyn.
Her parents might have had to call security on them then.

no rum. Had half a glass of wine at dinner and that was it. Too much dancing, I kept wanting water. Other people got enough though, had some friends singing "American Pie" on chairs by the end of the night.

 

[cyhiphopp]

that's an unpleasant surprise!

nah, it was HIS parents. They met walking out of their rooms or something. I was still in the ballroom. My parents were the ones that walked in on people and got us moved to a different room, not knowing where it had put us.

And we got moved. Precisely because his dad is the type that if we had laughed or dropped something or turned the tv on, made any kind of noise at all and he heard it, we'd be hearing that story forever at all manner of family functions. Hell, while DH was trying to deal with it, I was sitting in an open atrium type thing above the lobby, and I could hear his dad down there telling anyone who would listen that they were next to us.

A while back my mother in law was staying with us. My wife and I were watching The Walking Dead and we reacted to a particularly shocking moment with "Oh my god" and "Oh no!"

She was convinced we were in the throws of passion.

I told her, "If Sammie ever screams Oh No while we're in bed, then we're doing it wrong."

She got a good laugh out of that.

 

[cyhiphopp]

no rum. Had half a glass of wine at dinner and that was it. Too much dancing, I kept wanting water. Other people got enough though, had some friends singing "American Pie" on chairs by the end of the night.

We didn't have time to get drunk either. We drank more on the bus to the reception than we did at the reception. We barely had time to eat. And we still didn't talk to at least a third of the people there.

One of our bridesmaids definitely made time to get smashed though. Wow. She must have been buying shots all night.

 

[cowgirl836]

We didn't have time to get drunk either. We drank more on the bus to the reception than we did at the reception. We barely had time to eat. And we still didn't talk to at least a third of the people there.

One of our bridesmaids definitely made time to get smashed though. Wow. She must have been buying shots all night.

oh yeah, I drank in the limo. Forgot that. Still probably not more than one drink there either.